Adam Ingram (Labour politician)

Adam Paterson Ingram (born in Glasgow on 1 February 1947) is a British politician, and Member of Parliament for East Kilbride. He is a member of the Labour Party.

Early life

He went to Cranhill Senior Secondary School in Cranhill, Glasgow in the year below Archy Kirkwood, Baron Kirkwood of Kirkhope. He is a graduate of the Open University. He became a trade union official with NALGO from 1977-87 after several years working as a computer programmer/analyst from 1967-77. A Justice of the Peace and former chairman of East Kilbride Constituency Labour Party, Ingram was East Kilbride District Councillor from 1980-7 and leader of the District Council from 1984-7.

Parliamentary career

He contested Strathkelvin and Bearsden in 1983.

Ingram entered the Commons in the 1987 election and during this parliamentary term acted as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Neil Kinnock. Upon Labour's landslide election victory in 1997 he was appointed a junior minister at the Northern Ireland Office with responsibilities including security. In 2001 he became Armed Forces Minister at the Ministry of Defence, a position he held until Gordon Brown became Prime Minister in 2007. He was the longest serving Defence Minister in British history. He is a member of the Privy Council.

Controversies

Ingram sued George Galloway and his publisher for alleged defamation regarding remarks Galloway made in his autobiography about Ingram's youthful membership of the Orange Order. Ingram lost the case and was ordered to pay costs.

Personal life

He married Maureen McMahon in 1970.

References

External links

• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Adam Ingram MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Adam Ingram MP
• Leaving the MOD in 2007
• BBC Politics