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Michael Moore – Shadow Secretary of State for International Development

Shadow Secretary of State for International Development
MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk
Liberal Democrat candidate for Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk

Biography

Michael Moore entered Parliament at his first attempt in 1997, holding David's Steel's former seat, Tweeddale, Ettrick & Lauderdale.

Michael Moore was born in Northern Ireland, the son of an Army Chaplain. After Strathallan School in Perthshire and Jedburgh Grammar School, he read Politics & Modern History at Edinburgh. After a year as a researcher for Archy Kirkwood MP, Michael joined Coopers & Lybrand, qualified as a chartered accountant and rose to become a manager in the corporate finance practice [1993-97]. Michael's interests include supporting local rugby teams, hill walking and films.

He was the party's campaign chairman for the 1999 Scottish Parliament elections, and retained this role for the 2003 elections. In October 2002 he was elected Deputy Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

As an MP his work on local issues includes: the campaign for Assisted Area Status; and for the return of a railway to the Borders; low pay issues in the region; campaigns to encourage pensioners to claim all their entitlements; the problems of the benefits system, tax credits and the Child Support Agency; and opposing plans to close rural Post Offices. After Government decided to start the digital switchover in the Borders, Michael established the Borders Digital Forum in an effort to make the transition a success.

During the Lib Dem leadership election campaign, Michael acted as chief of staff to Menzies Campbell MP; after the election, he was appointed Shadow Foreign Secretary. He had previously served as Spokesperson on Transport [1997-2001], Foreign Affairs [2001-05], and Shadow Defence Secretary [2005-06] and is now Shadow Secretary of State for intenational Development [December 2007-present] and Shadow Secretary for Scotland and Northern Ireland [March 2008-October 2008].

For three years he was a Governor and Vice Chairman of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, which supports democracy building projects in Africa and other parts of the world. In 2003-04 he was a Parliamentary Visiting Fellow at St Antony's College, Oxford. In July 2004 he was elected to the Council of The Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House). He is an office holder of the All Party Groups on Corporate Social Responsibility, Rail and Textiles.

Parliamentary Experience

2007 - Shadow Secretary of State for International Development; March 2008 to October 2008 Shadow Secretary for Scotland and Northern Ireland; 2005 to 2006 Shadow Defence Secretary; 2002 to 2005 Deputy Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats; 2001 to 2005 Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs.