Gordon Banks (politician)


Gordon Raymond Banks is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Ochil and South Perthshire from 2005 until 2015.

Early life

Banks was born in Acomb, Northumberland and educated at the Lornshill Academy in Alloa and then the Glasgow College of Building. He later obtained a degree in History and Politics from the University of Stirling.
He has worked in the construction industry for 31 years, and formed his own building supplies business in 1986.

Member of Parliament

Banks was elected in the new constituency of Ochil and South Perthshire at the 2005 general election, defeating both Annabelle Ewing and Liz Smith.
Shortly after his election, Banks became a member of the Regulatory Reform Committee, the Unopposed Bills Committee, the Scottish Affairs Committee and the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee. In May 2006, he became a PPS to James Purnell, and subsequently left the Scottish and Northern Ireland committees.
In October 2010, he was appointed as one of the Shadow Ministers of the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. He resigned from this role in April 2011 in order to concentrate on his constituency duties. He returned to the Shadow Cabinet in 2013 as Shadow Minister for Scotland.
He was defeated by Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh of the Scottish National Party at the 2015 general election.

Personal life

Banks is married with two children. He is a member of the Coeliac Society.