Jim Devine

James "Jim" Devine (b. May 24 1953, Blackburn, West Lothian) is a Scottish Labour Party politician, the Member of Parliament for Livingston, since holding the seat in the Livingston by-election of September 29, 2005.

Devine served as election agent to Livingston Constituency Labour Party and to the former MP Robin Cook from the 1983 general election until Cook's death in 2005. He was the Chairman of the Scottish Labour Party 1994-1995.

He was selected to follow Cook as Labour candidate in the ensuing 2005 Livingston by-election. He made his maiden speech on October 25, 2005 (see).

He served as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Health Minister Rosie Winterton until he resigned in protest at the decision to replace Trident. . He is also a member of the Science and Technology as well as the Scottish Affairs Select Committees.

Prior to his election, Devine worked as Head of Health in the Scottish branch of the public sector union UNISON, before which he was a psychiatric nurse, having trained and worked at Bangour Village Hospital in Dechmont.

He is separated from his wife, Liz, and has two grown children, Kathleen and Kelvin.

External link

 * BBC News - Cook's agent to stand in election