Mark Drummond QC

[Marcus Drummond-MacBeath]

Name: Marcus Charles Alexander Drummond-MacBeth QC (Known as Mark Drummond QC)

Born: Crieff, Scotland
Avatar: Hugh Grant (younger)
Age: 39 Born: 25th January 1968
Sex: Male
Ethnicity: White British/Scottish
Marital Status: Married with 2 children
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

Party: Labour Party
Political Outlook: New Labour/Blairite - Right wing of Blairite wing
Constituency: Glenrothes
Year Elected: 2005

Education: Privately educated at Strathallan School in Perthshire (1980-1985), Dual Qualifying LLB - Dundee University (1985-1989), Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice - Glasgow University (1989-1990) - Chair of Glasgow University Labour Club (1989)
Career: Advocate, Called to Scottish Bar 1990, COFPS - Fiscal Depute (1990-1997), Private Practice - Specialised in Human Rights Law and, Constitutional and International Law. (1997-2005)
Political Career: Elected MSP - Ochil (1999 - 2003), Deputy Minister for Justice (1999-2001, Subordinate to Liberal Democrat Minister in coalition), Unseated in 2003 election

[Marcus Drummond-MacBeath]

Full Biography

Born to a middle class Conservative supporting family in Perthshire, Scotland, Marcus Charles Alexander Drummond-MacBeath, is not your typical Labour member, at least certainly not before the rise of New Labour. Marcus was privately educated at the nearby Strathallan School before going up to Dundee University, aged 17, in 1985 to read Law. He read both Scots and English law whilst at Dundee, it was in his second year at Dundee where Marcus began to get more involved in politics.

Now going by Mark he was exposed to left wing ideas that had escaped him in his sheltered and privileged upbringing. He joined the University Labour society and during a trip to the House of Commons in 1987, he had his first encounter with future Party leader Tony Blair whom he described as a great personality and a man to emulate. Not yet entirely consumed by politics he continued his studies in Law and went on to do a postgraduate diploma at the University of Glasgow, upon completing this spent two years devilling as an Advocate and went on to be called to the Scottish Bar and practiced as a Fiscal Depute (Scottish equivalent of Crown Prosecutor) for seven years, he left the Procurator Fiscal service and went on to practice privately tackling Human Rights cases and dealing with issues relating to constitutional matters, many of which were topical at this time in Scotland.

In 1999 he was one of Labour's new MSPs in the first Scottish Parliament. Owing to his experience in legal matters he was appointed a junior minister for Justice and reported to a Liberal Democrat MSP, the justice minister. He continued his practice whilst an MSP and was unseated in 2003 when Labour lost seats, but not enough to secure a place on the regional list. Originally intending to fight back at the next Scottish election it was suggested that owing to his experience and greater ambition that he should run in the Westminster elections, due to the incumbent standing down he was selected as a candidate for Glenrothes and won the election despite the Labour losses.

Married to Anne, a dentist, he has two children Alastair and Amelia. He is a practicing Catholic and politically he has described himself as a Blairite, though this, combined with his background, has led to criticism from left leaning members of him being a "Red Tory".