Ted Brocklebank MSP
Ted Brocklebank is a Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife. He was educated at Madras College, St.Andrews, and has family roots with the East Neuk of Fife going back to 1747. Ted began his career in journalism with D C Thomson & Co, Ltd, Dundee and went on to become an award-winning TV documentary-maker. He is a former Head of News and Current Affairs at Grampian TV. TV programmes he has produced have been screened throughout the UK on ITV and Channel 4. He makes his home in St.Andrews.
Ted first stood as the Conservative Candidate for NE Fife in the Scottish Parliamentary elections in 1999 when he achieved the second highest pro-Conservative swing in Scotland. He stood for the Scottish Parliament by-election in Banff and Buchan in 2001 where the Conservative vote went up by almost 5%. He achieved another 5% swing in NE Fife in the May elections and was successful in winning one of the three Conservative list places in Mid Scotland and Fife in 2003. In 2007, Ted once again contested NE Fife where he achieved another swing to the Conservatives. He was returned on the list for Mid Scotland and Fife in May 2007.
During his TV career Ted made a number of networked documentaries about the plight of Scotland’s fishermen. His support for the fishing industry and the key role he has played in the Tory leadership's declared intention to regain national control of UK fishing grounds, was rewarded when David McLetchie appointed him Scottish Conservative Fisheries Spokesman. Until July 2005 he served on the Scottish Parliament’s prestigious Finance Committee. He was appointed as Scottish Conservative Rural Development & Fisheries Spokesman and became a Member of the Shadow Cabinet in July 2005. He served on the Environment and Rural Development Committee from July 2005 to March 2007 and on the Waverley Railway Bill Committee from January 2004 to July 2006.
In February 2007, Ted resigned as Rural Development and Fisheries Spokesman and stepped down from the Shadow Cabinet on a matter of principle after the UK leadership changed its emphasis on fisheries policy.
He returned to the front bench in May 2007 as Shadow Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture and took a seat on the European and External Relations Committee. In June 2007 he was elected to the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (Scotland Branch).
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