Kilsyth MSP’s key role

After just one year in office and at the age of just 26, high-flying Mark Griffin has been appointed shadow sports minister and Labour whip at Holyrood.

With Olympic and Paralympic events being held in Scotland, plus Scotland’s hosting of the Commonwealth Games in 2014, this is an exciting time to take on the sports role. But Mark believes his time as a member of North Lanarkshire Council will stand him in good stead.

“As a councillor I worked on bringing various facilities to Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, such as the 3G football pitches at Croy and the St Maurice’s Sports Comprehensive, which were achieved through community partnership. The same principles apply at national level too,” he said.

And on becoming whip, Mark added: “The most recent issue I’ve worked on is the minimum alcohol pricing bill, which Labour supports though we are pushing for the revenues – around £120m a year – to go back into Government funding for projects which help those affected by alcoholism, rather than just boost supermarket profits even higher.”