Allan Hopkins Dorans (born 30 July 1955) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock from 2019 until his eventual electoral defeat at the 2024 general election.
Allan Dorans | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2019 | |
| Member of Parliament for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | |
| In office 12 December 2019 – 30 May 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Bill Grant |
| Succeeded by | Elaine Stewart |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Allan Hopkins Dorans[1] 30 July 1955 Dailly, Scotland |
| Political party | Scottish National Party |
Dorans was made a Companion of the Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) in 1990 and a member of the Chartered Management Institute (MCMI) in 2000.[2]
Early life and career
editAllan Dorans was born on 30 July 1955 in Dailly, South Ayrshire, the son of Peter Dorans DCM and Agnes Dorans,[2] the youngest of nine children. He was educated at Carrick Academy in Maybole, before studying at the Open University and at the University of the West of Scotland, gaining a diploma in public service leadership.[2]
After university, Dorans joined the Metropolitan Police and reached the rank of detective inspector by the age of 28, serving with the force from 1972 to 1987. During that time he was a uniform response officer as a constable, sergeant and inspector. He also served as a detective in the rank of constable, sergeant and inspector, specialising in the investigation of the most serious crimes of rape, robbery and murder. He completed his career in the Metropolitan Police as an instructor at the Detective Training School at Hendon.[3]
From 2002 to 2003, he was a substitute teacher at Cape Elizabeth High School in Maine, United States. Dorans was an area manager for the West of Scotland with SACRO, a leading Scottish community safety charity from 2003 to 2009. He was also managing director of West of Scotland Mediation Services from 2009 to 2013.[2]
Dorans was first elected to South Ayrshire Council in 2012 for the SNP in Ayr West ward,[4] then appointed in 2014 as SNP Group Leader. He was defeated in 2017.
Parliamentary career
editAt the 2019 general election, Dorans was elected to Parliament as MP for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock with 43.5% of the vote and a majority of 2,329.[5][6]
He was appointed as the Shadow SNP Spokesperson for Policing on 10 February 2021. He was a member of the Standards Committee, Privileges Committee and the European Scrutiny Committee.[7]
Dorans is a leading campaigner for “Justice for Yvonne”, which is a campaign led by his former police colleague, John Murray, to bring to justice those responsible for the murder of WPC Yvonne Fletcher, who was shot in the back and murdered outside the Libyan Peoples Bureau on 17 April 1984. Dorans raised the issue at Prime Minister's Questions in July 2020.[8] On 22 February 2022 Dorans secured and led an adjournment debate on that subject in the House of Commons. On 7th December 2022 he again raised the subject of the murder of WPC Fletcher at Prime Ministers Questions with the recently elected Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, who has agreed to meet with him to see how this matter may be taken forward.[9]
At the 2024 general election, Dorans lost his seat to the Labour candidate Elaine Stewart.[10]
Personal life
editIn 1979, he married Maureen Beeson; the couple have a son and two grandsons. He lists his recreations as trekking and "undertaking challenging events to raise funds for charitable causes".
References
edit- ^ "No. 28275". The Edinburgh Gazette. 20 December 2019. p. 2192.
- ^ a b c d "Dorans, Allan Hopkins, (born 30 July 1955), MP (SNP) Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, since 2019". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 2020. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u293907. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
- ^ Renton, Dawn (11 October 2019). "Allan Dorans elected as SNP candidate for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock". Carrick Gazette. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- ^ "Election 2012". www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk. South Ayrshire Council. Archived from the original on 3 August 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
- ^ "UK Parliamentary Elections". South Ayrshire Council. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
- ^ "Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- ^ Zeffman, Henry (22 October 2022). "No 10 staff ready to give party testimonies 'against Boris Johnson'". The Times. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
Four Tory MPs are on the privileges committee: Sir Charles Walker, Sir Bernard Jenkin, Alberto Costa and Andy Carter. None of them has yet endorsed a leadership candidate. They are joined by two Labour MPs — Harman and Yvonne Fovargue — and an SNP MP, Allan Dorans.
- ^ "PMQs: Dorans and Johnson on WPC Yvonne Fletcher killing". BBC News. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- ^ "Murder of WPC Yvonne Fletcher". Hansard. UK Parliament. 22 February 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- ^ "Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock | General Election 2024". Sky News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
External links
edit
- Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
- Voting record at Public Whip
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
 | This article about a Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (since 1801), for a Scottish constituency is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
| | This article about a British member of Parliament elected at the 2019 general election or a subsequent by-election is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |