Gordon Matheson
{{Short description|British politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = Councillor
| name = Gordon Matheson
| honorific-suffix = CBE
| image =
| office = Leader of Glasgow City Council
| term_start = May 2010
| term_end = 10 September 2015
| preceded = Jim Coleman (interim)
| succeeded = Frank McAveety
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| residence = Glasgow
| party = Scottish Labour Party
| partner = Stephen Wallace
| alma_mater = University of Glasgow
University of Strathclyde
}}
Gordon Matheson CBE is a former Scottish Labour Party politician and a former leader of Glasgow City Council.{{Cite web|url=http://ifuturecities.com/about-us/core-team/|title=Institute for Future Cities}}
Career
Educated at Glasgow and Strathclyde universities, he was first elected to the city council in 1999. Re-elected in 2003, 2007 and 2012, he represented the Anderston/City ward. He served as Bailie, Justice of the Peace, Executive Member for Education and City Treasurer, before being elected leader in May 2010.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8671768.stm |title=Gordon Matheson chosen as Glasgow City Council leader |author= |date=10 May 2010 |publisher=BBC |access-date=27 January 2013}}
In the May 2012 local government elections, he led the Scottish Labour Party to victory, increasing the share of the vote by 3.4% and securing an overall majority in Glasgow. This was despite predictions that Labour would lose control of Glasgow to the SNP.{{cite web |url=http://www.itv.com/news/2012-05-04/snp-expected-to-snatch-glasgow-from-labour-in-scottish-elections/ |title=SNP expected to 'snatch Glasgow from Labour' in Scottish elections |last1=Edward |first1=Debi |date=7 May 2012 |publisher=ITV |access-date=27 January 2013}}
As leader, led Glasgow during the acclaimed 2014 Commonwealth Games, has established the Commonwealth Jobs and Graduate Funds; committed Glasgow to bid for the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics; signed Scotland's first City Deal; approved a scheme to reduce Glasgow's landfill by 90%; introduced winter fuel payments to pensioners; and embarked on the refurbishment or rebuild of every school in the city. In November 2012, and again in 2014, Matheson was named Local Politician of the Year at The Herald's Scottish Politician of the Year Awards.{{cite web |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/politics/political-news/sturgeon-crowned-the-herald-scottish-politician-of-2012-x.19429793?_=65385e550698e44f70e9a52512bbfd50ace46861 |title=Sturgeon crowned The Herald Scottish politician of 2012|last1=Dinwoodie|first1=Robbie|date=16 November 2012|publisher=Herald Scotland|access-date=27 January 2013}}
Matheson was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to local government and the community.{{London Gazette|issue=61092|supp=y|page=N9|date=31 December 2014}}{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/391413/New_Year_Honours_List_2015.pdf |title=2015 New Year Honours List |website=Gov.uk |access-date=2016-08-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150102104907/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/391413/New_Year_Honours_List_2015.pdf |archive-date=2015-01-02 }}
In June 2015, Matheson announced he would stand in the 2015 Scottish Labour Party deputy leadership election, following a rule change allowing councillors to stand for the position, although he was unsuccessful.{{cite web|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/gordon-matheson-in-scottish-labour-leadership-bid-1-3802482|title=Gordon Matheson in Scottish Labour leadership bid|last1=Whitaker|first1=Andrew|date=15 June 2015|publisher=The Scotsman|access-date=22 June 2015}} After losing the deputy leadership election in August 2015, he announced that he would stand down as leader of Glasgow City Council.{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13609871.Gordon_Matheson_to_step_down_as_Glasgow_City_Council_leader/|title=Gordon Matheson to step down as Glasgow City Council leader|last1=Nicoll|first1=Vivienne|date=18 August 2015|publisher=Herald Scotland|access-date=20 August 2015}} Matheson has subsequently taken up a position as a visiting professor at the University of Strathclyde's Institute for Future Cities – part of its economics department.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-35783591|title=Ex-leader to leave Glasgow City Council|date=2016-03-14|work=BBC News|access-date=2017-09-12|language=en-GB}}
Honors and awards
2015 – CBE – Commander of the Order of the British Empire from HM The Queen for services to local government and the community{{cite web|last1=Watson|first1=Linzi|title=Glasgow City Council leader Gordon Matheson awarded CBE|url=http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/13363961.Glasgow_City_Council_leader_Gordon_Matheson_awarded_CBE/|website=Evening Times|date=July 2015 |access-date=12 September 2017}}
2014 – Scottish Local Politician of the Year from The Herald{{cite web|url=http://www.glasgowbusinessclub.co.uk/past-club-meetings/season-2015-2016/september-lunch-with-gordon-matheson-cbe/|title=Glasgow Business Club Biography|website=Glasgow Business Cub|publisher=Glasgow Business Club|access-date=12 September 2017|archive-date=28 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028224236/http://www.glasgowbusinessclub.co.uk/past-club-meetings/season-2015-2016/september-lunch-with-gordon-matheson-cbe/|url-status=dead}}
2012 – Scottish Local Politician of the Year from The Herald
Personal life
Matheson is gay,{{cite web|url=https://www.holyrood.com/articles/inside-politics/gordon-matheson-emotional-year-glasgow|title=Gordon Matheson on an emotional year for Glasgow|last1=Freeman|first1=Tom|website=Holyrood|access-date=12 September 2017|archive-date=16 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416030013/https://www.holyrood.com/articles/inside-politics/gordon-matheson-emotional-year-glasgow|url-status=dead}} and lives in Glasgow with his partner, Stephen Wallace.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{start box}}
{{succession box | title=Leader of Glasgow City Council | before=Steven Purcell | after=Frank McAveety | years=2010–2015}}
{{end box}}
{{Scottish Labour Party leadership election, 2015}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matheson, Gordon}}
Category:Scottish Labour councillors
Category:Councillors in Glasgow
Category:Alumni of the University of Glasgow
Category:Alumni of the University of Strathclyde
Category:Scottish gay politicians
Category:Labour Party (UK) councillors
Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire