Former health minister to leave Holyrood
Former Scottish health minister Susan Deacon has announced she will be stepping down at the next Holyrood elections.
The MSP has represented Edinburgh East and Musselburgh since the creation of the Scottish parliament eight years ago.
She served as minister for health and community care from 1999 to 2001, when she was just 35, and survived opposition criticism for her handling of the flu crisis in 2000.
Ms Deacon was tipped as a possible leadership contender but has not returned to the front benches since rejecting an offer in 2001 to become Jack McConnell’s social justice minister.
In a statement to Labour party members today, nine months ahead of the Scottish elections in May next year, the 42-year-old said she felt the time was right to “move on”.
“By the time of the election, I will have been MSP for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh for eight years,” she said.
“Throughout this time I have worked hard to be an effective and active constituency representative and to contribute positively to the work of the parliament and the executive.
“I have also endeavoured to make an impact on wider issues and to work with others to promote progressive change. I now feel it is time for me to move on, to seek new challenges and to channel my energies in other ways.”
She announced her decision well in advance of the next elections to give her local Labour party the chance to find a suitable replacement candidate.
Ms Deacon currently serves on the enterprise and culture committee, and the audit committee. Before entering the Scottish parliament, she worked at a senior level in local government, at a management consultancy and in higher education.
