Bruce Millan

Who was Bruce Millan?

Bruce Millan was a Scottish Labour politician. He was born in Dundee and educated at the Harris Academy in that city.

He was elected as Member of Parliament for Glasgow Craigton at the 1959 general election and served for that seat, and after its abolition for Glasgow Govan, until 1988. He served in the Wilson Government of 1964–70 as Under-Secretary of State for the Air Force from 1964 to 1966, and as Under-Secretary of State for Scotland from 1966 to 1970, and in the Callaghan government of 1976–1979 as Secretary of State for Scotland, he subsequently served as Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland under new leader Michael Foot.

In 1988 he left Parliament, by applying for the Chiltern Hundreds, to take up the post of European Commissioner for Regional Policy and Cohesion which he held until 1995. The vacancy he left was filled by Jim Sillars of the Scottish National Party in the notable Glasgow Govan by-election of 1988.

In 1999–2001 he chaired the Millan Committee which proposed reforms to the provision of Mental Health care in Scotland.