Hugh Gaffney

Cllr Hugh Lawrence Gaffney (born 10 August 1963) is a Scottish Labour Party politician. He has been and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill since the 2017 general election. . He is also a local government councillor on North Lanarkshire Council.

Early life
Gaffney was raised in Uddingston, South Lanarkshire; he has three brothers and two sisters. He is married and has three sons. Since he was in his twenties, until being elected, Gaffney worked for Royal Mail and Parcelforce, and wore his former work uniform to Westminster on his first day in the House of Commons.

Political career
Gaffney was elected to the North Lanarkshire Council in 2017, representing the Thorniewood ward. In the 2017 general election, he stood as the Labour candidate for Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill, defeating the incumbent Scottish National Party MP Phil Boswell. In February 2018, Gaffney apologised, and was required by his party to attend equality and diversity training following a media exposé of racist and homophobic remarks he made at a Burns Night party.

Personal life
Gaffney supports Albion Rovers F.C.. In 2010, Gaffney was one of the founding members of the Keir Hardie Society in 2010, alongside, Scottish author and longtime Labour member Bob Holman and, Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard, of whom Gaffney has been friends with since the 1990s.