Douglas Alexander

The Right Honourable Douglas Alexander MP
Official portrait, 2024
Minister of State for Trade
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 July 2024
Prime Minister	Keir Starmer
Preceded by	Greg Hands
In office 8 September 2004 – 5 May 2005
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Mike O'Brien
Succeeded by	Ian Pearson
Secretary of State for International Development
In office 28 June 2007 – 11 May 2010
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Preceded by	Hilary Benn
Succeeded by	Andrew Mitchell
Secretary of State for Scotland
In office 6 May 2006 – 28 June 2007
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Alistair Darling
Succeeded by	Des Browne
Secretary of State for Transport
In office 6 May 2006 – 28 June 2007
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Alistair Darling
Succeeded by	Ruth Kelly
Minister for the Cabinet Office Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
In office 6 May 2006 – 28 June 2007
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	The Lord Macdonald of Tradeston
Succeeded by	Alan Milburn
Minister of State for Europe
In office 5 May 2005 – 6 May 2006
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Denis MacShane
Succeeded by	Geoff Hoon
Minister for the Cabinet Office Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
In office 13 June 2003 – 8 September 2004
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	The Lord Macdonald of Tradeston
Succeeded by	Alan Milburn
Minister of State for the Cabinet Office
In office 29 May 2002 – 13 June 2003
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Barbara Roche
Succeeded by	David Miliband (2004)
Minister of State for e-Commerce and Competitiveness
In office 11 June 2001 – 29 May 2002
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Ian McCartney (1999)
Succeeded by	Stephen Timms
Shadow cabinet portfolios 2011–2015 Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Secretary 2010–2011 Work and Pensions Secretary 2010–2010 International Development Secretary
Member of Parliament for Lothian East
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 July 2024
Preceded by	Kenny MacAskill
Majority	13,265 (27.7%)
Member of Parliament for Paisley and Renfrewshire South Paisley South (1997–2005)
In office 6 November 1997 – 30 March 2015
Preceded by	Gordon McMaster
Succeeded by	Mhairi Black
Personal details
Born	Douglas Garven Alexander (1967-10-26) 26 October 1967 (age 56) Glasgow, Scotland
Political party	Labour Co-op
Relations	Wendy Alexander (sister)
Education	University of Edinburgh

Douglas Garven Alexander (born 26 October 1967) is a British politician who has served as Minister of State for Trade since 2024, having previously held the role from 2004 to 2005. A member of the Labour Party, he has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Lothian East since 2024. He was previously MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South, formerly Paisley South, from 1997 to 2015 and served as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Scottish Secretary, Transport Secretary and International Development Secretary in the cabinets of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

Alexander was first elected at the 1997 Paisley South by-election. In 2001, he was appointed by Tony Blair as Minister of State for e-Commerce and Competitiveness in the Department of Trade and Industry. He was Minister of State for the Cabinet Office from 2002 to 2003. In 2003, he was promoted to Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. In 2004, he was appointed Minister of State for Trade. Following the 2005 general election, he was appointed Minister of State for Europe and made a member of the Privy Council. During this period, he started attending cabinet. In 2006, he was appointed to serve jointly as both Secretary of State for Scotland and Secretary of State for Transport. In 2007, when Gordon Brown became Prime Minister, he appointed Alexander as Secretary of State for International Development.

After Labour lost the 2010 general election Alexander co-chaired David Miliband's leadership campaign. When Ed Miliband became the party's leader, Alexander was elected to the Shadow cabinet and was made the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. He held this position until a 2011 reshuffle, when he was appointed Shadow Foreign Secretary. In October 2013, he was appointed by Miliband as the party's chair of general election strategy. In 2015, his was among the 40 seats lost by Labour in Scotland.

In December 2022, Alexander sought out a return to parliament by applying to be Labour's parliamentary candidate for East Lothian, held by the Alba Party's Kenny MacAskill. He won the selection to stand for Labour in the constituency in February 2023 and was re-elected to parliament in July 2024.