The Right Honourable Helen Lawrie Liddell (born December 6, 1950, Coatbridge, Scotland, nee Reilly) is a British politician, and member of Parliament for Airdrie and Shotts since 1997. She is a member of the Labour Party.

She was first elected to Parliament in 1994, at the Monklands East by-election following John Smith's death. She was Secretary of State for Scotland from 2001 to 2003, when she became a backbencher again. She remains a member of the Privy Council.

She angered the monks of Buckfast Abbey when as Secretary of State for Scotland, called on the monks to stop selling Buckfast Tonic Wine in Scotland.

She has been widely tipped as the next UK High Commissioner to Australia after the next general election. [1] (http://www.guardian.co.uk/australia/story/0,12070,1184698,00.html)

External links

• Guardian Politics Ask Aristotle - Helen Liddell (http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-3120,00.html)
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Helen Liddell MP (http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/?pid=10360)

Preceded by: John Reid

Secretary of State for Scotland 2001–2003

Followed by: Alistair Darling