James Kelly height - How tall is James Kelly?

In September 2019, he was appointed as Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Justice.

On 31 March 2019, violent incidents occurred during and after the Old Firm (Celtic vs Rangers) derby. A day later, Scottish Police Federation vice-chairman David Hamilton appeared on the BBC Radio Scotland John Beattie Programme and stated:

Personally I believe the repeal of the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act has had an impact, because I think that some people feel wrongly legitimised to behave in a way that they wouldn’t otherwise behave.

On 25 January 2018, MSPs voted by 65 to 61 in favour of the general principles of Kelly's Bill in the first stage of Holyrood's legislative process. It marked the first binding defeat in Parliament for the SNP Minority Government. On 15 March, the vote to repeal the Act was passed with 62 in favour and 60 against.

Richard Leonard named Kelly as his Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance in 2017. Prior to this he held the position of Labour's Parliamentary Business Manager and was the party's campaign manager for the 2016 and 2017 elections.

When Kezia Dugdale resigned as Scottish Labour leader in December 2017, Kelly's name was touted as a potential successor.

In December 2017, Richard Leonard appointed Kelly as his Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution. In October 2018, following a reshuffle of the Scottish Labour frontbench in Holyrood, Kelly continued to hold the finance portfolio while Neil Findlay took forward the constitutional brief.

While Kelly lost his Holyrood constituency seat to the SNP's Clare Haughey in 2016, the incumbent MSP's majority of 3,743 made it a target seat for Labour in the future. The equivalent Westminster seat Rutherglen and Hamilton West was won back by Labour's Gerard Killen in the 2017 UK general election, despite being one of the biggest swings towards the SNP two years prior.

Following his re-election to the Scottish Parliament in May 2016, Kelly took forward his pledge to lead a member's bill to repeal the Offensive Behaviour at Football 2012 Act. He described the 2012 legislation as having "completely failed to tackle sectarianism" and as "illiberal" which "unfairly targets football fans", "condemned by legal experts, human rights organisations and equality groups".

In December 2015, Kelly was ejected from the parliamentary debating chamber by presiding officer Tricia Marwick when he refused to sit down after attempting to make a point of order during a trade union bill debate.

Under Kezia Dugdale's leadership he remained business manager and in December 2014 was named as the party's election coordinator for the 2016 Scottish Parliament election.

Following the election of Johann Lamont as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, Kelly was appointed Chief Whip in Holyrood. He was subsequently made Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities in a reshuffle in June 2013.

He serves as the Convener of the Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Co-operatives and was the deputy Convener of the Cross-Party Group on Sport. From 2008 to 2011, he was a member of the Justice Committee and Shadow Minister for Community Safety.

Kelly has a background in computing and finance, is a chartered accountant, and worked as a business analyst in East Kilbride prior to his election in 2007.

Kelly was elected as MSP for Rutherglen in the 2007 and 2011 Holyrood elections, and as a list MSP for the Glasgow Region in 2016.

Upon entering the Scottish Parliament in 2007, Kelly served on the Finance Committee and as a Labour Whip.

Kelly served as the election agent for the former Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP Tommy McAvoy at the 1997, 2001, and 2005 general elections. He was also chair of the Rutherglen and Hamilton West Constituency Labour Party.

James Anthony Kelly (born 23 October 1963) is a Scottish Labour and Co-operative Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Glasgow region since 2016, having previously been the MSP for Glasgow Rutherglen (2007–2011), renamed Rutherglen (2011–2016). He has served as Scottish Labour's Justice Spokesperson since 2019.