Catherine Mary "Maria" Fyfe, known as Maria Fyfe, was a Scottish politician and educator who served as Member of Parliament for Glasgow Maryhill from 1987 to 2001.
16 Facts About Maria Fyfe
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Maria Fyfe was Deputy Shadow Minister for Women from 1988 to 1991, Convener of the Scottish Group of Labour MPs from 1991 to 1992 and front bench spokesperson for Scotland from 1992 to 1995.
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Catherine Maria Fyfe O'Neill was born on 25 November 1938 in Glasgow, where she grew up in Gorbals, the daughter of James O'Neill, a clerk, tram driver and shopworker, and Margaret Lacey, a former shop assistant.
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Maria Fyfe briefly spent time in Ireland during the Second World War before returning to Glasgow, and was educated at Notre Dame High School in the city.
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In 1964, she married James Maria Fyfe; they had two sons.
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Maria Fyfe returned to education as a mature student, studying Economic History at the University of Strathclyde and graduating in 1975 with a BA.
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Maria Fyfe worked as a senior lecturer in the Trade Union Studies Unit at Glasgow Central College of Commerce from 1978 to 1987.
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Ann McKechin 8.
Maria Fyfe was a member of Labour's Scottish Executive Committee from 1981 to 1988.
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At the 1987 general election, Maria Fyfe was returned to Parliament as Member for Glasgow Maryhill, a position she occupied until the 2001 general election.
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Maria Fyfe served as Deputy Shadow Minister for Women from 1988 to 1991, Convener of the Scottish Group of Labour MPs from 1991 to 1992, and front bench spokesperson for Scotland from 1992 to 1995.
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Maria Fyfe did not stand for reelection at the 2001 General Election and was succeeded by Ann McKechin.
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Maria Fyfe was involved in opposing the poll tax in both England and Scotland, and launched a campaign against employee blacklisting in 1988.
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Maria Fyfe chaired the campaign to erect a statue of Glasgow councillor and rent strike campaigner Mary Barbour.
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Maria Fyfe was interviewed in 2012 as part of The History of Parliament's oral history project.
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Maria Fyfe wrote two autobiographies, the first entitled A Problem Like Maria describing her work as an MP, and a second book Singing in the Streets, about her life growing up in the Gorbals in the aftermath of the Second World War, as well as her earlier political career.
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Maria Fyfe wrote another political book, Women Saying No: Making a Positive Case Against Independence, in advance of the Scottish independence referendum in 2014.