Political Career
He unsuccessfully contested the European Parliament seat of Scotland North East in 1984. He was elected to the House of Commons at the 1987 general election for Aberdeen South by defeating the sitting Conservative and Unionist MP Gerry Malone. He was promoted to the opposition frontbench by Neil Kinnock in 1988 as a spokesperson on energy, leading on oil and gas.
Frank Doran was defeated in Aberdeen South at the 1992 general election by the Conservative and Unionist Raymond Robertson. This was the only seat which Labour lost to the Conservatives at that election. Durning his time out of Parliament, Doran was appointed by the Trade Unions to run the statutory political fund ballot campaign for the majority of Trade Unions who had political funds, until he was re-elected at the 1997 general election for the new constituency of Aberdeen Central.
He was appointed as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of State at the Department of Trade and Industry Ian McCartney in 1997. He remained in position when McCartney transferred to the Cabinet Office in 1999, after which he became a member of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee in 2001.
Following changes to the electoral boundaries in Scotland, the constituency of Aberdeen Central was abolished prior to the 2005 general election, Doran was forced to compete against the incumbent Aberdeen North MP, Malcolm Savidge, for the Labour party candidacy in a much-altered North seat. Doran won the nomination, and was elected to represent the new Aberdeen North seat with a majority of 6,795 votes. The win gave Frank Doran the unique distinction of having represented Aberdeen South, Aberdeen Central and Aberdeen North during his parliamentary career.
Between 2005 and 2010, Doran was the chairman of the Administration Committee, and in this role he sat on the Finance and Services, Liaison and Works of Art committees. He currently is the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Works of Art, the Secretary to the All-Party Fisheries Group, the GMB Parliamentary Group, the Trade Union Group of Labour MPs, the All Party Dance Group, and he is also Treasurer of All-Party Oil and Gas Group.
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