James Dempsey (Scottish politician)
James Dempsey was a Scottish Labour Party politician.
Dempsey was educated at Holy Family School, Mossend, the Co-operative College in Loughborough, and at the National Council of Labour Colleges. He was a clerk with a haulage firm and a councillor on Lanarkshire County Council from 1945. He later worked as a lecturer on political economy and a writer on local government.
Dempsey was Member of Parliament for Coatbridge and Airdrie from 1959 until he died in office in 1982, aged 65. His successor in the resulting by-election was Tom Clarke.
His son Brian is a successful businessman and a former director of Celtic F.C.. His brother John Dempsey was a footballer for Ipswich town, Hamilton, Queen of the South, Newry Town and Cowdenbeath. John was also a football scout after his playing career, with Hamilton Academical, and more famously Glasgow Celtic for 11 years; from 1965-76 he served under the late Jock Stein during the club's win in the 1967 European Cup Final.
