Henry McLeish sees himself as a thoroughly modern politician but he was brought down by old-fashioned scandal.

He was elected as first minister in October 2000 after a spell as a junior minister in Westminster. McLeish had made steady, if unspectacular, progress along a familiar route that began in local government.

Elected as the MP for Central Fife from 1987 to June 2000, his other appointments had included minister for enterprise and lifelong learning. In the long years Labour spent in opposition he was a frontbench spokesman for education, transport, and health. On Labour's return to power he was appointed minister to the Scottish Office to run devolution, home affairs and local government.

His political career began as a member of Kirkcaldy District Council in 1974 while combining his day job as a research officer and planning officer in local government. He also lectured in social sciences at Heriot Watt University from 1973 until 1987.

Born in Methil, Fife, in 1948, McLeish comes from a coal mining family and was heavily influenced by his father who suffered an accident and was invalided out of the pit aged 50.

"My grandmother was a member of the Labour Party for 70 years and a member of the Co-op Party. My grandfather was a miner in a private coal company and in later life he turned to Christianity, so there was a strong Christian socialist influence as well," he recalled.

He had been set for an early career as a footballer. He left Buckhaven school aged 15 to join Leeds United football club but found life south of the border too much and after six weeks he joined East Fife football club.

He joined the Labour Party in 1970 and was a Labour councillor by the age of 24.

While studying urban planning at Heriot Watt University he fell in love with American politics and was impressed by the way they carried out in-depth research to make their case.

He began his fight for a seat in 1981 with rightwing Labour MP Willie Hamilton. Hamilton stepped aside for him after a long battle in 1985.

Soon after his arrival in Westminster he established a reputation for attention to detail as a "grafter digging deep for details with which to harry the Tory government". He stood aside for Harriet Harman in the shadow cabinet leadership elections and was duly rewarded.

From the beginning of his political career he was a vocal advocate of Scottish devolution and ended his Westminster career when he won his Central Fife seat in the Scottish parliament.

McLeish became first minister in 2000 after the death of Donald Dewar. He defeated Jack McConnell by 44 to 36. It now remains to be seen if McConnell will stand again.