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O'Kane, Paul

Everything we have on one MSP — voting record, motions, questions, committee work, allowances, Hansard contributions, registered interests and career history — pulled together on a single page.

O'Kane, Paul
MSP profile

O'Kane, Paul

Former (left at end of session) Scottish Labour West Scotland

Politically, you're most like Sweeney, Paul Lab — similarity 83.7/100.

Compare with… Speeches Motions & Q+A
Divisions voted in
1,073
last on 24 Mar 2026
Party alignment
99.9%
0.1% rebellion
Attendance
89.3%
128 "Not Voted" of 1,201 divisions present
Motions lodged
171
310 questions · 2 unanswered
Hansard contributions
2,048
908 chamber · 1,140 committee
Allowances claimed
£138,095
1,224 transactions
Most-discussed topics in Hansard
bill ·108 stage ·93 children ·52 education ·44 child ·39 question ·37 time ·37 duty ·36 legal ·36 poverty ·35 inquiry ·34 care ·31
Recent motions & questions
Recent rebellions

Divisions where they voted against their party's majority position.

Motion success

Of the motions they've lodged that went to a vote, how often did the chamber agree.

Lodged
171
Carried
2
Defeated
24
Not divided
145

Of the 26 motions that went to a vote, 7.7% were carried.

Closest voting allies

MSPs who voted the same way most often across shared divisions.

Furthest apart on votes

MSPs they vote against most often.

MSPs like this one

Composite of voting agreement, sponsorship overlap, and Hansard topic affinity. Weighted 50 / 25 / 25.

Voice fingerprint

Words and phrases this MSP uses far more often than the chamber average (TF-IDF over their Hansard contributions).

keen understand neilston non-residential care national care east renfrewshire lgbt people reform universal pandemic holocaust changing places denominational care charges
Career arc

Unified timeline: party joinings, seat changes, committee appointments, ministerial roles.

  1. ☷
    Left Education, Children and Young People Committee
    08 Apr 2026
  2. ⌂
    Stood down from West Scotland (Dissolution)
    08 Apr 2026
  3. –
    Left Scottish Labour
    08 Apr 2026
  4. ☷
    Left Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee
    21 Jan 2026
  5. ☷
    Joined Education, Children and Young People Committee as Member
    10 Dec 2025
  6. ☷
    Joined Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee as Member
    03 Dec 2025
  7. ☷
    Left Social Justice and Social Security Committee
    02 Sep 2025
  8. ☷
    Left Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee
    02 Sep 2025
  9. ☷
    Joined Social Justice and Social Security Committee as Member
    25 Apr 2023
  10. ☷
    Joined Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee as Member
    25 Apr 2023
  11. ☷
    Left Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee
    25 Apr 2023
  12. ☷
    Left Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
    25 Apr 2023
  13. ☷
    Joined Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee as Substitute Member
    22 Sep 2021
  14. ☷
    Joined Health, Social Care and Sport Committee as Deputy Convener
    22 Jun 2021
  15. ☷
    Left Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
    22 Jun 2021
  16. ☷
    Joined Health, Social Care and Sport Committee as Member
    17 Jun 2021
  17. ⌂
    Started representing West Scotland
    06 May 2021
  18. +
    Joined Scottish Labour
    06 May 2021
Who backs their motions most
Whose motions they back most
Recent contributions to the Official Report
  • Mobile Phone Use in Schools (Ban) Chamber
    25 Mar 2026
    I am pleased to contribute to the debate, and in doing so, I thank Pam Gosal for bringing the issue to the chamber, and I wish her well. Pam was one of the fir…
  • Bank of Scotland Branch Closures Chamber
    24 Mar 2026
    I would be more than happy, in my last act of service to Christine Grahame, to ensure that those details are passed across to her, because she is completely ri…
  • Bank of Scotland Branch Closures Chamber
    24 Mar 2026
    I intend to make just a short speech this evening on a particular closure in my region. However, I begin by thanking Clare Haughey for lodging the motion and s…
  • Point of Order Chamber
    24 Mar 2026
    On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I would appreciate your advice on how a member can correct the record when they have made an omission. My colleague Sar…
  • Restraint and Seclusion in Schools (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3 Chamber
    24 Mar 2026
    There is a distinct air of the end of term all around us. There was a degree of chatter at the back of the chamber between the cabinet secretary and me and oth…
Committee & government roles

Committee

Allowance — vs. party average (2025)

Per-category claim total for this MSP compared to the average per-MSP total inside their party for the same year. Positive = above party average.

Category MSP Party avg Difference
MSP & staff travel £2,502 £1,324 +£1,179
Office costs £6,136 £5,576 +£560
Edinburgh accommodation £2,064 £4,657 −£2,593
Engagement costs £2,687 £9,427 −£6,740
Registered interests

125 total · showing most recent.

  • Voluntary · 07 Jun 2021
    I was paid £100 by You Gov on 25 September 2024 for completing a survey. [Registered 25 September 2024]
  • Voluntary · 07 Jun 2021
    I was paid £100 by You Gov on 25 September 2024 for completing a survey. [Registered 25 September 2024]
  • Voluntary · 07 Jun 2021
    I was paid £30 by You Gov on 25 April 2024 for completing a survey. [Registered 16 September 2024]
  • Voluntary · 07 Jun 2021
    I was paid £75 by Savanta on 26 June 2024 for completing a survey. [Registered 16 September 2024]
  • Voluntary · 07 Jun 2021
    I was paid £100 by You Gov on 10 July 2024 for completing a survey. [Registered 16 September 2024]
  • Voluntary · 07 Jun 2021
    I was paid £70 by You Gov on 25 July 2024 for completing a survey. [Registered 16 September 2024]
  • Voluntary · 07 Jun 2021
    I received two complimentary tickets from the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland of Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh, EH28 8NB for my husband and I to attend the Royal Hig…
  • Voluntary · 07 Jun 2021
    I received two complimentary tickets from the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland of Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh, EH28 8NB for my husband and I to attend the Royal Hig…
Career timeline

Party

Seats