Anne_McLaughlin

Anne McLaughlin

Anne McLaughlin

Scottish politician


Anne McLaughlin (born 8 March 1966)[1] is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow North East since 2019, and previously from 2015 to 2017. She has been SNP Spokesperson for International Development since 2023.[2]

Quick Facts MP, SNP Spokesperson for International Development in the House of Commons ...

She was previously a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) from 2009 to 2011. She was elected to the House of Commons at the 2015 general election but was defeated at the 2017 general election by Paul Sweeney of Scottish Labour. At the 2019 general election, McLaughlin regained the seat with a majority of 2,548 votes.

Early life and political activity

McLaughlin was born and raised in Greenock but has lived in Glasgow for many years. She attended Port Glasgow High School until 1984, then attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and the University of Glasgow.[3] She joined the SNP after the 1988 Govan by-election.[1]

She contested Glasgow Springburn in the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, finishing second, and had previously contested the Glasgow Rutherglen seat at the 2001 UK general election (again finishing second) and the similar Glasgow Rutherglen seat at the 2003 Scottish Parliament election.[1] She was SNP campaign co-ordinator when John Mason won the 2008 Glasgow East by-election.[4]

Member of the Scottish Parliament: 2009–2011

McLaughlin became a regional member for Glasgow on 6 February 2009, following the death of Bashir Ahmad, as the next person on the SNP's regional list. Before this she was employed as a researcher for the MSP Bob Doris. She has championed the cause of English language skills in Glasgow school-children.[5] She was a member of the Public Audit and Public Petitions parliamentary committees (2009–2011).[6]

She contested the Glasgow Provan constituency in the May 2011 Scottish Parliament election but was unsuccessful.[7]

2011 Inverclyde by-election

She was chosen by party members at a selection meeting in Greenock to contest the Inverclyde constituency in the June 2011 UK Parliament by-election.[8] However, Labour retained the seat on a 5,835 majority - down from 14,416 - on a reduced turnout.[9]

Member of the UK Parliament: 2015–2017, 2019–present

McLaughlin was elected to the UK Parliament in the 2015 general election, for the Glasgow North East constituency. She won the seat from the incumbent Labour MP Willie Bain on a swing of 39%, breaking the record for the biggest swing at a general election.[10] She then however narrowly lost her seat to Labour candidate Paul Sweeney at the snap general election in 2017.[11]

McLaughlin regained the seat from Sweeney at the snap general election in 2019 with a majority of 2,548 votes.[12]


References

  1. Dale, Iain; Smith, Jacqui (14 November 2019). The Honourable Ladies: Volume II: Profiles of Women MPs 1997–2019. Biteback Publishing. ISBN 9781785904479 via Google Books.
  2. "SNP announces frontbench reshuffle at Westminster". BBC News. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  3. Nutt, Kathleen (18 August 2015). "Meet your new Scottish MPs #41: Anne McLaughlin, Glasgow North East". The National. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  4. "Labour pains in Glasgow". Glasgow Times. 5 May 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  5. "SNP choose by-election candidate". Greenock Telegraph. 3 June 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  6. Buchanan, Raymond (1 July 2011). "Inverclyde by-election: Labour relief at victory". BBC News. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  7. Glaze, Ben (8 May 2015). "Election result record as Anne McLaughlin wins biggest swing". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  8. STV News Archive (9 June 2017). "Labour regain control of Glasgow North East from SNP". STV News. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  9. Armstrong, Gary (13 December 2019). "Labour's Paul Sweeney loses Glasgow North East seat to SNP". GlasgowLive. Retrieved 1 August 2022.

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