Anne McLaughlin | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2019 | |
| SNP Spokesperson for International Development in the House of Commons | |
| Assumed office 4 September 2023 | |
| Leader | Stephen Flynn |
| Preceded by | Anum Qaisar |
| SNP Spokesperson for Justice and Immigration in the House of Commons | |
| In office 1 February 2021 – 10 December 2022 | |
| Leader | Ian Blackford |
| Preceded by | Joanna Cherry (Justice) Stuart McDonald (Immigration) |
| Succeeded by | Stuart McDonald |
| Member of Parliament for Glasgow North East | |
| Assumed office 12 December 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Paul Sweeney |
| Majority | 2,548 (7.7%) |
| In office 7 May 2015 – 3 May 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Willie Bain |
| Succeeded by | Paul Sweeney |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament for Glasgow (1 of 7 Regional MSPs) | |
| In office 12 February 2009 – 22 March 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Bashir Ahmad |
| Succeeded by | Hanzala Malik |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 March 1966[1] Greenock, Scotland |
| Political party | Scottish National Party |
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]
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.
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]
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]
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]
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]
