Introduction
Anne McLaughlin (born 8 March 1966) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow North East since 2015. She was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow between 2009 and 2011. In the 2015 UK General Election she won the Glasgow North East constituency for the SNP from the Labour Party candidate Willie Bain, with a swing of 39%, breaking the electoral record for the biggest swing in a General Election.
Education
She attended Port Glasgow High School, graduating in 1984. She then attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and the University of Glasgow.
Electoral history
McLaughlin comes from Greenock but has lived in Glasgow for many years. 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. She was SNP campaign co-ordinator when John Mason won the Glasgow East by-election, 2008.
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. She was a member of the Public Audit and Public Petitions parliamentary committees (2009–2011).
She contested the Glasgow Provan constituency in the May 2011 Scottish Parliament election but was unsuccessful.
Inverclyde by-election, 2011
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. However, Labour retained the seat on a 5,835 majority which was reduced from 14,416.
Criticism
McLaughlin employs her boyfriend Graham Campbell as a liaison officer using Westminster expenses.