Anne McLaughlin


Anne McLaughlin is a Scottish National Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Glasgow North East since 2019. This is her second term in the UK Parliament, having previously held the seat from 2015 until her defeat at the 2017 general election by Paul Sweeney of the Labour and Co-operative Party. At the next general election, in December 2019, McLaughlin regained the seat with a majority of 2,548 votes.
She was previously a Member of the Scottish Parliament from 2009 to 2011.

Early life and political activity

McLaughlin comes from Greenock but has lived in Glasgow for many years. 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. She joined the SNP after the 1988 Govan by-election.
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 and the similar Glasgow Rutherglen seat at the 2003 Scottish Parliament election. She was SNP campaign co-ordinator when John Mason won the 2008 Glasgow East by-election.

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.
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 - down from 14,416 - on a reduced turnout.

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. She then however narrowly lost her seat to Labour candidate Paul Sweeney at the snap general election in 2017.
McLaughlin regained the seat from Sweeney at the snap general election in 2019 with a majority of 2,548 votes.