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Margaret Mitchell (Scottish politician)
Encyclopedia
Janet Margaret Mitchell (born 15 November 1952, Coatbridge
) is a Scottish
Conservative
politician, and has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Central Scotland
since 2003.
and attended Coatbridge High School and Hamilton Teacher Training College. From 1974 to 1990, she worked as a primary school teacher in Airdrie
and Bothwell
, before studying at the School of Law
of the University of Strathclyde
, where she graduated with an LL.B. in 1992 and Diploma in Legal Practice
in 1993. From 1993 to 1997, she was a non-executive director of Stonehouse
and Hairmyres
NHS Trust
. She has been a Justice of the Peace (magistrate) in South Lanarkshire
since 1990.
District Council, and from 1999-2002 was a special advisor to Scottish Conservative Party Leader David McLetchie
MSP and James Douglas-Hamilton
MSP.
In the Scottish election on 3 May 2007, she failed in her bid to win the Hamilton South
constituency, being defeated by Labour
's Tom McCabe
. However, she was elected as a regional member for the Central Scotland
region. She was appointed deputy Scottish Conservative Spokeswoman on Justice, until 2007 when she became Convenor of the Parliament's Equal Opportunities Committee
.
Coatbridge
Coatbridge is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. The town, with neighbouring Airdrie, is part of the Greater Glasgow urban area. The first settlement of the area stretches back to the Stone Age era...
) is a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician, and has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
for Central Scotland
Central Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
Central Scotland is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Ten of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament...
since 2003.
Early life
Mitchell was born in CoatbridgeCoatbridge
Coatbridge is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. The town, with neighbouring Airdrie, is part of the Greater Glasgow urban area. The first settlement of the area stretches back to the Stone Age era...
and attended Coatbridge High School and Hamilton Teacher Training College. From 1974 to 1990, she worked as a primary school teacher in Airdrie
Airdrie, North Lanarkshire
Airdrie is a town within North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies on a plateau roughly 400 ft above sea level, and is approximately 12 miles east of Glasgow city centre. Airdrie forms part of a conurbation with its neighbour Coatbridge, in the former district known as the Monklands. As of 2006,...
and Bothwell
Bothwell
Bothwell is a small town in the South Lanarkshire council area of Scotland. It lies on the north bank of the River Clyde, adjacent to Uddingston and Hamilton, nine miles east-south-east of Glasgow city centre....
, before studying at the School of Law
Strathclyde Law School
Strathclyde Law School was established in 1964 and operates within the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences at the University of Strathclyde, in Glasgow, Scotland....
of the University of Strathclyde
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde , Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university...
, where she graduated with an LL.B. in 1992 and Diploma in Legal Practice
Diploma in Legal Practice
The Diploma in Legal Practice is a Scottish postgraduate qualification required in order to practise law in Scotland, as either a solicitor or an advocate...
in 1993. From 1993 to 1997, she was a non-executive director of Stonehouse
Stonehouse, South Lanarkshire
Stonehouse is a rural village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located on Avon Water in an area of natural beauty and historical interest, near to the Clyde Valley. It is also situated on the A71 trunk road between Edinburgh and Kilmarnock, close to the towns of Hamilton, Larkhall and...
and Hairmyres
Hairmyres Hospital
Hairmyres Hospital is a busy district general hospital in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The hospital serves one of the largest elderly populations in Scotland.-The Hospital:...
NHS Trust
NHS Trust
A National Health Service trust provides services on behalf of the National Health Service in England and NHS Wales.The trusts are not trusts in the legal sense but are in effect public sector corporations. Each trust is headed by a board consisting of executive and non-executive directors, and is...
. She has been a Justice of the Peace (magistrate) in South Lanarkshire
South Lanarkshire
South Lanarkshire is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of the former county of Lanarkshire. It borders the south-east of the city of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns and smaller villages....
since 1990.
Political career
From 1988 to 1996, she was a member and Conservative Group Leader of HamiltonHamilton, South Lanarkshire
Hamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It is the fifth-biggest town in Scotland after Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston and Cumbernauld...
District Council, and from 1999-2002 was a special advisor to Scottish Conservative Party Leader David McLetchie
David McLetchie
David McLetchie is a Scottish politician, currently a Scottish Conservative and Unionist Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Lothian electoral region...
MSP and James Douglas-Hamilton
James Douglas-Hamilton, Baron Selkirk of Douglas
James Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, Baron Selkirk of Douglas, PC, QC , briefly The 11th Earl of Selkirk and styled Lord James Douglas-Hamilton until 1997, is a Scottish Conservative politician who served as Member of Parliament for Edinburgh West then Member of the Scottish Parliament for the...
MSP.
In the Scottish election on 3 May 2007, she failed in her bid to win the Hamilton South
Hamilton South (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Hamilton South is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
constituency, being defeated by Labour
Scottish Labour Party
The Scottish Labour Party is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland....
's Tom McCabe
Tom McCabe
Thomas "Tom" McCabe is a Scottish Labour Party politician, a former Minister for Finance in the Scottish Executive, and was Member of the Scottish Parliament for Hamilton South until May 2011....
. However, she was elected as a regional member for the Central Scotland
Central Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
Central Scotland is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Ten of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament...
region. She was appointed deputy Scottish Conservative Spokeswoman on Justice, until 2007 when she became Convenor of the Parliament's Equal Opportunities Committee
Committees of the Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament has a number of committees, with small numbers of Members appointed to deal with particular topics or issues.Much of the work of the Scottish Parliament is done in committee...
.
External links
- Margaret Mitchell MSP profile at Scottish Parliament site