Jo Swinson

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Jo Swinson

Jo Swinson was the Liberal Democrats MP for East Dunbartonshire from 2005 to 2015, and served as parliamentary under-secretary at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills from 2012.[1]

Hit by the surge in support for the Scottish National Party (SNP) in the 2015 general election, Swinson lost her seat to the SNP candidate John Nicolson. [2]

She is married to fellow LibDem MP Duncan Hames.[3]

Education

Swinson attended Douglas Academy in Milngavie, before that she studied management at the London School of Economics. [4]

Background

After graduating in 2000, Swinson worked in Yorkshire as a marketing and PR manager for the Emap radio station Viking FM. In 2002 she moved back to East Dunbartonshire and worked for Glasgow-based media business SpaceandPeople. [4]

Swinson was previously the Liberal Democrats spokesperson on foreign affairs, equality, Scotland and the arts. She was also a member of the Environmental Audit Select Committee from 2007 to 2010 as well as being a chairperson of the Liberal Democrats Women’s Policy Working Group in 2009. [4]

=Affiliations

As a backbencher, Swinson co-founded the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Allergy, Wellbeing Economics, and Body Image. She is a governor of the Ditchley Foundation. She was also a member of the Speaker’s Conference from 2009 to 2010. [4]

Notes

  1. Jo Swinson, www.parliament.uk, accessed 24 August 2013.
  2. Jo Swinson close to tears as she loses seat to SNP challenger Mirror, 8 May 2015, accessed 20 May 2015
  3. Sarah Priddy, PIL: Current Members Related to Other Current or Former Members - Commons Library Standard Note, 13 September 2013.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Jo Swinson GOV.UK, accessed 10 October 2014