Jackie Baillie

Jacqueline Marie Baillie (née Barnes; born 15 January 1964) is a Scottish politician serving as Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party since 2020. A member of the Scottish Labour Party, she served as the party’s Economy Spokesperson from 2017 to 2018 and has served as the Finance Spokesperson since 2020. She has been Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Dumbarton constituency since 1999.

Jackie Baillie

MSP
Baillie in 2011
Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party
Assumed office
3 April 2020
LeaderRichard Leonard
Preceded byLesley Laird
Scottish Labour Spokesperson for Finance
Assumed office
28 April 2020
LeaderRichard Leonard
Preceded byRhoda Grant
Scottish Labour Spokesperson for Economy, Fair Work and Jobs
In office
19 December 2017 – 4 October 2018
LeaderRichard Leonard
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byRichard Leonard
Leader of the Scottish Labour Party
Acting
In office
15 November 2017 – 18 November 2017
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byAlex Rowley (Acting)
Succeeded byRichard Leonard
Minister for Social Justice
In office
27 October 2000 – 8 November 2001
First MinisterHenry McLeish
Preceded byWendy Alexander
Succeeded byIain Gray
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Dumbarton
Assumed office
6 May 1999
Preceded byConstituency established
Majority109 (0.3%)
Personal details
Born
Jacqueline Marie Barnes

(1964-01-15) 15 January 1964
British Hong Kong
Political partyLabour
Spouse(s)
Stephen Baillie
(
m. 1982)
Children1 daughter
Alma materCumbernauld College
University of Strathclyde
University of Glasgow

Baillie served as Scottish Labour Spokesperson for Economy, Fair Work and Jobs, from December 2017 to October 2018. She was sacked by Scottish Labour Leader Richard Leonard, who also replaced her in the role. After she was elected Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, Leonard reappointed Baillie to his Shadow Cabinet as Spokesperson for Finance, Jobs and Fair Work since April 2020.

Early life and career

Baillie was born on 15 January 1964 in British Hong Kong to Sophie and Frank Barnes.[1] Her mother is Scottish and her father Portuguese. After education at the private St Anne's School, Windermere in the Lake District, she studied at Cumbernauld College and the University of Strathclyde. She went on to work as a resource centre manager at Strathkelvin District Council and a community economic development manager at East Dunbartonshire Council.[2]

Political career

Baillie was chair of the Scottish Labour Party in 1997.[2] She was first elected at the inaugural election for the Scottish Parliament in May 1999. She was re-elected in 2003. A member of the Scottish Parliament's Justice 2 Committee and Public Petitions Committee, she was previously a member of the Scottish Executive, serving as Minister for Social Justice when Henry McLeish was First Minister, during which time she was involved with the Homelessness Task Force.[3]

Baillie outside her local advice surgery

As a backbench MSP, Baillie has campaigned for a public inquiry into a lethal outbreak of Clostridium difficile colitis at the Vale of Leven Hospital in her constituency. The inquiry into the outbreak cost £10 million, while the families were offered £1 million, something which prompted Baillie to make an emotional plea to Health Secretary Shona Robison during a session of the Scottish Parliament in November 2014 during which she pressed for greater compensation for those affected.[4]

In 2007, Baillie defended Wendy Alexander on Newsnight Scotland during the controversy regarding alleged illegal donations to Alexander's leadership campaign.[5]

In 2009, Baillie successfully brought into being an act of the Scottish Parliament, with the unanimous support of all MSPs, to allow for greater protection of disabled parking spaces.

Baillie has opposed minimum pricing of alcohol, being unconvinced about the overall benefits.[6] In 2010, she stated it would not be the best way of tackling the country's alcohol-related problems but instead backed a tax-based alternative amongst other measures.[7]

Baillie held the position of Shadow Health Minister in the Shadow Cabinet of Iain Gray, retaining that post in December 2011 following the election of Johann Lamont as Gray's successor.[8][9] When Lamont announced a major shakeup of the Labour frontbench team on 28 June 2013, Baillie was moved from Health to Social Justice and Welfare.[10]

Baillie in 2016

On 27 March 2014, Baillie stood in for Johann Lamont at First Minister's Questions while Lamont was attending the funeral of veteran Labour politician Tony Benn.[11] She also stood in at FMQs following Lamont's resignation as Labour leader in October 2014.[12] Baillie ruled herself out of standing in the leadership election that followed Lamont's departure, stating that she wanted a "supporting role" rather than to be Labour leader.[13]

In December 2017, Baillie was reduced to tears when raising the concern of fire safety following the deaths of two men in the Cameron House Hotel Fire.[14]

In January 2020, Baillie announced that she would be standing as a candidate for the post of Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party.[15] On 3 April, it was announced she had won the contest by 10,311 votes to Matt Kerr's 7,528 votes.[16]

Personal life

Baillie married Stephen Baillie in 1982.[1] She lives in Dumbarton with her daughter. During her time as MSP, she studied for a Master of Science degree in Local Economic Development at the University of Glasgow.[2]

gollark: Birds aren't real.
gollark: Gender was invented by clothing manufacturers to sell more clothes.
gollark: gender conceal party [LARGER BRAIN EMOJI]
gollark: NONE will be spared.
gollark: Doesn't resolve, I think. it takes time for changes to propagate.

References
  1. Who's who (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2017.
  2. "Visit & Learn : Scottish Parliament". Scottish Parliament. Archived from the original on 24 April 2010. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  3. "Task force homes in on homelessness" Archived 27 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine BBC News, 25 August 1999
  4. "MSP Jackie Baillie's tears over C. diff hospital deaths". BBC News. 25 November 2014. Archived from the original on 25 November 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  5. Newsnight Scotland interview Archived 30 July 2016 at the Wayback Machine BBC, 3 December 2007
  6. Macleod, Angus (29 October 2009). "SNP left high and dry as Labour rejects minimum alcohol pricing". The Times. Times Newspapers. Archived from the original on 2 June 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  7. "Scots 'drink 46 bottles of vodka'". BBC News. 17 January 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  8. "New Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont unveils front-bench". STV news. 19 December 2011. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  9. "Johann Lamont hands finance role to rival Ken Macintosh". BBC News. 19 December 2011. Archived from the original on 13 January 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  10. "Johann Lamont in Scottish Labour front bench shake-up". BBC News. 28 June 2013. Archived from the original on 1 July 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  11. Taylor, Brian (27 March 2014). "First minister's questions: Getting the last word". BBC News. Archived from the original on 11 September 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  12. "Labour accuses Salmond over NHS". The Courier (Dundee). 30 October 2014. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  13. Carrell, Severin; Brooks, Libby (27 October 2014). "Anas Sarwar rules out Scottish Labour leadership bid". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 1 November 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  14. "Tearful Jackie Baillie asks question about Cameron House deaths". BBC News. 21 December 2017.
  15. Beaton, Ailean (15 January 2020). "Jackie Baillie announces Scottish Labour deputy leadership campaign". Holyrood.
  16. "Jackie Baillie wins Scottish Labour deputy leadership race". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
Scottish Parliament
New constituency Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Dumbarton
1999–present		 Incumbent
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