Natalie McGarry

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Natalie McGarry
MP
Member of Parliament
for Glasgow East
Assumed office
8 May 2015
Preceded by Margaret Curran
Majority 10,387 (24.5%)
Personal details
Born (1981-09-07) 7 September 1981 (age 42)
Inverkeithing, Scotland
Political party Scottish National Party
(Before 2015)
Independent (2015–present)
Alma mater University of Aberdeen

Natalie McGarry (born 7 September 1981) is a Scottish politician. Since the 2015 general election, she has been the Member of Parliament for the Glasgow East. Before resigning the SNP whip, and sitting as an independent, McGarry was a Scottish National Party (SNP) activist and convener of the party's Glasgow Regional Association.[1][2]

A co-founder of the Women for Independence group,[3] McGarry was a prominent figure in the SNP and has appeared on several current affairs programmes as a commentator, including STV's Scotland Tonight.

Personal life

Born and raised in Inverkeithing in Fife, McGarry was educated at St. Columba's R.C. High School in Dunfermline, before studying law at the University of Aberdeen, and worked as a policy adviser for a voluntary sector organisation.[4][5][6]

McGarry's mother, Alice McGarry, has been a councillor on Fife Council representing Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay since 1986. Her aunt is Tricia Marwick, the former Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament.[7][8]

Her fiance, David Meikle, is a Conservative councillor on Glasgow City Council representing the Pollokshields ward.[9][10]

Political career

At the SNP's annual conference in 2012, McGarry argued on the anti-NATO side of the NATO debate in the Scottish National Party, stating that opposition "is not merely about nuclear weapons" and calling for the SNP to retain its opposition to NATO membership.[11]

McGarry, who had never classed herself as a feminist, was among activists who set up Women for Independence in 2012. She told the Glasgow Herald the group was created "over a glass of wine" with former SSP MSP Carolyn Leckie as its main driving force.[12] Explaining the decision, she said: "We came together because a group of us arrived at the conclusion, individually, that women's voices were missing from both sides of the referendum debate."[13]

Already a well-known activist, McGarry's profile in the SNP increased when she was selected as the party's candidate for the 2014 Cowdenbeath by-election. She had previously sought selection as an SNP candidate in the 2014 European Parliament election, but failed.[14] McGarry failed to win the by-election, gaining 5,704 votes (28.4%).[15] A year later, she was selected to contest Glasgow East in the 2015 General Election.[16]

McGarry became the MP for the Glasgow East Constituency on 8 May 2015, taking the seat from former Labour MP Margaret Curran which was part of a historic election result that saw the SNP win 56 out of Scotland's 59 seats at Westminster. McGarry courted controversy after taking the oath of allegiance of the monarch. McGarry stated that "As long as in your heart and your head you believe sovereignty lies with the people, doesn't matter what comes out your mouth".[17] McGarry subsequently deleted the comment.

In November 2015, it was reported that McGarry was linked with a police investigation into money which had gone missing from the accounts of the Women for Independence group.[18] On 24 November it was announced that she had resigned the SNP whip and was automatically suspended from the party.[19]

In January 2016, McGarry and author J. K. Rowling were involved in a Twitter spat. McGarry had accused the author of supporting an anonymous Twitter user with "misogynistic views". McGarry later deleted some tweets and Rowling accepted her apology.[20] In March, McGarry became embroiled in another row after she claimed on Twitter that the organisation Scotland in Union was "headed by an internet troll and a outed holocaust denier". The organisation said that this was false and offensive. McGarry deleted her tweet and tweeted an apology.[21] The matter was later settled out of court with McGarry issuing a formal apology and paying around £10,000 in damages.[22]

References

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External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Glasgow East
2015–present		 Incumbent
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