Lisa Cameron | |
---|---|
Member of Parliament for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow | |
Assumed office 7 May 2015 | |
Preceded by | Michael McCann |
Majority | 13,322 (23.6%) |
Personal details | |
Born | Glasgow,Scotland | 8 April 1972
Political party | Conservative (2023–present) |
Other political affiliations | Scottish National Party (2014–2023) |
Spouse | Mark Horsham (m. 2009) |
Children | 2 |
Education | University of Strathclyde (BSc) University of Stirling (MSc) University of Glasgow (DClinPsy) |
Awards | Ordine di Sant'Agata |
Website | lisacameronmp |
Lisa Cameron (born 8 April 1972) [1] is a Scottish politician and former consultant clinical psychologist who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow since winning the seat at the 2015 general election. First elected for the Scottish National Party (SNP), she was re-elected for that party in 2017 and 2019, before she crossed the floor to the Scottish Conservatives in October 2023. [2]
Lisa Cameron was born on 8 April 1972 in Glasgow, Scotland or Westwood, East Kilbride, where she grew up. [1] [3] [4] [5] Her father moved to America when she was an infant and she was raised by her mother, a secretary at Rolls-Royce and "working class conservative", and a taxi driver. [5] She was educated at South Park Primary School, East Milton Primary School and Duncanrig Secondary School, [4] before studying Psychology at the University of Strathclyde where she graduated as BSc. Cameron pursued further studies in Psychology and Health at the University of Stirling receiving an MSc. degree before taking a DClinPsy. degree from the University of Glasgow. [6] [7] After university, Cameron specialised in forensic and clinical psychology. She worked as a consultant at the State Hospital, as a clinical psychologist in the NHS and as an assessor for the Scottish Risk Management Authority. [6] [7]
Cameron voted in favour of Scottish independence at the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. After the referendum results were announced, in which Scotland voted to remain part of the United Kingdom; she joined the Scottish National Party (SNP). [6] [8] Cameron has also been a trade union representative for Unite for more than a decade. [7]
Cameron was elected as an SNP MP for the East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow seat at the 2015 UK general election. [9] The seat and its predecessor, East Kilbride, had been won by successive Labour Party candidates since 1974.
Cameron is the first clinical psychologist to be elected as an MP to the House of Commons. [10] During the 2015–17 Parliament, Cameron was a member of the International Development Committee and the International Development Sub-Committee on the Work of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact. [11]
On 5 January 2016, the Scottish Daily Mail published a story highlighting that Cameron owned five ex-council houses (managed by her husband) despite campaigning against the sale of council houses at the 2015 general election. She responded by stating that she had been transparent in her property dealings and had declared ownership of the properties per parliamentary rules in her register of interests. [12] [13] Cameron made a complaint about the article to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) which was not upheld. [14]
Cameron retained her seat at the 2017 snap general election with 21,023 votes and both a reduced vote share and a majority of 3,866 votes. [15] Following the election, Cameron was elected to be part of the Health Select Committee and the Commons Reference Group on Representation and Inclusion. [11] She was the chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) on Health, Chile, Disability, Dog Advisory Welfare, Psychology, Textile and Fashion and co-chair of the APPG on New Towns. She was also a Vice-Chair on the Pro-Life APPG. [16]
In 2017, Cameron launched the successful Lucy's Law campaign in the House of Commons against puppy farming which became statute in 2019. [17] In 2018, Cameron led the Ivory Bill for the SNP through the House of Commons. [18]
In 2019, Cameron described receiving abusive messages and threats with deselection after voting against legalising abortion in Northern Ireland in a conscience vote. An SNP assessor reportedly said he would recommend anyone with these views should have their application rejected to be a candidate and she should "quit her position as an elected representative." [19]
In September 2019, Cameron's local SNP branch passed a motion which criticised the National Executive Committee’s decision “to impose Dr Lisa Cameron as the party's candidate in the forthcoming General Election for the second time". [20] Despite this, Cameron was reselected. [20]
Cameron was returned to Parliament at the 2019 general election with a majority 13,322. [21]
On 29 June 2020, Cameron was the only SNP MP to vote on a motion to introduce a Bill to restrict anti-abortion demonstrations near abortion clinics in England. She voted against the motion, submitted on her behalf by the SNP Chief Whip. [22] Cameron claimed to receive over 3,000 "thank you notes" from people across Scotland supporting her anti-abortion stance and claiming to give them "a voice in parliament" [23] Following this, she received a death threat and said "freedom of religious belief appears to be being continually eroded". [24]
Cameron received an Award for Distinguished Contribution to Practice of Psychology from the British Psychological Society in 2020 for her work as a psychologist in NHS Scotland and on mental health in Parliament. [25] Cameron was reportedly given the title in 2021 as SNP Parliamentary Carers Champion for Carers Week. [26]
In 2022, Cameron was appointed Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Crypto and Digital Assets. [27] In March of that year, she received the MP of the Year Award from Patchwork Foundation for her disability activism and campaigns against online abuse. [28] Cameron was awarded the Order of Saint Agatha by the Republic of San Marino in October 2022. [29]
In January 2023, following the unprecedented decision of the UK Government to intervene to block the wholly devolved Scottish Government's Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, Cameron wrote to Conservative Scottish Secretary Alister Jack calling on him to "find a resolution" in a way that didn't undermine the devolution settlement. [30]
In September 2023, Cameron, who had chosen to re-contest selection for her seat at the next election, was one of five sitting SNP MPs involved in selection contests. [31] Cameron told media that if SNP members did not nominate her as the candidate in she could resign, and call a by-election. [32] Her comments were criticised by SNP leader Humza Yousaf, who said it was up to local branches and members to select candidates, and urged for all to follow the selection contest rules. [33]
On 12 October, the day the result of her selection vote was to be announced, Cameron left the SNP, having claimed the prior month a "toxic and bullying atmosphere", where she felt ostracised, for which she had suffered panic attacks. [34] [35] Mike Russell, President of the Scottish National Party, said remarks over Cameron's mental health were a "tantrum" and "unsubstantiated". [36] Grant Costello, who was leading in the selection contest, [34] was named SNP candidate for East Kilbride and Strathaven later that day. [37]
Cameron said she could not have joined the Labour Party due to her Christianity and views on transgender rights, citing the experiences of her friend Rosie Duffield. [38] She also stated that she had changed her views regarding Scottish independence in an interview with BBC Radio 4's Women's Hour, explaining "I feel like Scotland’s exhausted by nationalism and all of our services are exhausted now. It’s become very divisive. (The SNP) was badged to me in 2014 as a big, broad tent – it’s become narrower and narrower and narrower towards nationalism that I don’t even recognise the party I joined from 2014." [39]
SNP leader Humza Yousaf, SNP leader and First Minister of Scotland, claimed that Cameron's defection was the "least-surprising news I've had as leader of the SNP", and called on her to resign as an MP, saying her defection was a "betrayal" of constituents and activists. [40] [41] Prime Minister, and Conservative Party Leader, Rishi Sunak hailed Cameron's decision as "brave". [42] On 13 October, Cameron announced she and her family had to "go into hiding" after she received death threats following her defection. [43]
Shortly after her defection, Cameron announced she would be standing down at the next general election. [44]
In December 2023, it was announced that Cameron had been made Parliamentary Private Secretary for Scottish Secretary Alister Jack. [45]
Cameron has been married to Mark Horsham since 2009, [3] [12] and they have two daughters and live in South Lanarkshire. [6] Horsham has been a councillor for the Clydesdale South ward on for South Lanarkshire Council since 2017 and is the council's Veteran's Champion. He won an Award as New Councillor of the Year in Scotland 2020. [46] Following Cameron's defection, Horsham announced he was "stepping back" from his duties as an SNP councillor. [47] Eleven days later, on 23 October, he too left the party. [48]
Cameron attends the evangelical Free Church of Scotland. [38]
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