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Amy Callaghan
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Amy Callaghan (born 21 May 1992)[2] is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who served as the member of parliament (MP) for East Dunbartonshire from 2019 until 2024.[3] She unseated the then Liberal Democrat leader, Jo Swinson, with a narrow majority of 149 votes or 0.3%, overturning her majority of 5,339 votes two years earlier.[4] She was SNP Health spokesperson since and sat on the Health and Social Care Select Committee during her time in Parliament.[5]
Key Information
Background
[edit]Callaghan attended primary and secondary school in Clydebank.[6] She then attended the University of Strathclyde where she gained a BA Honours in politics.[6][7] Before pursuing a political career, Callaghan worked in retail, hospitality and social care. In 2015 she began her work with the SNP as a Parliamentary Assistant in the Scottish Parliament for the former Scottish Government Minister for Environment and Land Reform, Aileen McLeod MSP. Following the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, Callaghan worked as Office Manager to Rona Mackay, the MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden.[6]
Callaghan was diagnosed with melanoma when she was 19 and cites her experience of cancer as motivation to safeguard the NHS, saying, "It can never be jeopardised."[8] She has been cancer-free since 2014.[7]
In June 2020, Callaghan's office announced that she had suffered a brain haemorrhage and had undergone emergency neurosurgery.[9] She spent four months recovering in the Physically Disabled Rehabilitation Unit at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.[10]
Voluntary activities
[edit]Callaghan volunteered as a member of the Children's Panel for three years.[6][7] Her voluntary activities have also supported the Teenage Cancer Trust, Young Lives Vs Cancer and the James Lind Alliance.[11] She has co-authored research papers aimed at helping young people with cancer.[12]
Political career
[edit]Callaghan was selected as the Scottish National Party's candidate for the seat of East Dunbartonshire in September 2019.[13] At the December 2019 general election, she won the seat, only narrowly beating the incumbent MP and Liberal Democrat leader, Jo Swinson.[7]
On 7 January 2020, she was appointed as the SNP's spokesperson for pensions and intergenerational affairs.[14] She made her maiden speech in parliament nine days later, during which she spoke about Scottish independence and protecting the NHS from the Tories.[15]
In March 2020, she was selected as a member of the House of Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee.[16] She was later discharged from the committee in June 2020 because of her brain haemorrhage and subsequent period of recovery.[17]
During her recovery, Callaghan contributed to parliamentary debates virtually under processes that had been introduced to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.[18] However, following the removal of these processes, in February 2022 she returned to the House of Commons to deliver a speech in person. She described her return as "against doctor's orders".[19]
Callaghan said she was travelling to London to raise the issue of a constituent who had suffered a stroke and was struggling with financial support. In what the Daily Mirror described as a "powerful return to Parliament", she pushed the work and pensions secretary, Thérèse Coffey, to commit to "revisiting the current levels of Universal Credit", claiming that the current level of support left people "barely getting by".[20]
She has spearheaded the campaign for a proxy voting system.[21] In January 2022, she wrote to then Leader of the House, Jacob Rees-Mogg, urging him to bring back proxy voting and virtual participation for those with long-term health conditions; Rees-Mogg subsequently suggested he was against the introduction of digital voting as MPs would not take votes "seriously" if they participated remotely.[22]
On her physical return to the House of Commons in February 2022, Callaghan stepped up her calls for proxy voting during a speech in parliament and in a serious of interviews including with the Daily Record.[19] In March 2022, she raised the issue again in the House of Commons, describing parliamentary procedures as "exclusionary".[23]
On 7 June 2022, Callaghan was forced to withdraw her comment in the House of Commons for using the word "lying" in relation to the prime minister, Boris Johnson. She criticised Johnson for "partying, lying, amending the ministerial code, voter suppression, [and] watering down human rights". The deputy speaker, Nigel Evans, interrupted Callaghan and asked her to withdraw the word "lying", which she agreed to do.[24]
In June 2022, Callaghan's colleague Patrick Grady was found to have committed "unwanted physical touching, with sexual intent" on a junior member of the SNP Westminster Group's staff. Following an investigation by an independent expert panel, Grady was suspended from the House of Commons for two sitting days. The expert group found that Grady's behaviour was a "significant breach" of the UK Parliament's sexual misconduct policy. However, for reasons set out in the report, the expert panel concluded that the suspension from parliament "should be short".[25]
In a leaked recording of an SNP group meeting, Callaghan can be heard telling her fellow MPs, "I think we should be rallying together for this campaign, but also regardless of our position on Patrick's situation, we should be rallying together around him to support him at this time as well. I don't think we are very good as a party at supporting each other and I think we should be making sure that he feels supported at this point, so if we can all reach out to him, or do so if you feel able to, we should probably be doing that."[26] Her comments had been greeted with applause from colleagues, but Callaghan later issued an apology, describing her remarks as "insensitive, poorly worded and misplaced".[27] Then First Minister and SNP party leader, Nicola Sturgeon, subsequently told the Scottish Parliament, "I cannot comment on whether [the leaked recording] is an accurate overall reflection of the discussion, but what I have heard suggests that more concern was shown for the perpetrator of the behaviour than for its victim."[28]
Callaghan launched East Dunbartonshire's first ever hospitality awards in June 2022 following what she described as a "a tough tough two years for the sector".[29]
She chaired the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Children, Teenagers and Young Adults with Cancer.[30]
Callaghan was promoted to the SNP's frontbench team as Health Spokesperson in September 2023.[31] She also sat on the UK Parliament's Health and Social Care Select Committee.[32]
During the 2024 UK general election, the East Dunbartonshire constituency was abolished, and Callaghan ran for re-election in the newly formed seat of Mid Dunbartonshire. She was unseated by Susan Murray of the Liberal Democrats, losing by a margin of 9,673 votes.[33]
Campaigning and personal life
[edit]Callaghan campaigned to have VAT removed from sunscreen to reduce rates of melanoma.[34] The campaign is supported by several leading cancer charities.[35]
Callaghan has a small dog called Alfie.[36]
References
[edit]- ^ Brunskill, Ian (19 March 2020). The Times Guide to the House of Commons 2019: the definitive record of Britain's historic 2019 General Election. HarperCollins Publishers Limited. p. 179. ISBN 978-0-00-839258-1. OCLC 1129682574.
- ^ Callaghan, Amy [@AmyCallaghanSNP] (21 May 2022). "Thirty flirty and thriving" (Tweet). Retrieved 16 July 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Dunbartonshire East parliamentary constituency – Election 2019". BBC News. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- ^ Walker, Peter; Murphy, Simon; Brooks, Libby (13 December 2019). "Jo Swinson quits as Lib Dem leader after losing her own seat". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- ^ "Health and Social Care Committee Membership". UK Parliament. 6 October 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ a b c d "About Amy". Amy Callaghan. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ a b c d Diamond, Claire (17 December 2019). "Election 2019: Who is the young SNP MP who beat Jo Swinson?". BBC News. Archived from the original on 17 December 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
- ^ Walker, Lauren. "General Election 2019: Who is Amy Callaghan, the MSP who beat Jo Swinson?". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- ^ Office of Amy Callaghan [@AmyCallaghanSNP] (15 June 2020). "Statement from the Office of Amy Callaghan MP" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ "SNP MP Amy Callaghan out of hospital after brain haemorrhage". BBC News. 15 October 2020. Archived from the original on 18 October 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
- Callaghan, Amy [@amycallaghansnp] (15 October 2020). "After 4 months in hospital, today I've been discharged. I'm coming home. To the miracle team at @NHSGGC PDRU – now my second family – thank you. I can never, ever repay you. I was wheeled in here. Now I'm walking out. I'm just getting started too" (Tweet). Retrieved 15 October 2020 – via Twitter. - ^ Callaghan, Amy (19 August 2022). "Activity". LinkedIn.
- ^ Aldiss, Susie; Fern, Lorna A.; Phillips, Robert S.; Callaghan, Amy; Dyker, Karen; Gravestock, Helen; Groszmann, Michael; Hamrang, Leila; Hough, Rachael; McGeachy, Demi; Morgan, Sue; Smith, Sam; Upadhyaya, Sheela; Veitch, Helen; Veitch, Lara (1 August 2019). "Research priorities for young people with cancer: a UK priority setting partnership with the James Lind Alliance". BMJ Open. 9 (8) e028119. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-028119. ISSN 2044-6055. PMC 6688702. PMID 31383701.
- ^ "SNP choose candidate to fight East Dunbartonshire seat". Kirkintilloch Herald. 30 September 2019. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- ^ "SNP Westminster reshuffle sees some big changes for the party". The National. 7 January 2020. Archived from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
- ^ "WATCH: Amy Callaghan's 'brilliant' maiden speech as SNP MP". The National. 16 January 2020. Archived from the original on 17 February 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ "Health and Social Care Committee membership agreed". UK Parliament. 2 March 2020. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- ^ "Business without Debate". Hansard. 29 June 2020. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- ^ Mcilkenny, Stephen. "SNP MP Amy Callaghan makes virtual return to parliament after suffering brain haemorrhage". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ a b McCall, Chris (7 February 2022). "SNP MP Amy Callaghan returns to Westminster 'against doctor's orders'". Daily Record. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ Bloom, Dan (7 February 2022). "MP who had stroke at 28 blasts 'woeful' benefits in powerful return to Commons". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ Duffy, Judith (20 February 2022). "Amy Callaghan steps up call for proxy voting at Westminster". The National. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- Mason, Richard (7 February 2022). "Amy Callaghan returns to Westminster as she blasts 'antiquated' voting rules". The National. Retrieved 6 June 2023. - ^ Langford, Eleanor (10 January 2022). "Jacob Rees-Mogg Accused Of "Patronising" MPs With Reluctance To Update Voting System". Politics Home. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ "Business of the House". Hansard. UK Parliament. 17 March 2022.
- ^ Webster, Laura (7 June 2022). "SNP MP made to withdraw 'lying' Boris comment in 'outrageous' Commons moment". The National. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- ^ Independent Expert Panel (14 June 2022). "The Conduct of Mr Patrick Grady MP" (PDF). House of Commons.
- ^ Andrews, Kieran (21 June 2022). "Patrick Grady affair shows SNP needs vital reform, say MPs". The Times.
- Wilson, Louise (20 June 2022). "SNP MP Amy Callaghan sorry for 'insensitive' comments at Patrick Grady meeting". Holyrood. - ^ "SNP MP apologises after 'insensitive' Patrick Grady comments". BBC News. 20 June 2022.
- ^ "First Minister's Questions – 23 June 2022". YouTube. The Scottish Parliament. 23 June 2022.
- Green, Chris (23 June 2022). "Nicola Sturgeon hits out at 'unacceptable' SNP group meeting on Patrick Grady case". i. - ^ "Bearsden patisserie crowned best hospitality business". Glasgow World. 15 August 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ "All-Party Parliamentary Group on Children, Teenagers and Young Adults with Cancer (APPG CTYAC)". Teenage Cancer Trust. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ Scott, Kevin (4 September 2023). "Stephen Flynn reshuffles SNP frontbench team at Westminster". STV News. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ "Health and Social Care Committee Membership". UK Parliament. 6 October 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ "Mid Dunbartonshire – General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
- ^ "VAT Burn". Amy Callaghan MP. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ "VAT Burn". Amy Callaghan MP. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ "Politicians and their pets: Amy Callaghan MP". Holyrood. 2 May 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
External links
[edit]Amy Callaghan
View on GrokipediaEarly Life and Background
Family and Upbringing
Amy Callaghan was born on 21 May 1992 and raised in Clydebank, Scotland, in a working-class family. Her father, Roy, initially worked as a welder on the Clyde before founding his own engineering business, while her mother, Sandra, was employed in the health service. She has two brothers, Ben and Joe.[4][5] Callaghan's upbringing emphasized family support amid early health concerns; her mother routinely applied sunscreen to her during school playground time to protect against sun exposure, reflecting proactive parental vigilance. Her parents accompanied her to medical appointments and provided emotional backing following her melanoma diagnosis at age 19, with her mother urging her to prioritize recovery during hospital stays.[6]Education
Callaghan attended primary and secondary schools in Clydebank, Scotland, where she grew up. She subsequently enrolled at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow to study politics. [7] At the university, Callaghan completed a BA Honours degree in politics, achieving a 2:1 classification, with her dissertation examining the use of social media in political campaigning.[7] Her studies were interrupted in her second year, at age 19, following a cancer diagnosis that required treatment including chemotherapy, though she ultimately graduated.Health Challenges
Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
In 2011, at the age of 19, Amy Callaghan was diagnosed with melanoma after noticing a lump inside her left cheek.[8] She underwent surgery to remove the lump, which confirmed the diagnosis of this rare form of skin cancer.[8] [9] The cancer relapsed in January 2014, when Callaghan, then aged 21, detected a small lump in her cheek, leading to prompt surgical intervention that confirmed the recurrence.[10] Further treatment involved multiple procedures, including excisions addressing both external facial lesions and intra-oral growths, supported by organizations such as the Teenage Cancer Trust.[6] Following these surgeries, she was declared cancer-free in March 2014.[11] Callaghan has since maintained regular monitoring and advocated for preventive measures like sunscreen access, citing her experience as motivation to protect public health services.[9]Stroke and Recovery
In June 2020, Amy Callaghan, then aged 28, suffered a haemorrhagic stroke, collapsing at her home and requiring emergency hospitalization.[12] She underwent two life-saving surgeries, including emergency brain surgery with a drain inserted to manage the haemorrhage, and spent four months in hospital.[13] The stroke resulted in full paralysis on one side of her body, weakness in her left arm, and initial speech difficulties.[14] [15] Medical teams recommended acute rehabilitation following stabilization, focusing on regaining mobility and function.[15] Callaghan returned to the House of Commons in March 2021, marking initial progress in her recovery, though she continued to face physical limitations, including reliance on a crutch for walking.[13] [16] By February 2022, she resumed parliamentary duties against medical advice due to the absence of proxy voting provisions, highlighting ongoing challenges in balancing recovery with professional demands.[17] Her rehabilitation involved innovative approaches, such as technology-enriched programs at the University of Strathclyde, aimed at improving motor recovery for stroke survivors.[14] [18] In subsequent years, Callaghan advocated for enhanced support for stroke patients, drawing on her experience to push for NHS reforms in rehabilitation access and premature circulatory disease prevention.[19] [20]Pre-Political Involvement
Professional Experience
Prior to her election to the UK Parliament in December 2019, Amy Callaghan held roles in the Scottish Parliament's administrative support for SNP elected officials. In 2015, she began working for the Scottish National Party (SNP) as a caseworker, handling constituent inquiries and support tasks.[21] Following the May 2016 Scottish Parliament election, Callaghan served as office manager to Rona Mackay, the SNP MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, until the 2019 general election.[22][2] In this position, she managed office operations, processed casework, and conducted research to assist Mackay's legislative and constituency duties.[7] Her responsibilities included coordinating responses to public concerns, administrative oversight, and policy-related support within the SNP's Holyrood framework.[23] Earlier in her career, Callaghan gained experience in service-oriented sectors such as retail and hospitality, though specific employers and durations remain undocumented in primary sources. These roles preceded her entry into political administration and provided foundational skills in customer interaction and operational management.Voluntary and Activist Work
Callaghan served as a volunteer member of the Children's Panel in Scotland for three years, participating in hearings to determine compulsory measures of supervision for children and young people deemed in need of care, protection, or at risk of offending.[7] This role involved assessing cases involving vulnerable youth and contributing to decisions on their welfare and rehabilitation pathways. She also volunteered with the Teenage Cancer Trust, undertaking fundraising activities such as bucket collections at concerts, shops, and events, as well as supporting educational outreach talks on cancer awareness for young people.[7] These efforts aligned with her personal experience surviving melanoma as a teenager, though formal activism on health policy issues intensified during her parliamentary tenure.Political Career
2019 General Election Victory
In the 2019 United Kingdom general election, called by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on 6 November and held on 12 December, Amy Callaghan contested East Dunbartonshire as the Scottish National Party (SNP) candidate against incumbent Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson, who had regained the seat in 2017 after losing it to the SNP in 2015.[24] The constituency, encompassing affluent suburbs north of Glasgow, had become a bellwether for Scottish independence and Brexit sentiments, with the SNP emphasizing opposition to a no-deal Brexit and renewed calls for a second referendum, while Swinson's Liberal Democrats campaigned on revoking Article 50 to prevent Brexit.[22] Callaghan, a 27-year-old first-time parliamentary candidate with prior experience in SNP youth activism and voluntary work, focused her platform on local issues including health services and education alongside national priorities like Scottish self-determination.[22] Polling indicated a tight race, but results declared early on 13 December showed Callaghan securing victory by a razor-thin margin of 149 votes, representing a 0.3% swing to the SNP.[25] She polled 19,672 votes (33.8% share), narrowly ahead of Swinson's 19,523 votes (33.5%), with the Conservatives on 9,538 (16.4%) and Labour on 8,893 (15.3%); turnout reached 80.3% among an electorate of 66,075.[26] [25] This upset contributed to the SNP's overall gain of 13 seats in Scotland, bolstering their position amid broader Conservative advances elsewhere in the UK.[27] Swinson's defeat prompted her immediate resignation as Liberal Democrat leader, highlighting vulnerabilities in pro-Remain unionist strongholds.[24] Callaghan's win marked her entry to Parliament as one of the youngest SNP MPs, reflecting the party's mobilization of pro-independence voters in response to Westminster's handling of Brexit and the 2014 referendum's aftermath, though the narrow margin underscored the constituency's volatility.[28] Official results confirmed the SNP gain from the Liberal Democrats, with no recounts altering the outcome.[25]Parliamentary Tenure (2019–2024)
Amy Callaghan served as the Scottish National Party Member of Parliament for East Dunbartonshire from 12 December 2019 until the dissolution of Parliament on 30 May 2024.[29] During this period, she held shadow spokesperson roles for the SNP, initially covering pensions and inter-generational fairness from 7 January 2020 to 12 December 2022, before shifting to health and social care from 4 September 2023 until the end of her term.[30] Her parliamentary work emphasized constituency casework, attendance at local events, and media engagement on devolved issues like Scottish independence and public services.[7] Callaghan's participation was significantly affected by personal health challenges, including a brain haemorrhage in June 2020 that required four months of hospitalization and two surgeries.[31] She continued contributing to debates virtually under temporary COVID-19 accommodations introduced in 2020, which allowed remote participation.[32] Upon returning in person on 7 February 2022—against medical advice—she advocated for permanent reforms to Westminster's voting procedures, including expanded proxy voting for MPs with long-term illnesses, citing the system's "antiquated" barriers to ill-health representation.[33] [34] This push aligned with broader SNP criticisms of procedural inflexibility, though implementation remained limited to specific cases.[35] In health policy, Callaghan focused on cancer prevention and treatment access, drawing from her prior melanoma diagnosis. She launched the VAT Burn campaign on 4 February 2023, coinciding with World Cancer Day, to eliminate the 20% VAT on sunscreen products, arguing it deterred preventive use and contributed to rising skin cancer rates, potentially saving the NHS over £128 million annually in treatment costs.[36] [37] The campaign gained cross-party support from charities like Melanoma Focus and led to her introduction of the Sun Protection Products (Value Added Tax) Bill on 21 February 2023, which sought zero-rating for qualifying sunscreens but did not advance beyond first reading.[38] She also secured a Westminster Hall debate on 9 February 2023, pressing for fiscal incentives to boost sun protection amid evidence that VAT exemptions on similar preventive items existed elsewhere.[39] In her shadow health role, she questioned government strategies on psychological support for young people with major conditions and critiqued delays in NHS rehabilitation services for stroke survivors.[40] Callaghan's voting record showed strong alignment with SNP positions on welfare, devolution, and opposition to UK-wide policies like minimum service levels during strikes.[41]2024 General Election Defeat
In the 2024 United Kingdom general election, held on 4 July, Amy Callaghan sought re-election as the Scottish National Party (SNP) candidate for the newly constituted Mid Dunbartonshire parliamentary constituency, which absorbed the bulk of her previous East Dunbartonshire seat following the 2023 boundary review by the Boundary Commission for Scotland. The redrawn seat encompassed areas including Bearsden, Bishopbriggs, Kirkintilloch, Lenzie, and Milngavie, rendering it notionally competitive between the SNP and Liberal Democrats based on prior voting patterns.[3] Callaghan's campaign emphasized continuity from her 2019 victory, focusing on local issues such as health services and independence, amid a national backdrop of SNP challenges including financial scrutiny and internal divisions.[42] Results were declared at 04:10 BST on 5 July by Returning Officer Ann Davie, with a turnout of 71.8% from an electorate of 73,603. Callaghan secured 12,676 votes, representing 24.0% of the valid vote—a decline of 13.9 percentage points from the notional 2019 SNP share in the redrawn constituency.[43][3] She finished second to Liberal Democrat Susan Murray, who won with 22,349 votes (42.4%), establishing a majority of 9,673. Labour's Lorna Dougall placed third with 10,993 votes (20.8%), while the Conservatives garnered just 2,452 (4.6%), reflecting their diminished presence in Scottish urban and suburban seats.[43][3]| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Susan Murray | Scottish Liberal Democrats | 22,349 | 42.4% |
| Amy Callaghan | Scottish National Party | 12,676 | 24.0% |
| Lorna Dougall | Scottish Labour Party | 10,993 | 20.8% |
| Alix Mathieson | Scottish Conservative Party | 2,452 | 4.6% |
