Carolyn Leckie

Carolyn Leckie (born 5 March 1965) is a Scottish politician. She was a member of the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP), and held a number of senior positions in the party, but has since left the SSP.[1] From 2003 to 2007 she was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Central Scotland region, having been elected on the SSP list.

Carolyn Leckie
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Central Scotland
(1 of 7 Regional MSPs)
In office
1 May 2003 – 2 April 2007
Personal details
Born (1965-03-05) 5 March 1965
Glasgow, Scotland
Political partyScottish Socialist Party
Children2 daughters
Alma materUniversity of Strathclyde
University of Dundee
Professionformer midwife, lawyer

Biography

Leckie was born on 5 March 1965[2] and grew up in Glasgow, the daughter of a shipyard worker.[3] She now lives in East Kilbride. Before she became an MSP she was a midwife and a local union leader who represented thousands of hospital workers in Glasgow.[4]

Campaigning

Just before election to Holyrood, she led several victorious strikes against low pay - the most recent involving 300 ancillary workers against the French multinational, Sodexho. As an MSP she was a strong supporter of the Nursery Nurses campaigning for higher pay. On 20 May 2004, after attempting to raise a point of order about the strike at a time that the Presiding Officer determined was inappropriate, she was told to leave the chamber.[5] She was active within the parliament campaigning for an end to the cuts and closures in hospital services across Scotland.

On 20 January 2005, she was jailed for seven days for non-payment of a fine, arising from a protest outside Faslane nuclear base.[6] The Nursing and Midwifery Council did not consider it an impediment to her registration as a Midwife.[7] In January 2007, she was arrested but not charged for taking part in an anti-nuclear demonstration at Faslane as part of the Faslane 365 campaign.

In April 2014, Leckie led a campaign against plans to demolish the Red Road Flats during the 2014 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.[8]

Other information

Leckie was co-chair of the Scottish Socialist Party for several years. She stood down at the March 2006 annual conference, stating that it was time to hand the post over to a lay member of the party, but she was easily elected as an ordinary member of its executive committee.

She was one of several members who gave evidence in the Sheridan v News International defamation action, and the subsequent criminal trial HM Advocate v Sheridan and Sheridan. Former SSP leader Tommy Sheridan was found guilty of perjury and sentenced to three years in prison.[9][10]

At the SSP conference in 2008, Leckie declined nomination for any national posts within the party, but remained an activist within the party, particularly within the Socialist Women's Network. She drifted away from the party and stopped paying subscriptions without it being noticed.[1]

Leckie is a founder member of Women for Independence campaign for Scottish independence.[11][12][13]

Leckie worked for a Women's Aid group from 2007 to 2014. She completed an LLB at the University of Strathclyde[2] in 2014, continuing to work throughout. She has since gained a Diploma in Professional Legal Practice from the University of Dundee and is pursuing a law career. She has stated that she will not stand for election again.

References
  1. Leckie, Carolyn (30 March 2014). "Twitter / carolynleckie: @zcbeaton don't remember. Didn't ...:". Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  2. "Leckie, Carolyn, (born 5 March 1965), Member (Scot Socialist) Scotland Central, Scottish Parliament, 2003–07", Who's Who, Oxford University Press, 1 December 2007, doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u45041, retrieved 15 September 2019
  3. "Canavan set to speak in Benarty". Central Fife Times & Advertiser. 7 May 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  4. "By-election is not simply Devine". The Scotsman. 23 August 2005. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  5. "Defiant MSP ordered from chamber". BBC News. 20 May 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  6. "MSP jailed after nuclear protest". BBC News. 20 January 2005. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  7. "Leckie 'can keep' midwife status". BBC News. 12 March 2005. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  8. Beaton, Connor (3 April 2014). "Former MSP protests Red Road demolition plans". The Targe. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  9. "Sheridan 'owned up back in 2002 that he had gone to swingers' club'" The Scotsman 8 July 2006
  10. Allan, Vicky (12 October 2014). "Leckie and Kane will never share platform with the man who labelled them 'scabs'". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  11. "Scottish independence: Women encouraged to vote yes". BBC News. 30 September 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
  12. "Campaign to drive women to vote for independence backed by former Jack McConnell aide". 30 September 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
  13. "Carolyn Leckie: We're listening out for Scotland's women". The Scotsman. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
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