Clare Adamson

Clare Anne Adamson FBCS (née Pickering; born 1 August 1967) is a Scottish politician who has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Motherwell and Wishaw since 2016. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she was previously an additional MSP for the Central Scotland region from 2011 to 2016.

Clare Adamson
FBCS MSP
Official portrait, 2016
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Motherwell and Wishaw
Assumed office
5 May 2016
Preceded byJohn Pentland
Majority6,223 (21.4%)
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Central Scotland
(1 of 7 Regional MSPs)
In office
5 May 2011 – 4 May 2016
Personal details
Born
Clare Anne Pickering

(1967-08-01) 1 August 1967
Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland
Political partyScottish National Party
SpouseJohn Adamson
Children4 (including 3 stepchildren)
Alma materGlasgow Caledonian University
WebsiteOfficial website

A graduate of the Glasgow Caledonian University, before entering politics Adamson was a computer scientist. In 2007, she was elected to the North Lanarkshire Council for the Wishaw ward.[1] She ran unsuccessfully as a candidate for the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency, but was elected as an additional member for the Central Scotland region in 2011. Adamson was elected as the MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw in 2016 and was re-elected for a third term in the 2021 election. She has since served as the Convener of the Scottish Parliament's Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee.[2]

Early life and career

Clare Anne Pickering was born on 1 August 1967 in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, to Eileen and George Pickering.[3] She moved to grow up in Wishaw at the age of seven and she studied Computer Information Systems at Glasgow Caledonian University, graduating with the degree of BSc (with distinction).[4]

In 1984 Adamson joined the Scottish National Party and she worked at the SNP HQ Campaign Unit as Project Manager of the Party's Activate Project from 2003 to 2007.[5] She was previously a European Development Manager (IT) at a Glasgow-based software house. She belongs to the National Union of Journalists and is a Fellow of the British Computer Society.[4]

Adamson ran as a candidate for the SNP in various elections, but was unsuccessful. She ran for election to the North Lanarkshire Council in 2003 and contested Lanark & Hamilton East in the 2010 UK General Election. In the 2007 Scottish local elections, she was elected to the North Lanarkshire Council, representing her home town of the Wishaw ward. She stood down from the council in the 2012 election following her election to the Scottish Parliament.[6]

Member of the Scottish Parliament
Official parliamentary portrait, 2011

In the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, Adamson was the SNP's candidate for the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency. She was defeated by Scottish Labour's John Pentland and was elected as an additional member of the Scottish Parliament for the Central Scotland region. After being elected to the parliament, she served as the Parliamentary Liaison Officer to Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop.[7]

Adamson has continued to be actively involved with the Scottish Accident Prevention Council, as Vice Chairperson, and the Lanarkshire International Children's Games Organising Committee.[8]

Adamson ran again as candidate for the constituency of Motherwell and Wishaw. She successfully defeated John Pentland and was elected to represent the constituency in the Scottish Parliament. She was returned at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.[9] She has served as Convener of the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee since 2021.[2]

Personal life

Adamson married John Adamson, a headteacher, in 2002. They both have one son, with her husband also having his own three children. She has a dog called Coco and enjoys reading and listening to music.[4]

References
  1. "Wishaw – News, views, gossip, pictures, video – Daily Record". Wishawpress.co.uk. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  2. "Session 6 Constitution Europe External Affairs and Culture Committee". parliament.scot. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  3. Who's who (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2017.
  4. StreetMotherwell, The Dalziel Building7 Scott; Scotl (5 September 2018). "Clare Adamson". Scottish National Party. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  5. Indeed. "Clare Adamson".
  6. "Democracy Live | Your representatives | Clare Adamson". BBC News. Archived from the original on 24 August 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  7. "Democracy Live | Your representatives | Clare Adamson". 24 August 2014. Archived from the original on 24 August 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  8. "Default Parallels Plesk Panel Page". Sapc.org.uk. Archived from the original on 30 December 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  9. Amery, Rachel (12 May 2021). "New Holyrood MSPs to take oaths in Scots, Gaelic, English, Urdu and Zimbabwean Shona". Press and Journal. Aberdeen Journals Ltd. DC Thomson Media. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
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