Liam McLaughlan

Liam McLaughlan

Liam speaking at the Radical Independence Conference, 2014
Born 21 March 1996
Glasgow, Scotland
Nationality Scottish
Known for Campaigning for an independent socialist Scotland
Political party
 Scottish Socialist Party

Liam McLaughlan (born 21 March 1996) is a Scottish political activist. He is a prominent member of the Scottish Socialist Party and was an active youth campaigner ahead of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.

Personal life

Liam, the son of a construction worker and a hotel chambermaid, grew up and lives in Glasgow's working class suburb of Easterhouse.[1] He attended St. Andrew's RC Secondary. In 2012, he said he lived in rented accommodation with his mother, who earns the national minimum wage.[2]

Political career

Liam told The Telegraph that he became interested in politics after conducting research for a talk on Scottish independence as part of his GCSE English course.[1] In an interview with the ISG, he said he was inclined towards socialist politics because of his working class background.[2] He co-founded the Glasgow North East branch of the Radical Independence Campaign[3] and jointly led the creation of the RIC School Students network in 2013.[4][5]

Liam quickly established himself as an outspoken political activist through interventions from the audience of Question Time. In October 2012, Liam was lauded in The Sun after complaining on TV about the soaring price of playing football on council-owned grounds.[6] The intervention impressed comedian Kevin Bridges, who went on to play a game with him.[7]

Liam's political work around the referendum was the subject of a short film directed by Igor Slepov for the Scottish Documentary Institute,[8] which was shown at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2014.[9] He told Vice that he divided his time between political activism and a part-time job.[10]

Liam is standing as the SSP candidate in Glasgow East in the 2015 UK general election. He will be one of the youngest candidates in the election.[11]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Scottish independence: how will residents of Glasgow's Easterhouse suburb vote?". The Telegraph. 10 June 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "“Who represents us?”: Interview with 16 year old socialist blogger from Easterhouse". 22 June 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  3. ↑ "Timetable and Speakers for Radical Independence Conference 2013". Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  4. ↑ "To engage the radical youth". The Targe. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  5. ↑ "The Radical Independence Campaign could win over the "missing million"". New Statesman. 26 November 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  6. ↑ "Pitch row Liam McLaughlan, 16, is telly hit". The Sun. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  7. ↑ "Game of two laughs". The Sun. 1 April 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  8. ↑ "Chappin'". Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  9. ↑ "Bridging the Gap". Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  10. ↑ "Glasgow's Poor Are Fighting For a Fairer Scotland". Vice. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  11. ↑ "Socialists’ Liam to pay a visit to Cumbernauld". Cumbernauld News. 28 March 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015.