Sandra White

Sandra White
MSP
Deputy Convener of the
Scottish Parliament
Public Petitions Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office
14 June 2011
Preceded by John Farquhar Munro
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Glasgow Kelvin
Incumbent
Assumed office
5 May 2011
Preceded by Pauline McNeill
Majority 882
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Glasgow
In office
6 May 1999 – 5 May 2011
Personal details
Born 17 August 1951
Glasgow, Scotland
Political party Scottish National Party

Sandra White (born 17 August 1951) is a Scottish politician, the Scottish National Party MSP for the Glasgow Kelvin constituency. She was previously a list MSP for the Glasgow electoral region since 1999.

Early years and career

White contested Glasgow Kelvin in 1999 where she came second to the Labour Party candidate by 4,408 votes. She was re-elected to sit in the parliament to represent the Glasgow region in 2003, topping the SNP's list of candidates for that region. Contesting Glasgow Kelvin that year she again came second to Labour, this time by the smaller margin of 3,289 votes.[1]

White was re-elected on the regional list in 2007. In the 2011 election, she again contested the Glasgow Kelvin seat, this time defeating the sitting Labour MSP Pauline McNeill by 882 votes. White served as an SNP Parliamentary group whip in the first parliamentary session and currently sits on the parliament's Public Petitions Committee, and, Equal Opportunities Committee.[2][3][4]

As a campaigner

White has forged a role as a crusading campaigner and working MSP while also holding her party's Deputy Social Justice portfolio. Her campaigns include against closures and downgrading (including a 1,600 signature petition) at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill and the Queen Mother's Hospital.[2][3][4] She has also campaigned extensively against racism[5] and for better treatment of asylum seekers, including joining an occupation against so-called 'dawn raids'.[6]

Achievements

Her other campaigns have included the successful attempts to save the 7:84 theatre group from threatened loss of funding by the Scottish Arts Council [7] and involvement in Stop the War Coalition events,[8] while high-profile constituency work has included the August 2006 case of an 86-year old widow who was threatened with court by Glasgow Housing Association.[9]

White previously served as an SNP councillor in Renfrewshire and currently lives in the Merchant City. In 2006, White generated some controversy when she referred to the Union Flag as the "butcher's apron".[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Scottishpolitics.com". Archived from the original on 2006-09-25. Retrieved 2006-09-02.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Health chiefs to come under fire over plans for hospital closure". Edinburgh: The Scotsman. 2004-01-20. Retrieved 2006-09-02.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Board expected to close maternity hospital". Edinburgh: The Scotsman. 2004-04-20. Retrieved 2006-09-02.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Baby hospital closure confirmed". BBC. 2004-04-20. Retrieved 2006-09-02.
  5. ↑ "Westminster 'hampers' racism plan". BBC. 2005-02-10. Retrieved 2006-09-02.
  6. ↑ "Protesters in 'asylum raid' demo". BBC. 2005-11-02. Retrieved 2006-09-02.
  7. ↑ "7:84 group fears 'elitist' arts council will cut cash". Sunday Herald. 2006-09-02. Archived from the original on 2006-03-22. Retrieved 2006-09-02.
  8. ↑ "Scots protests at Israeli action". BBC. 2006-07-22. Retrieved 2006-09-02.
  9. ↑ "MSP seeks law change after OAP's 'nonsense' court case". Evening Times. 2006-09-02. Retrieved 2006-09-02.
  10. ↑ SNP spat over 'butcher's apron' statement

External links