Jo Swinson

http://www.libdems.org.uk/jo_swinson

Jo Swinson MP
Minister for Consumer Affairs & Equalities

Jo Swinson has been the MP for East Dunbartonshire since 2005.

After attending Douglas Academy in Milngavie she graduated from the London School of Economics with a BSc in Management. Before entering Parliament, Jo worked as a Marketing Manager for a number of companies, latterly the Glasgow-based business SpaceandPeople. Bitten by the political bug Jo decided to stand against the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott in the 2001 General Election. She went on to win her home seat of East Dunbartonshire to become its Liberal Democrat MP in 2005 and again in 2010.

Record Of Delivery
Jo has a strong record of delivering for local people. As an MP, Jo has:

Delivered, alongside other Liberal Democrats in Government, a £700 income tax cut for more than 40,000 local people in the East Dunbartonshire constituency [source bit.ly/1cZe3KF]
Worked to increase jobs locally including her Get East Dunbartonshire working initiative in 2012, and a Business Bank Lending Event and Jobs Fair in 2013
Successfully supported the Milngavie community against Tesco’s inappropriate store expansion
Championed the views of the local community against the Lower Kilmardinny Development
Won her campaign to ensure the new HMP Low Moss was not named after the town of Bishopbriggs
Fought against Labour’s local Post Office closures
Outside of politics, Jo enjoys running; she completed the Loch Ness Marathon in 2007 and the London Marathon in April 2011. Jo is married to Duncan Hames MP.

Parliamentary Experience
After entering Parliament, Jo was a Liberal Democrat spokesperson on foreign affairs, equality, Scotland and the arts. Jo was also a member of the Speaker’s Conference from 2009-2010 which looked at ways to increase the number of women and BME MPs.

Former Deputy Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Jo set up the All Party Parliamentary Group on Wellbeing Economics, the All Party Parliamentary Group on Body Image and was a co-founder of the Campaign for Body Confidence.

In September 2012 Jo was appointed the Minister for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Minister for Women and Equalities in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. As a Minister Jo has delivered a radical new system of shared parental leave, is leading the biggest overhaul of consumer rights for a generation, ensured the Post Offices Network is on a sustainable footing for the future and spearheaded the Government’s Body Image campaign.