Pamela Nash | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament forMotherwell, Wishaw and Carluke | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Marion Fellows |
| Majority | 7,085 (18.1%) |
| Member of Parliament forAirdrie and Shotts | |
| In office 6 May 2010 – 30 March 2015 | |
| Preceded by | John Reid |
| Succeeded by | Neil Gray |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1984-06-24)24 June 1984 (age 41)[1] Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland |
| Political party | Labour |
| Signature |  |
Pamela Ann Catherine Nash (born 24 June 1984)[2][3] is a ScottishLabour Party politician who has served as theMember of Parliament (MP) forMotherwell, Wishaw and Carluke since2024. She previously served as Chief Executive ofScotland in Union, a campaign group launched in March 2015 to help keepScotland within theUnited Kingdom. Between 2010 and 2015 she was the Labour MP forAirdrie and Shotts.
Pamela Nash was born inAirdrie,North Lanarkshire, and educated locally at St Margaret's High School, Airdrie andChapelhall. Nash lost her mother and stepfather when she was 17.[4][5]
She spent her first summer after high school volunteering at a school in Nyeri, Kenya, and followed this up with a placement in Uganda during her time at university.[6] She studied politics at theUniversity of Glasgow, specialising in human rights and international development.[6]
Nash was the parliamentary officer for theYoung Fabians and a member of theScottish Youth Parliament, where she served on the executive committee and was the convenor of the External Affairs Committee. She interned forJohn Reid for one year as his constituency assistant and subsequently was employed for a period of three years as his parliamentary assistant.[6]
Nash was selected as the Labour Party candidate from anall-women shortlist which, at the time, proved to be a contentious issue.[7] The constituency chairman, Brian Brady resigned over the issue. Nevertheless, 80% of the constituency Labour Party took part in the selection process.[8] She was elected as the Member of Parliament for Airdrie and Shotts in 2010, taking over from John Reid. She had a majority of 12,408 votes over theSNP candidate, and at the age of 25,[1] was the youngest MP in theHouse of Commons, also calledBaby of the House.[9] Then-Scottish Labour Party leader,Iain Gray said she had a "big future in Scottish politics".[10]
Nash was theParliamentary Private Secretary to the thenShadow Secretary of State for International Development,Jim Murphy. She was previously Parliamentary Private Secretary toMargaret Curran asShadow Secretary of State for Scotland and toVernon Coaker asShadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. She served on the Finance Bill 2011 Public Bill Committee.[11] Nash was a member of theScience and Technology Select Committee,[12] theScottish Affairs Select Committee and the Parliamentary Space Committee.
Following the death of the MP forInverclyde,David Cairns, she was elected as the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for HIV and AIDS.[13] She was also the Treasurer of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Multiple Sclerosis[14] and the Secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sustainable Housing.[15] Nash also founded and chaired the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Youth Unemployment.[16]
In September 2010, Nash decided to supportDavid Miliband in theLabour Party leadership election.[17] On 2 December 2010, Nash took part in a BBC debate on age differences in politics and the wider society with the Conservative MPBill Cash.[18] Nash pledged to oppose the repeal of theHunting Act 2004 which banned hunting of wild mammals with hounds.[19]
Nash has campaigned on issues such asBlacklisting in employment,[20] breaches of theNational Minimum Wage, closure of local police stations and theBedroom tax.[21][22]
Nash was narrowly reselected by theAirdrie and Shotts CLP to contest her seat at the 2015 UK general election. A total of 55 members voted for her to be reselected, out of 101 members who attended the October 2013 ballot, with 37 opposed.[23][24] At the 2015 general election however, Nash lost her seat toNeil Gray of theScottish National Party, who won by a majority of 8,779 votes.[25]
In August 2017, it was announced that Nash would be the next Chief Executive ofScotland in Union, in succession toGraeme Pearson.[26]
In 2021, Nash attempted to be selected as the Labour candidate for theAirdrie and Shotts parliamentary by-election; however, she was unsuccessful, losing the nomination to Kenneth Stevenson.[27] Despite a swing towards Labour, the SNP retained the seat.[28][29]
On 20 April 2023, Nash was announced as the official Scottish Labourprospective parliamentary candidate forMotherwell, Wishaw and Carluke at the2024 general election.[30] She defeated the incumbent SNP MP for the predecessor seat,Marion Fellows, and was elected by a majority of 7,085 votes.[31]
In the2025 British cabinet reshuffle, Nash was appointed parliamentary private secretary at theMinistry of Defence.[32]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forAirdrie and Shotts 2010–2015 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Baby of the House 2010–2015 | Succeeded by |
