Rhoda Grant | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2016 | |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament forHighlands and Islands (1 of 7 Regional MSPs) | |
| Assumed office 3 May 2007 | |
| In office 6 May 1999 – 1 May 2003 | |
| Scottish Labour portfolios | |
| 2016–2017 | Spokesperson for Rural Economy and Connectivity |
| 2017–2018 | Shadow Minister for Parliamentary Business |
| 2017–2019 | Spokesperson for Equalities |
| 2019–2020 | Spokesperson for Finance |
| Apr–Nov 2020 | Spokesperson for the Eradication of Poverty and Inequality |
| 2020–2021 | Spokesperson for Justice |
| 2021–present | Spokesperson for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1963-06-26)26 June 1963 (age 61) Stornoway,Outer Hebrides, Scotland |
| Political party | Scottish LabourCo-operative |
| Alma mater | Open University |
| Website | Official Website |
Rhoda Grant (born 26 June 1963) is a Scottish politician who has served as aMember of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for theHighlands and Islands region since2007, having previously represented the same region from1999 to2003. A member of theScottish Labour andCo-operative Party, She is currently the Scottish Labour Spokesperson for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands.[1]
Grant was born in 1963 inStornoway,Outer Hebrides and studied for a degree in social sciences from theOpen University. Prior to her election, Grant worked for thetrade unionUNISON andHighland Regional Council.
In the1999 Scottish Parliament election, Grant was elected to a list seat for theHighlands and Islands region.[2] In the2003 election, she fought theInverness East, Nairn and Lochaber constituency but came second toFergus Ewing of theScottish National Party, who held the seat by 1,000 votes. In that election, she also lost her regional list seat.
In the2007 Scottish Parliament election, Grant was again elected as a regional list MSP for Highlands and Islands,[3] as theScottish Green Party's vote share collapsed and Labour won three list seats, and she was re-elected in the2011 election.
In 2013, Grant campaigned for filters to be put in place to make the viewing or downloading ofinternet pornography more difficult, arguing there had been a significant connection between pornography, the sex industry, abuse andviolence against women.[4]
Grant was appointedScottish Labour Spokesperson for Women and Equality by new leaderRichard Leonard on 19 November 2017, and was also its parliamentary business manager between 19 November 2017 and 4 October 2018, when she was succeeded byNeil Findlay.[5][6] She becameSpokesperson for Finance on 2 September 2019.[7] She served as Spokesperson for Eradication of Poverty and Inequality from April to November 2020[8] andSpokesperson for Justice from November 2020 to March 2021.[9]
Grant defended Richard Leonard after calls for him to resign in September 2020, saying:
The crisis facing our country requires bold thinking and it requires a united Scottish Labour Party, under the leadership of Richard Leonard, fighting for the real change we need.[10]
Grant nominatedMonica Lennon in the2021 Scottish Labour leadership election.[11]
Grant was one of 5 Labour MSPs who was absent for a Scottish Parliament vote calling for the UK Government to reverse its decision to means-test the Winter Fuel Payment.[12]
Grant is married and has a sister whom she cat-sits for.[13]
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