26 Facts About Pauline McNeill

Pauline Mary McNeill was born on 12 September 1962 and is a Scottish Labour politician serving as a Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Glasgow region.

Pauline McNeill was President of the National Union of Students Scotland from 1986 to 1988 and was an organiser for GMB Scotland, representing NHS, hospitality and factory staff.

An active member of the Labour Party since her time in the student movement, McNeill was an executive committee member of the Campaign for a Scottish Assembly and a campaigner for devolution throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

Pauline McNeill was elected Member of the Scottish Parliament for Glasgow Kelvin in the 1999 Scottish Parliament election.

Pauline McNeill was re-elected as an MSP in 2003 and was appointed convener of the Justice Committee.

Pauline McNeill's committee led consideration of reforms to the High Court amongst many other subjects and convened the first ever inquiry into the Crown and Procurator Fiscal Service, and helped deliver justice for asbestos victims in the Court of Session.

Pauline McNeill was a staunch opponent of the Iraq War and campaigned for the right of protesters to picket the 2003 Scottish Labour Party Conference, which took place at the SECC in her own constituency.

On 2 July 2005, Pauline McNeill was a demonstrator in a Make Poverty History march in Edinburgh when the 31st G8 summit met at Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire.

In 2007, Pauline McNeill narrowly retained the Glasgow Kelvin seat with a reduced majority in the wake of public opposition to the national Labour government's invasion of Iraq, a policy she opposed.

Pauline McNeill lost Glasgow Kelvin in 2011 but was elected on the Glasgow regional list in 2016.

Pauline McNeill is currently the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Justice.

Pauline McNeill is a substitute member for the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee and the Local Government and Communities Committee.

Pauline McNeill nominated Anas Sarwar in the 2021 Scottish Labour leadership election.

At the 2021 Scottish Parliament election Pauline McNeill was supported as a Labour Co-operative candidate for the first time.

Pauline McNeill contested the constituency seat of Glasgow Shettleston but was returned to Parliament as a Glasgow regional list member again.

From 1999 until 2011, Pauline McNeill corresponded with 15,000 constituents by letter or at meetings and surgeries.

Pauline McNeill has campaigned on the need for more affordable and social housing, and better regulation of housing in multiple occupation.

On transport and planning, Pauline McNeill has called for better regulation of the bus industry, improvements to the Glasgow Subway, a more locally accountable planning system and improving local sports facilities.

Pauline McNeill has supported successful campaigns to grant Fair Trade status to the City of Glasgow and restore the Kelvingrove Park bandstand.

On crime, Pauline McNeill has sought better safety in Glasgow's city centre and the extension of community protections to its West End.

Pauline McNeill unsuccessfully campaigned against the downgrading of the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill and the Queen Mother's Hospital, including raising a 1,600-signature petition.

Since her student days, Pauline McNeill has had a strong interest in defence and foreign policy issues.

Pauline McNeill opposes the replacement of Trident with a new nuclear weapons system, opposes the holding of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and has spoken out in favour of the rights of asylum seekers and new migrants.

Pauline McNeill continues to speak out, both in parliament and at public demonstrations, on the need for Middle East peace.

Pauline McNeill remains a supporter of many student campaigns, including the successful campaign to elect Israeli dissident Mordechai Vanunu as Rector of Glasgow University and takes a keen interest in the welfare of students across the many further and higher institutions located in Glasgow.

In 1999, at the Candlelight Chapel in Las Vegas, Pauline McNeill married Joseph Cahill, an advocate, a former police officer and Deputy Procurator Fiscal.