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Lisa Cameron (born 8 April 1972)[1] is a Scottish politician and former consultant clinical psychologist who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow from winning the seat at the 2015 general election until standing down at the 2024 general election. First elected for the Scottish National Party (SNP), she was re-elected for that party in 2017 and 2019, before she crossed the floor to the Scottish Conservatives in October 2023.[2]
Lisa Cameron | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2020 | |
| Member of Parliament for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow | |
| In office 7 May 2015 – 30 May 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Michael McCann |
| Succeeded by | Joani Reid |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 April 1972 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Political party | Conservative (2023–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Scottish National Party (2014–2023) |
| Spouse |
Mark Horsham (m. 2009) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Strathclyde (BSc) University of Stirling (MSc) University of Glasgow (DClinPsy) |
| Awards |  Ordine di Sant'Agata |
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Lisa Cameron was born on 8 April 1972 in Glasgow, Scotland or Westwood, East Kilbride, where she grew up.[1][3][4][5] Her father moved to America when she was an infant and she was raised by her mother, a secretary at Rolls-Royce and "working class conservative", and a taxi driver.[5] She was educated at South Park Primary School, East Milton Primary School and Duncanrig Secondary School,[4] before studying psychology at the University of Strathclyde where she graduated as BSc. Cameron pursued further studies in Psychology and Health at the University of Stirling receiving an MSc. degree before taking a DClinPsy. degree from the University of Glasgow.[6][7] After university, Cameron specialised in forensic and clinical psychology. She worked as a consultant at the State Hospital, as a clinical psychologist in the NHS and as an assessor for the Scottish Risk Management Authority.[6][7]
Cameron voted in favour of Scottish independence at the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. After the referendum results were announced, in which Scotland voted to remain part of the United Kingdom; she joined the Scottish National Party (SNP).[6][8] Cameron spent over a decade as a trade union representative for Unite.[7]
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2015 Parliament
Cameron was elected as an SNP MP for the East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow seat at the 2015 UK general election.[9] The seat and its predecessor, East Kilbride had been won by successive Labour Party candidates since 1974.
Cameron is the first clinical psychologist to be elected as an MP to the House of Commons.[10] During the 2015–17 Parliament, Cameron was a member of the International Development Committee and the International Development Sub-Committee on the Work of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact.[11]
On 5 January 2016, the Scottish Daily Mail published a story highlighting that Cameron owned five ex-council houses (managed by her husband) despite campaigning against the sale of council houses at the 2015 general election. She responded by stating that she had been transparent in her property dealings and had declared ownership of the properties per parliamentary rules in her register of interests.[12][13] Cameron made a complaint about the article to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) which was not upheld.[14] In 2018, she raised the independent outcome with the Secretary of State who supported her. She raised the matter after her daughter aged 7 years had been spoken to and recorded by a journalist. The Secretary of State agreed to meet her and her daughter and said “this is exactly the type of thing I am trying to put right”.[15]
2017 Parliament
Cameron retained her seat at the 2017 snap general election with 21,023 votes and both a reduced vote share and a majority of 3,866 votes.[16] The SNP lost one third of their MPs at this election.[17] Following the election, Cameron was elected to be part of the Health Select Committee and the Commons Reference Group on Representation and Inclusion.[11] She was the chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) on Health, Chile, Disability, Dog Advisory Welfare, Psychology, Textile and Fashion and co-chair of the APPG on New Towns. She was also a vice-chair on the Pro-Life APPG.[18]
In 2017, Cameron launched the successful Lucy's Law campaign in the House of Commons against puppy farming which became statute in 2019.[19] In 2018, Cameron led the Ivory Bill for the SNP through the House of Commons.[20]
In 2019, Cameron described receiving abusive messages and threats with deselection after voting against legalising abortion in Northern Ireland in a conscience vote. An SNP assessor reportedly said he would recommend anyone with these views should have their application rejected to be a candidate and she should "quit her position as an elected representative."[21]
In September 2019, Cameron's local SNP branch passed a motion which criticised the National Executive Committee's decision “to impose Dr Lisa Cameron as the party's candidate in the forthcoming General Election for the second time".[22] Despite this, Cameron was reselected.[22]
2019 Parliament
2019 - 2023: Sitting as SNP MP
Cameron was returned to Parliament at the 2019 general election with a majority of 13,322.[23]
On 29 June 2020, Cameron was the only SNP MP to vote on a motion to introduce a Bill to restrict anti-abortion demonstrations near abortion clinics in England. She voted against the motion, submitted on her behalf by the SNP Chief Whip.[24] Cameron claimed to receive over 3,000 "thank you notes" from people across Scotland supporting her anti-abortion stance and claiming to give them "a voice in parliament"[25] Following this, she received a death threat and said "freedom of religious belief appears to be being continually eroded".[26]
Cameron received an Award for Distinguished Contribution to Practice of Psychology from the British Psychological Society in 2020 for her work as a psychologist in NHS Scotland and on mental health in Parliament.[27] Cameron was reportedly given the title in 2021 as SNP Parliamentary Carers Champion for Carers Week.[28]
In 2022, Cameron was appointed Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Crypto and Digital Assets.[29] In March of that year, she received the MP of the Year Award from Patchwork Foundation for her disability activism and campaigns against online abuse.[30] Cameron was awarded the Order of Saint Agatha by the Republic of San Marino in October 2022.[31]
In January 2023, following the unprecedented decision of the UK Government to intervene to block the wholly devolved Scottish Government's Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, Cameron wrote to Conservative Scottish Secretary Alister Jack calling on him to "find a resolution" in a way that didn't undermine the devolution settlement.[32] in Cameron reported that she was supporting women and girls in her constituency and Scotland, and SNP sources claimed that she was egging on Tory Secretary of State Alister Jack.[33]
2021-2024 All Party Parliamentary Group Cryptocurrency and Digital Assets Chair
Cameron set up and chaired the first All-party parliamentary group for cryptocurrency and digital assets in Parliament in 2021.[34] Cameron stated she was not personally invested in crypto but advocates for regulation.[35] in 2023, Cameron's group published the first Inquiry report into Cryptocurrency Regulation and realisation of the UKs ambition to become a crypto hub involving both MPs and Members of the House of Lords.[36] In 2024, Cameron led a debate iin Parliament calling for greater digital skills training. Cameron also said she believed the Governments vision of a Digital Britain was in reach and advocated for development of a cross party strategy.[37] Cameron said 'you cant keep your head in the sand and hope crypto goes away' and said that a best practice regime is needed.[38]
September-October 2023: "Ostracisation" and defection to Conservative Party
In September 2023, Cameron, who had chosen to re-contest selection for her seat at the next election, was one of five sitting SNP MPs involved in selection contests.[39] Cameron publicly threatened to resign, and call a by-election if SNP members did not nominate her as the candidate.[40] Cameron fell out with the party leadership over its handling of an MP who was suspended for making a sexual advance to a staff member but was due to be welcomed back by the party. She said “I was a psychologist before I was an MP and I don’t want to be in politics at any cost to my principles, as a Psychologist and as a human being.[41] Her comments were criticised by SNP leader Humza Yousaf.[42]
On 12 October, the day the result of her selection vote was to be announced, Cameron defected from the SNP to the Conservative Party.[43] Cameron had a difficult relationship with the SNP leadership for some time, she says since she spoke out in support of the harassment victim of fellow SNP MP Patrick Grady. She claimed “I will never regret my actions in standing up for a victim of abuse at the hands of an SNP MP last year, but I have no faith remaining in a party whose leadership supported the perpetrators interests over that of the victims and who have shown little to no interest in acknowledging or addressing the impact. Upon defection she stated that she wanted to “focus her energies constructive policies that benefit everyone across the four nations of the UK, and to move towards healing divisions caused by nationalism for the collective good.[44]
Grant Costello, who was leading in the selection contest,[43] was named SNP candidate for East Kilbride and Strathaven later that day.[45] On 13 October, Cameron said she and her family had to go into hiding after death threats following her defection.[46] stating this is where the political discourse has got to in Scotland.[47]
Humza Yousaf claimed that Cameron's defection was the "least-surprising news I've had as leader of the SNP", and called on her to resign as an MP.[48][49] Prime Minister, and Conservative Party Leader, Rishi Sunak, reported to have "masterminded"[50] the defection, hailed Cameron's decision as "brave".[51]
Many factors contributed to Cameron's defection.[43] On defecting, Cameron said she had long had a difficult relationship with the SNP leadership: citing an occasion she had allegedly spoken up internally in support of the harassment victim of fellow SNP MP Patrick Grady. She stated that she wanted to “focus her energies constructive policies that benefit everyone across the four nations of the UK, and to move towards healing divisions caused by nationalism for the collective good".[52] She referred to a "toxic and bullying atmosphere" in the SNP, where she felt ostracised, from which she had suffered panic attacks. Her decision earlier in the year to write to the UK Government calling for action against the Scottish gender recognition law was cited as a key point.[43] Cameron said she could not have joined the Labour Party due to her Christianity and views on transgender rights, citing the experiences of her friend Rosie Duffield.[53] Later that month Cameron told BBC Radio 4's Women's Hour she had changed her views regarding Scottish independence.[54] stating "“I feel like Scotland’s exhausted by nationalism and all of our services are exhausted now. It’s become very divisive".[55]
Disability Activism
Cameron chaired the Disability All Party Parliamentary Group in the House of Commons from 2015 and became one of the few Disability Confident Level 2 employers, also asking the Prime Minister to sign up to this scheme.[56] In 2021, Cameron led a debate in Parliament on the United Nations Day of Persons with Disabilities.[57] Cameron also spearheaded a debate on accessible and inclusive education for disabled children in Parliament.[58] In 2022, Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle presented Cameron with an Award and praised her indefatigable campaigning on disability.[59] In 2024, Cameron championed an internship event in Parliament in 2024 for young adults with learning disabilities supported by the Speaker.[60]
Post-defection parliamentary career
Shortly after her defection, Cameron announced she would not be standing as a candidate for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow at the next at the next general election,[61] citing the "trauma of receiving threats of violence within a toxic local political context".[62]
In December 2023, it was announced that Cameron had been made Parliamentary Private Secretary for Scottish Secretary Alister Jack.[63] In March 2024, Cameron was awarded with a lifetime award for services to disability by disability charity Universal Inclusion presented to her by the Minister for State for Disabled People Mims Davies.[64]
In June 2024, she was unsuccessful in the selection contest to succeed John Redwood in his Wokingham seat.[65] Cameron said she hoped the UK would see a positive election campaign.[62]
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Cameron has been married to Mark Horsham since 2009,[3][12] and they have two daughters and live in South Lanarkshire.[6] Horsham has been a councillor for the Clydesdale South ward on for South Lanarkshire Council since 2017 and is the council's Veteran's Champion. He won an Award as New Councillor of the Year in Scotland 2020.[66] Following Cameron's defection, Horsham announced he was "stepping back" from his duties as an SNP councillor.[67] Eleven days later, on 23 October, he too left the party.[68] He cited his safety concern for his wife and children due to threats received towards his family.[69]
Cameron attends the evangelical Free Church of Scotland.[53]
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