Amy Callaghan


Amy Callaghan is a Scottish National Party politician who was elected to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom at the 2019 general election as the Member of Parliament for East Dunbartonshire. She unseated the then Liberal Democrat leader, Jo Swinson with a narrow majority of 149 votes or 0.3%, overturning her majority of 5,339 votes two years earlier.

Background

Callaghan grew up in Clydebank and studied politics at the University of Strathclyde.
Callaghan was diagnosed with melanoma when she was 19 and cites her experience of cancer as motivation to safeguard the NHS, saying "it can never be jeopardised". She has been cancer-free since 2014.

Political career

Prior to her election, she worked as the office manager for MSP Rona Mackay. She has also previously served on the Children's Panel.
She was selected as the Scottish National Party's candidate for the seat of East Dunbartonshire in September 2019. At the December 2019 general election, Callaghan won the seat, beating the incumbent MP and Liberal Democrat leader, Jo Swinson.
In January 2020, she was selected as the SNP's Spokesperson for Pensions and Intergenerational Affairs. In March 2020, she was selected as a member of the House of Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee. She was later discharged from the Committee in June 2020.
In June 2020, Callaghan's office announced that she had suffered a brain haemorrhage, and had undergone emergency neurosurgery.