Claudia Beamish


Claudia Hamilton Beamish is a Scottish Labour Co-operative politician who has served as Member of the Scottish Parliament for the South Scotland region since 2011.

Early life

Claudia Hamilton Beamish is the daughter of the Conservative life peer Tufton Victor Hamilton Beamish, Baron Chelwood and his first wife Janet McMillan Stevenson. Prior to entering politics, she worked as a primary school teacher.

Political career

Beamish was placed at the top of Labour's list for the South of Scotland in the 2003 and 2007 Scottish Parliament elections and was Labour Co-operative candidate for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale at the 2010 general election.
Beamish was the Convener of the Equal Opportunities Committee in the Scottish Parliament in the second half of 2011. Following the election of Johann Lamont as Labour leader, Beamish was appointed as Labour's Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change. She is a member of various Cross-Party Groups; Deputy Convenor of the Cross-Party Group on Dyslexia; Deputy Convenor of the Cross-Party Group on Men's Violence Against Women and Children; and Co-convenor of the Cross-Party Group on Carers.
While an MSP, Beamish rented a flat in Edinburgh's Shandon district that is owned by former Education minister Peter Peacock.

Personal life

Beamish's partner is actor Michael Errington. They brought up their children in Pettinain, South Lanarkshire.