Jackie Baillie

Jackie Baillie
Official portrait, 2016
Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party
Assumed office
3 April 2020
Leader
Preceded byLesley Laird
Leader of the Scottish Labour Party
Acting
14 January 2021 – 27 February 2021
UK party leaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byRichard Leonard
Succeeded byAnas Sarwar
Acting
15 November 2017 – 18 November 2017
UK party leaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byAlex Rowley (Acting)
Succeeded byRichard Leonard
Leader of the Opposition in Scotland
In office
24 October 2014 – 13 December 2014
MonarchElizabeth II
First MinisterAlex Salmond
Nicola Sturgeon
Preceded byJohann Lamont
Succeeded byKezia Dugdale
Minister for Social Justice
In office
27 October 2000 – 8 November 2001
First MinisterHenry McLeish
Preceded byWendy Alexander
Succeeded byIain Gray
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Dumbarton
Assumed office
6 May 1999
Preceded byConstituency established
Majority1,483 (3.8%)
Scottish Labour portfolios
2023–presentGeneral Election campaign co-coordinator
2021–present;
2009–2013
Shadow Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care and Drugs Policy[a]
2020–2021Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance
2014–2018Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work[b]
Personal details
Born
Jacqueline Marie Barnes

(1964-01-15) 15 January 1964 (age 60)
British Hong Kong
Political partyLabour
Spouse
Stephen Baillie
(m. 1982)
Children1
Residence(s)Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland
EducationSt Anne's School, Windermere
Alma materNew College Lanarkshire
University of Strathclyde
University of Glasgow
WebsiteOfficial website

Dame Jacqueline Marie Baillie DBE (née Barnes; born 15 January 1964) is a Scottish politician who has served as Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party since 2020. She has been Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Dumbarton constituency since 1999. She also served as acting Leader of the Scottish Labour Party in 2017 and again in 2021.

Born in British Hong Kong, Baillie was educated at St Anne's School, Windermere before studying at Cumbernauld College and the University of Strathclyde. After working in local government, she was elected at the 1999 Scottish Parliament election and served in the Scottish Executive as Minister for Social Justice under Henry McLeish. In December 2014, she was appointed as Scottish Labour Spokesperson for Finance, Constitution and Economy; later Economy, Jobs and Fair Work.

After Kezia Dugdale resigned as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party and acting leader Alex Rowley was suspended, Baillie served as acting leader until Richard Leonard was elected as Scottish Labour leader in 2017. She was sacked by Leonard as economy spokesperson in October 2018, who also replaced her in the role. After she was elected Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, Leonard reappointed Baillie to his Shadow Cabinet as Scottish Labour Spokesperson for Finance in April 2020. She again served as acting Scottish Labour leader for six weeks following Leonard's resignation in January 2021 and has been described by journalist Alex Massie as someone "who both loves to wind-up the SNP and is good at it".[1]


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  1. ^ Massie, Alex (29 May 2022). "Cheap point-scoring can't mask SNP's failings". The Times.