Pam Gosal (born 25 April 1972) is a
Scottish Conservative
The Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party ( gd, Pàrtaidh Tòraidheach na h-Alba, sco, Scots Tory an Unionist Pairty), often known simply as the Scottish Conservatives and colloquially as the Scottish Tories, is a centre-right political par ...
politician who has been a
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP; gd, Ball Pàrlamaid na h-Alba, BPA; sco, Memmer o the Scots Pairliament, MSP) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.
Electoral system
The add ...
(MSP) for
West Scotland West of Scotland may refer to:
*West of Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region), an electoral region of the Scottish Parliament
*Informally, an area comprising Argyll, Ayrshire, Dunbartonshire, Lanarkshire, and Renfrewshire
*West Central S ...
since
May 2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
. She is one of the first women of colour elected to the Scottish parliament, alongside
Kaukab Stewart
Kaukab Stewart (born 1967/68) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow Kelvin since May 2021.
At the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, she became one of the first wome ...
, and is also the first woman of
Indian descent and non-practising
Sikh
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ' ...
to serve as an elected member of the Scottish Parliament.
Background
Pam Gosal was born in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...
, Scotland. She helped run her family business before working in Local Government prior to being elected to the Scottish Parliament.
Political career
Gosal stood in
East Dunbartonshire
East Dunbartonshire ( sco, Aest Dunbartanshire; gd, Siorrachd Dhùn Bhreatainn an Ear) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the north of Glasgow and contains many of the affluent areas to the north of the city, including Bear ...
at the
2019 United Kingdom general election and came in third place.
She ran in the
2021 Scottish Parliament election
The 2021 Scottish Parliament election took place on 6 May 2021, under the provisions of the Scotland Act 1998. All 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament were elected in the sixth election since the parliament was re-established in 1999. The ele ...
as the Conservative candidate for
Clydebank and Milngavie and
West Scotland West of Scotland may refer to:
*West of Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region), an electoral region of the Scottish Parliament
*Informally, an area comprising Argyll, Ayrshire, Dunbartonshire, Lanarkshire, and Renfrewshire
*West Central S ...
. Gosal finished third in the Clydebank and Milngavie seat, but she was elected as a
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP; gd, Ball Pàrlamaid na h-Alba, BPA; sco, Memmer o the Scots Pairliament, MSP) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.
Electoral system
The add ...
(MSP) for West Scotland. She is the first Sikh and first woman of Indian background to be elected as an MSP to the Scottish Parliament.
On 13 May 2021, Gosal and Stewart were sworn in as the first minority female MSPs. She took her oath in
Punjabi as well as English.
In June 2023, she was appointed Deputy Chairwoman of the Scottish Conservatives and Deputy Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government.
Political opinions
She is an advocate of introducing a domestic violence register in Scotland.
See also
*
List of British Indians
This is a list of notable British people of Indian descent (British Indians).
Academia and medicine
* Jas Pal Singh Badyal, professor of chemistry, Durham University
* Sir Shankar Balasubramanian, chemist and Herchel Smith Professor of Me ...
*
List of British Sikhs
*
List of ethnic minority politicians in the United Kingdom
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gosal, Pam
1972 births
Living people
Scottish Sikhs
People from East Dunbartonshire
Politicians from Glasgow
Scottish people of Indian descent
Conservative MSPs
Members of the Scottish Parliament 2021–2026
Female members of the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Conservative Party parliamentary candidates