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Deidre Brock

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Deidre Brock
Official portrait, 2020
SNP Spokesperson for House of Commons Business
In office
10 December 2022 – 04 July 2024
LeaderStephen Flynn
Preceded byPete Wishart
Succeeded byPosition Abolished
SNP Spokesperson for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
In office
20 May 2015 – 10 December 2022
LeaderAngus Robertson
Ian Blackford
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byPatricia Gibson
Member of Parliament
for Edinburgh North and Leith
In office
7 May 2015 – 30 May 2024
Preceded byMark Lazarowicz
Succeeded byTracy Gilbert
Personal details
Born
Deidre Leanne Brock

(1961-12-08) 8 December 1961 (age 62)
Perth, Western Australia
CitizenshipBritish
Australian
Political partyScottish National Party
Alma materCurtin University
Western Australian Academy
of Performing Arts
WebsiteOfficial website

Deidre Leanne Brock (born 8 December 1961)[1] is an Australian-born Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Edinburgh North and Leith from 2015 to 2024. She is the first SNP representative to hold the seat at either a Westminster or Scottish Parliament level.[2] Brock was the SNP House of Commons Business Spokesperson from December 2022 to July 2024.[3]

Early life and career

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Deirdre Brock was born on 8 December 1961 in Perth, Western Australia. Her father had emigrated from England to Australia in his teens,[4] making her a dual British and Australian national.[4] She studied English at Curtin University and graduated with a BA, then studied acting at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.[5] In 1990, while working as an actress she appeared in an episode of the soap opera Home and Away. She moved to Scotland in 1996 to live with her partner, having met him when she visited the country on holiday a year earlier.[5]

Brock worked for Rob Gibson before she was elected to the City of Edinburgh Council as an SNP councillor for the Leith Walk ward in 2007. She topped the poll with 2,550 first preferences. She was re-elected in the 2012 elections, again topping the poll with 1,735 first preferences, and became the Deputy Lord Provost of Edinburgh as the SNP and Scottish Labour formed an arrangement to run the council.[6]

Parliamentary career

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At the 2015 general election, Brock was elected to Parliament as MP for Edinburgh North and Leith with 40.9% of the vote and a majority of 5,597.[7][8][9][10] Brock was one of several SNP MPs who took their parliamentary oaths in both Gaelic and English.[11]

Brock was re-elected as MP for Edinburgh North and Leith at the snap 2017 general election with a decreased vote share of 34% and a decreased majority of 1,625.[12][13][14]

From July 2018 to May 2019, Brock was the Shadow SNP Spokesperson for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. She was previously the Spokesperson for Devolved Government Relations, Northern Ireland and Fair Work and Employment.[15][16]

At the 2019 general election, Brock was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 43.7% and an increased majority of 12,808.[17][18][19]

At the 2024 general election Brock was defeated losing 16.4% of the vote from 2019 to Labour candidate Tracy Gilbert.

References

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  1. ^ Dale, Iain; Smith, Jacqui (14 November 2019). The Honourable Ladies: Volume II: Profiles of Women MPS 1997–2019. Biteback. ISBN 9781785904479.
  2. ^ "List of Members returned to Parliament at the General Election 2015 Scotland". The Edinburgh Gazette. 15 May 2015. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  3. ^ SNP, the (10 December 2022). "The real opposition: meet your new SNP Westminster Frontbench". Scottish National Party. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Commons people: Meet the Aussie MPs in the British Parliament". Australian Financial Review. 25 January 2019. Archived from the original on 19 November 2019. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  5. ^ a b Hannan, Martin (29 May 2015). "Meet your new Scottish MPs: #15 Deirdre Brock Edinburgh North and Leith". The National. Archived from the original on 23 August 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  6. ^ "Deidre Brock". politics.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  7. ^ "Edinburgh North and Leith Parliamentary constituency". BBC. 8 May 2015. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  8. ^ Tufft, Ben (8 May 2015). "Scottish MPs in Westminster: The full list of the SNP parliamentarians". The Independent. Archived from the original on 11 May 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  9. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  10. ^ Council, The City of Edinburgh. "UK Parliamentary election results 2015 | The City of Edinburgh Council". www.edinburgh.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  11. ^ "New SNP MPs swear oath to the crown in Westminster allegiance ceremony". CommonSpace. 20 May 2015. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  12. ^ "Edinburgh North & Leith parliamentary constituency - Election 2017". BBC News. Archived from the original on 21 March 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  13. ^ "Who you can vote for: UK Parliamentary General Election 8 June 2017 candidates". City of Edinburgh Council. Archived from the original on 14 May 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  14. ^ "Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis" (PDF) (Second ed.). House of Commons Library. 29 January 2019 [7 April 2018]. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 November 2019.
  15. ^ "New appointments this week in UK politics, the civil service and public affairs". PoliticsHome.com. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  16. ^ "Scottish National Party Spokespersons". UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 24 May 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  17. ^ "UK Parliamentary General Election - 12 December 2019". The City of Edinburgh Council. Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  18. ^ "Edinburgh North & Leith parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  19. ^ "Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis" (PDF). London: House of Commons Library. 28 January 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Edinburgh North and Leith
2015–2024 		Succeeded by
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