Anum Qaisar-Javed is the Scottish National Party MP for Airdrie and Shotts having been elected in a by-election in 2021, following the decision of Neil Gray to stand down from Westminster and stand for election to the Scottish Parliament. The SNP’s own rules do not allow an MSP to also serve as an MP.
In the May 2021 by election Qaisar-Javed was elected with a majority of 1,757.
The constituency of Airdrie and Shotts is found in Central Scotland, to the north of Lanarkshire. It contains the towns of Airdrie, Calderbank, Chapelhall, Glemanvis, and Shotts. An industrial seat, it was safe Labour territory prior to the SNP’s victory in 2015.
Born in 1993, Ms Qaisar-Javed worked as a modern studies teacher before being elected to Parliament. She is Scotland’s second-ever female Muslim MP.
Upon her swearing in ceremony at Westminster, during which MPs are expected to sign the ‘Test Roll’ to declare their oath, Qaisar-Javed’s pen ran out of ink.
Qaisar-Javed was a former Labour activist who was once general secretary of Muslim Friends of Labour.
She joined the SNP in 2015 having campaigned for ‘Yes’ in the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence.
