Anne Begg

Anne Begg was elected as the Labour MP for Aberdeen South in the General Election of May 1997.  Anne was re-elected at the elections in 2001 and 2005.

Born in 1955 in Brechin, Angus, the daughter of a nurse and an orthotist Anne attended Damacre Primary School and Brechin High School before going on to the University of Aberdeen where she studied History, Politics and English.  Anne then attended Northern College where she studied to become a secondary school teacher.

Her first post was in 1978, teaching English and History at Webster’s High School Kirriemuir.  Anne soon moved on to Arbroath Academy where she rose to the position of Principal Teacher of English, a position she relinquished with some reluctance when she was elected in 1997. 

Her commitment to education saw her actively involved in the teaching union, the Educational Institute of Scotland. She is now the Secretary of the Parliamentary branch of the EIS. While a teacher she was also an elected member of The General Teaching Council for Scotland.

Anne was born with the rare genetic condition Gauchers Disease which has resulted in Anne's bones breaking regularly.  Anne has used a wheelchair since 1984, the year after she joined the Labour Party and became active in local politics.  When elected in 1997 Anne was the first full time wheelchair user to be elected to Parliament.

Regarding her wheelchair as her "liberator", Anne has always believed that disabled people should not be excluded from society. She was a founder member of Angus Access Panel and campaigned for civil rights for disabled people. In 1988 Anne was voted the Disabled Scot of the Year.  She is Patron of the National Federation of Shopmobility, the Scottish Motor Neurone Disease Society and Angus Special Playscheme and President of the Blue Badge Network.

In Parliament Anne’s political interests include social justice, welfare reform, pensions, equality (with an emphasis on disability), genetics and broadcasting.

In 2008 Anne became Vice-Chair of the current Speaker's Conference, which is tasked with making recommendations about how the House of Commons can increase the representation of women, ethnic minorities and disabled people.

Anne is also a fellow of the Industry and Parliament Trust having undertaken a placement with the oil company Chevron.