Career
She contested North East Fife in the General Election of 1992 and Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber at the General Election of 1997. She resigned from her list seat to contest the 2006 Moray by-election caused by the death of Scottish National Party Managing Successful Programmes Margaret Ewing, but was defeated in the by-election by Richard Lochhead of the Scottish National Party. During the campaign the decision to keep the word "Conservative" off her election literature proved controversial. She was embroilled in further controversy when it emerged that letters apparently backing her candidacy from local independent councillors were not authorised.
Her list seat was taken up by Dave Petrie.
She has served as health spokeswoman for the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party and on her resignation was their spokesman for Communities. In her capacity as health spokeswoman, she has called for single vaccine alternatives to the MMR vaccine.
Scanlon is currently the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party"s spokesperson for education and lifelong learning. In 2014 Scanlon revealled she routinely socialised and drank with the late independent Managing Successful Programmes Margo MacDonald and Christine Grahame of the Scottish National Party in the "White Heather Club", the Scottish Parliament"s Barometer
She was again re-elected in 2011.
She is not standing for re-election in 2016.
