Education
She attended Portuguese Glasgow High School, graduating in 1984. She then attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and the University of Glasgow.
She attended Portuguese Glasgow High School, graduating in 1984. She then attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and the University of Glasgow.
McLaughlin comes from Greenock but has lived in Glasgow for many years. She contested Glasgow Springburn in the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, finishing second, and had previously contested the Glasgow Rutherglen seat at the 2001 United Kingdom General Election (again finishing second) and the similar Glasgow Rutherglen seat at the 2003 Scottish Parliament election. McLaughlin became a regional member for Glasgow on 6 February 2009, following the death of Bashir Ahmad, as the next person on the Scottish National Party"s regional list.
Before this she was employed as a researcher for the Managing Successful Programmes Bob Doris.
She has championed the cause of English language skills in Glasgow school-children. She contested the Glasgow Provan constituency in the May 2011 Scottish Parliament election but was unsuccessful.
She was chosen by party members at a selection meeting in Greenock to contest the Inverclyde constituency in the June 2011 United Kingdom Parliament by-election. However, Labour retained the seat on a 5,835 majority which was reduced from 14,416.
McLaughlin employs her boyfriend Graham Campbell as a liaison officer using Westminster expenses.
56th United Kingdom Parliament]
She was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (Managing Successful Programmes) for Glasgow between 2009 and 2011. She was a member of the Public Audit and Public Petitions parliamentary committees (2009–2011).
