Claudia Beamish

Claudia Hamilton Beamish (born 9 August 1952) is a Scottish Labour and Co-operative Party Member of the Scottish Parliament, representing the South of Scotland region since she was elected on 5 May 2011. Beamish is a leading activist in the Scottish Labour Party. She topped Labour's list for the South of Scotland in the 2003 and 2007 Scottish Parliament elections and was Labour Co-operative candidate for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale at the 2010 general election.

Beamish was the Convener of the Equal Opportunities Committee in the Scottish Parliament in the second half of 2011. She speaks regularly in Parliament on issues relating to education and young people, equal opportunities, rural affairs and the environment. Following the election of Johann Lamont as Labour leader, Beamish was appointed as Labour's Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change. She is a member of various Cross-Party Groups; Deputy Convenor of the Cross-Party Group on Dyslexia; Deputy Convenor of the Cross-Party Group on Men's Violence Against Women and Children; and Co-convenor of the Cross-Party Group on Carers.