About Nicola
Nicola is the MSP for Glasgow Southside constituency.
Nicola was born in Irvine in 1970. She joined the SNP at the age of 16 and has been campaigning for Scottish independence ever since. Before she became an MSP, Nicola worked as a solicitor at Drumchapel Law Centre, helping people with legal problems.
Nicola was elected as an MSP representing the city of Glasgow in 1999 and was re-elected as a Glasgow MSP in 2003. In 2007 Nicola won the Glasgow Govan constituency from Labour .
Following a review of Scottish Parliament constituency boundaries in 2010 the Govan constituency was abolished. Nicola stood as the SNP candidate for Glasgow Southside, which took in most of her former Govan constituency. She was elected with 54 per cent of the vote in the Scottish general election on May 5 2011.
Nicola is Deputy First Minister (Government strategy and the Constitution) and Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities. Previously she was Cabinet Secretary for Health & Wellbeing.
Nicola lives in Glasgow with her husband Peter.
