Lara Bird-Leakey (born 1998[1]) is a Scottish National Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry since 2026.
Lara Bird | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry | |
| Assumed office 18 June 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Stephen Gethins |
| Majority | 5,178 (21.7%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lara Bird-Leakey 1998 (age 27–28) |
| Party | Scottish National Party |
| Relatives | Colin Leakey (grandfather) |
| London School of Economics (LL.M) | |
Early life and career
editBird grew up in Kirriemuir and attended the High School of Dundee. Her father, Charles Bird, served in the military, as a diplomat and as a lecturer at the University of St Andrews. Her maternal grandfather, Colin Leakey, was a plant scientist and member of the Leakey family.[1]
She first became involved in politics at the age of 16, around the time of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.[1]
Bird moved to London, where she completed an LL.M in Public International Law at the London School of Economics.[2] She worked for the SNP at Westminster as a foreign affairs and defence researcher, and then as a policy advisor. She moved back to Scotland after the 2024 United Kingdom general election and now lives in Broughty Ferry.[1] She is a PhD student at King's College London.[3]
Parliamentary career
editOn 20 May 2026, Bird was selected as the SNP candidate for the 2026 Arbroath and Broughty Ferry by-election, called to replace Stephen Gethins.[4] She was elected on 18 June, holding the seat for the SNP with an increased majority of 4,961.[5]
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 O'Neil, Sean (11 June 2026). "EXCLUSIVE: Arbroath and Broughty Ferry SNP byelection candidate Lara Bird opens up on her background". The Courier. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
- ↑ "Lara Bird-Leakey". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
- ↑ "A state can only exempt itself from international law if others allow it to". The National. 23 January 2026. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
- ↑ "SNP announce candidates for two Westminster by-elections". The National. 20 May 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- ↑ "Arbroath and Broughty Ferry by-election results in charts and graphs". The National. 18 June 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.