Kezia Dugdale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kezia Dugdale
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Official portrait, 2016
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| Leader of the Opposition in Scotland | |
| In office 13 December 2014 – 6 May 2016 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| First Minister | Nicola Sturgeon |
| Preceded by | Jackie Baillie |
| Succeeded by | Ruth Davidson |
| Leader of the Scottish Labour Party | |
| In office 15 August 2015 – 29 August 2017 |
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| Deputy | Alex Rowley |
| UK party leader |
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| Preceded by | Jim Murphy |
| Succeeded by | Richard Leonard |
| Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party | |
| In office 13 December 2014 – 13 June 2015 |
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| Leader | Jim Murphy |
| Preceded by | Anas Sarwar |
| Succeeded by | Alex Rowley |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament for Lothian (1 of 7 Regional MSPs) |
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| In office 5 May 2011 – 15 July 2019 |
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| Succeeded by | Sarah Boyack |
| Scottish Labour portfolios | |
| 2016–2017 | Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution |
| 2013–2014 | Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Kezia Alexandra Ross Dugdale
28 August 1981 Aberdeen, Scotland |
| Political party | Independent (since 2019) |
| Other political affiliations |
Labour and Co-operative (until 2019) |
| Spouse |
Jenny Gilruth
(m. 2022) |
| Alma mater | University of Aberdeen University of Edinburgh |
Kezia Alexandra Ross Dugdale (born 28 August 1981) is a Scottish former politician. She was the Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 2015 to 2017. She also served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Lothian area from 2011 to 2019.
Kezia Dugdale was born in Aberdeen and grew up in Dundee. She studied law at the University of Aberdeen and later Policy Studies at the University of Edinburgh. After finishing her studies, she worked as a political adviser and researcher. She was first elected as an MSP in 2011. In 2014, she became the Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party.
In 2015, Kezia Dugdale was chosen as the Leader of the Scottish Labour Party. She led the party in the 2016 Scottish Parliament election. After this, she resigned as leader in August 2017. She wanted to let someone else lead the party for the next election. After leaving politics, she worked as a writer and appeared on a TV show. In 2019, she left her role as an MSP and joined the University of Glasgow.
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Early Life and Education
Kezia Dugdale was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, on 28 August 1981. She went to Harris Academy in Dundee for secondary school. She was even the Head Girl there. From 1999 to 2003, she studied law at the University of Aberdeen. Later, from 2004 to 2006, she earned a master's degree in policy studies from the University of Edinburgh. While at university, she helped students with campaigns and welfare. She also worked for the National Union of Students Scotland.
Starting Her Political Career
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Kezia Dugdale was involved in politics from a young age. She worked for the Scottish Labour Party's Policy Forum from 2006 to 2008. She also helped with election campaigns for other politicians. From 2007 to 2011, she worked for George Foulkes, who was an MSP for the Lothian region. She managed his office and advised him on political matters.
In the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, Kezia Dugdale was elected as an MSP for the Lothian region. She was a member of the Scottish Labour and Co-operative Party. She served on committees that dealt with local government and laws. In 2013, she became the Scottish Labour spokesperson for education.
In 2014, Kezia Dugdale won the election to become the Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party. She took over from Anas Sarwar. Because the Scottish Labour leader, Jim Murphy, was not an MSP, Kezia Dugdale often spoke for the party at First Minister's Questions. In 2015, she resigned as deputy leader to run for the main leadership role. Alex Rowley then became the new deputy leader.
Leading the Scottish Labour Party
When Kezia Dugdale ran for leader in 2015, she suggested some changes. She wanted to end the special tax breaks for private schools in Scotland. She believed this would make things fairer for public schools. She also thought the House of Lords should not be made up of unelected members. She even suggested moving it to Glasgow. On 15 August 2015, she won the leadership election, beating Ken Macintosh.
During her time as leader, she was asked about the UK Labour Party leadership election. She did not say who she supported at first. But she did express doubts about Jeremy Corbyn becoming Prime Minister. After Corbyn won, she later said she had voted for Yvette Cooper.
Kezia Dugdale led Scottish Labour into the 2016 Scottish Parliament election. Her main goal was to show what the party stood for. She focused on a plan to increase income tax. This money would help fund services, especially education, which she felt was underfunded by the Scottish National Party (SNP) government. The election results showed Scottish Labour in third place, behind the SNP and the Scottish Conservatives. Kezia Dugdale was re-elected as an MSP for the Lothian region, even though she did not win her local constituency seat.
In June 2016, Kezia Dugdale called for Jeremy Corbyn to resign as UK Labour leader. She felt he could not lead effectively if most of his own MPs did not support him. She later supported Owen Smith in the 2016 Labour Party leadership election.
Kezia Dugdale was still the leader during the 2017 United Kingdom general election. In this election, the Scottish Labour Party gained six seats from the SNP. They ended up with seven seats in total. However, they still finished in third place behind the SNP and the Scottish Conservatives.
On 29 August 2017, Kezia Dugdale announced she was stepping down as leader of Scottish Labour. She said it was time to "pass on the baton" to someone new. She believed her successor needed time to prepare for the next Scottish Parliament election in 2021.
After Politics
In November 2017, Kezia Dugdale appeared on the TV reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! She was the second person to be eliminated from the show. She later said she knew it was a "political gamble." She wanted to show that politicians are not all the same. She promised to donate her MSP salary for the time she was away to charity.
On 29 April 2019, Kezia Dugdale announced she would resign as an MSP. She took on a new role as director of the John Smith Centre for Public Service at the University of Glasgow. She officially left the Scottish Parliament on 15 July 2019. Sarah Boyack succeeded her as an MSP for the Lothian region. In October 2019, it was also announced that Kezia Dugdale had left the Scottish Labour Party.
Personal Life
Kezia Dugdale is married to Jenny Gilruth, who is also an MSP. They got married in June 2022. In September 2017, Kezia Dugdale was named Politician of the Year at the Icon Awards. This event celebrates Scotland's community.
Kezia Dugdale enjoys theatre, Scottish crime novels, and the city of Edinburgh. She supports Hibernian F.C., a football team. She has lived in the Lochend and Meadowbank areas of Edinburgh since 2006. She is a member of the Unite the Union and Community trade unions. From 2014 to 2018, she wrote a weekly column for the Daily Record newspaper. She has also written for other political websites.
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2016
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Official parliamentary portrait, 2011
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Dugdale back in the Scottish Parliament following her defeat in the 2016 election
