Cara McKee
Cara McKee | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament for West Scotland (1 of 7 Regional MSPs) | |
| Assumed office 7 May 2026 | |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Scottish Greens |
Cara McKee is a Scottish politician, poet and librarian who has served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament for West Scotland since May 2026. She is a member of the Scottish Greens.
Personal life
[edit]McKee grew up in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, England.[1] She moved to Scotland in 2003 and has lived in North Ayrshire, on the west coast of Scotland, where she is a mother of three.[2]
Career
[edit]Government research
[edit]On moving to Scotland, McKee worked as a social researcher for the Scottish Government.
Library work
[edit]McKee subsequently worked as a village librarian in Skelmorlie, North Ayrshire.[2] She was also a columnist for the Ayrshire Weekly Press.[2]
Poetry
[edit]McKee is a published poet, writing as Cara L McKee. Her debut pamphlet First Kiss was published by Maytree Press in May 2020, featuring poems of love, loss and coming of age.[1][3] Her second pamphlet, Little Gods, was published by Roswell Publishing in autumn 2023.[4] Her poems have appeared in numerous literary publications including Gutter, Brittle Star, Ink, Sweat and Tears, The Interpreter's House, Under the Radar, Flights and Obsessed with Pipework.[4][1]
Political career
[edit]Party activism
[edit]McKee served as co-convenor of the Ayrshire Greens.[2] She supported the Better Buses campaign for publicly owned bus services across Glasgow and West Scotland, and was a vocal advocate for action on Ardrossan Harbour, which had been subject to a long-running dispute about its management by Peel Ports.[2]
2024 UK general election
[edit]McKee stood as the Scottish Green Party candidate for North Ayrshire and Arran at the 2024 United Kingdom general election, finishing fifth with 1,327 votes (3.14%).[5] The seat was won by Labour's Irene Campbell.
2026 Scottish Parliament election
[edit]In July 2025, the Scottish Greens announced McKee as the second candidate on their West Scotland regional list for the 2026 Scottish Parliament election, behind incumbent MSP and co-leader Ross Greer.[6] During the internal party selection process McKee had challenged Greer for the top list position, standing as part of a grassroots socialist slate of candidates.[2][7]
McKee's campaign priorities included tackling poverty and low wages, expanding publicly owned bus services, integrated ticketing across public transport, and action on Ardrossan Harbour.[2]
On 8 May 2026, McKee was elected as a regional MSP for West Scotland, alongside Ross Greer, as one of two Scottish Greens representatives for the region.[8] It was her first elected office.
Publications
[edit]Poetry pamphlets
[edit]- First Kiss, Maytree Press, 2020 (ISBN 9781913508050)[1]
- Little Gods, Roswell Publishing, 2023[4]
Biography
[edit]She is a former Ayrshire Weekly Press columnist.[9] She was a candidate on the regional list for West Scotland in the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. Prior to becoming an MSP she ran the Skelmorlie library.[10] The co-convener of the Ayshire greens [11], she was elected as a list MSP in 2026.[12] She stood in North Ayrshire and Arran in 2024.[13]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 "First Kiss - cover reveal". Maytree Press. 26 February 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Ayrshire: Cara McKee is Green Party Parliament hopeful". Irvine Times. 17 June 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- ↑ "Cara L McKee — 'First Kiss'". Sphinx Review. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Two Poems — Cara L McKee". Porridge Magazine. 30 July 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- ↑ "General election 2024 Scottish results in full". The Scotsman. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- ↑ "Scottish Greens unveil candidates ahead of crucial election for our planet". Scottish Greens. 21 July 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- ↑ "All the new MSPs from Reform and the madcap Scottish Greens set to rampage through Holyrood". Scottish Daily Express. 7 April 2026. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- ↑ "Labour, Reform and Greens gain seats in West Scotland regional vote". Renfrewshire24. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- ↑ "Ardrossan Harbour, bus improvements and climate on Green candidate's agenda". Largs and Millport Weekly News. 17 June 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ↑ "'I don't know what I'd do without it': Library users react to budget decision". Largs and Millport Weekly News. 21 March 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- ↑ "Ardrossan Harbour, bus improvements and climate on Green candidate's agenda". Largs and Millport Weekly News. 17 June 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- ↑ "West Scotland". BBC News. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ↑ "North Ayrshire general election candidates set out their local priorities". Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald. 24 June 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
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