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Biography
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.
Early life
Claudia Beamish is the daughter of the Conservative life peer Tufton Victor Hamilton Beamish, Baron Chelwood and his first wife Janet McMillan Stevenson.
Beamish has previously worked as a primary school teacher.
Political career
Beamish was placed at the top of 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. 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.
While an MSP, Bemish rented a flat in Edinburgh’s Shandon district that is owned by former Education minister Peter Peacock.
Personal life
Beamish's partner is Michael Derrington, an actor and "autism practitioner". They brought up their family near Pettinain in the Clydesdale region.