Jackson Carlaw

Jackson Carlaw CBE MSP
Official portrait, 2016
Leader of the Opposition in Scotland
In office 29 August 2019 – 30 July 2020
Monarch	Elizabeth II
First Minister	Nicola Sturgeon
Preceded by	Ruth Davidson
Succeeded by	Ruth Davidson
In office 15 September 2018 – 5 May 2019[a]
Monarch	Elizabeth II
First Minister	Nicola Sturgeon
Preceded by	Ruth Davidson
Succeeded by	Ruth Davidson
Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party
In office 14 February 2020 – 30 July 2020 Acting: 29 August 2019 – 14 February 2020
Deputy	Liam Kerr Annie Wells
UK party leader	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Ruth Davidson
Succeeded by	Douglas Ross
Acting 15 September 2018 – 3 May 2019
UK party leader	Theresa May
Preceded by	Ruth Davidson
Succeeded by	Ruth Davidson
Deputy Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party
In office 10 November 2011 – 3 September 2019
Leader	Ruth Davidson
Preceded by	Murdo Fraser
Succeeded by	Liam Kerr
Member of the Scottish Parliament for Eastwood
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 May 2016
Preceded by	Ken Macintosh
Member of the Scottish Parliament for West Scotland (1 of 7 Regional MSPs)
In office 3 May 2007 – 5 May 2016
Scottish Conservative portfolios
2016–2020	Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Europe and External Affairs
2016–2017	Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Tourism
Personal details
Born	David Jackson Carlaw (1959-04-12) 12 April 1959 (age 65) Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire, Scotland
Political party	Scottish Conservatives
Children	2
Education	The Glasgow Academy
Website	www.jacksoncarlaw.org.uk

David Jackson Carlaw CBE (born 12 April 1959) is a Scottish politician who served as Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party from February to July 2020, having acted in the position since August 2019. He previously served as Deputy Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party from 2011 to 2019. He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) since 2007, first as an additional member for the West Scotland region and later for the Eastwood constituency since 2016.

Raised in Newton Mearns, Carlaw worked as a car salesman after education at The Glasgow Academy. Elected to the Scottish Parliament on the West of Scotland regional list in 2007 and 2011, he was elected as Deputy Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party in the 2011 deputy leadership election. He was subsequently made Scottish Conservative Spokesperson for Health and Sport. He was elected to the constituency of Eastwood in 2016, which had contested previously in 2003, 2007, and 2011, and following the election was made Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Europe and External Affairs and Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Tourism.

Carlaw served as acting Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party from September 2018 to May 2019 during Ruth Davidson's maternity leave and from August 2019 to February 2020 following Davidson's resignation as leader. He was elected Scottish Conservative leader in the February 2020 leadership election, winning more than three-quarters of votes from party members. He resigned the leadership in July 2020, stating he was not the person best placed to lead the party into the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).