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Pam Gosal becomes first Sikh to be elected to Scottish Parliament
She joined politics when she contested the 2019 general election for the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party as a Parliamentary candidate for East Dunbartonshire
Fifty-three-year-old businesswoman Pam Gosal created history by becoming the first Sikh to be elected to the Scottish Parliament. Gosal was elected as a Conservative Member of Scottish Parliament (MSP) via the West of Scotland list.
She got 7,455 votes, 14.1% of the absolute votes cast, according to a media report.
After joining her office on May 8, Gosal Tweeted: It’s a privilege to be the first female MSP elected to the Scottish Parliament from an Indian background. Thank you to everyone who’s supported me. Can’t wait to get to work for the people of the West of Scotland.”
Sikh Sanjog, Scotland’s Sikh woman’s empowerment charity, Tweeted: “Huge congratulations to @Pam_Gosal as the first ever Sikh in @ScotParl. You have made history. Not just for Sikhs but for Sikh women. We are so proud of your achievement and what it means to Sikh women & girls in Scotland & beyond! (sic)”
Gosal was born in Glasgow and lived in Scotland most of her life. She joined politics when she contested the 2019 general election for the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party as a Parliamentary candidate for East Dunbartonshire. She has completed a BA in Consumer Law, MBA and is currently finishing her PhD.
She won the 2015 Women Leaders Business Award and the 2018 Public Service Award and is a co-founder and chair of the Scottish Conservative friends of BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic), the first umbrella organisation affiliated with the Scottish Conservative Party to reach out to BAME communities in Scotland.
She is also the director of Conservative Friends of India Scotland (CFIS). This organisation seeks to build stronger links between the Conservative Party and the British Indian community in Scotland.
