Clare Joan Haughey (née Donnelly, born April 1967) is a Scottish politician who served as Minister for Children and Young People from 2021 to 2023, having previously served as Minister for Mental Health from 2018 to 2021. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Rutherglen and Cambuslang since the 2026 Scottish Parliament election, having previously represented Rutherglen from 2016 until its abolition in 2026. Haughey is currently the convener of the Finance and Public Administration Committee.
Nursing career Haughey trained as a mental health nurse and worked as a clinical nurse manager. Her family were based in Australia for some years.Interview: Mental health minister Clare Haughey on finding the strength to carry on after the loss of a child, Mandy Rhodes, Holyrood.com, 3 June 2020
Political career In September 2015, the SNP branch selected her as the candidate for the Rutherglen constituency, ahead of the 2016 Scottish Parliament election. The constituency had been held by Labour since the establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 until the election in May 2016, when Haughey defeated the incumbent James Kelly.
On 27 June 2018, Haughey was appointed as the Scottish Government's Minister for Mental Health.
She retained the Rutherglen seat in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, with an increased majority and just over 50% of the vote share.Scottish election: Blow for Labour as it fails to take Rutherglen target seat, The National, 7 May 2021Constituencies A-Z | Rutherglen , BBC News; retrieved 7 May 2021
On 19 May 2021, Haughey was appointed to the new government as Minister for Children and Young People.New Scottish Cabinet, Scottish Government, 19 May 2021
On 29 March 2023, Haughey was appointed as the Convenor of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee.
References
External links
profile on SNP website personal website profile on Scottish Government website