Jackson Carlaw

Who is Jackson Carlaw?

Jackson Carlaw is a Conservative politician and a Member of the Scottish Parliament. He was defeated as a candidate for Eastwood in the 2003, 2007, and 2011 Scottish Parliament elections. He was however elected on the party list under Scotland's additional member system in 2007 and 2011 representing the West of Scotland region.

Carlaw was brought up in Newton Mearns and lived in Crookfur and Giffnock. He was educated at Glasgow Academy. He is married and has two sons.

He worked for 25 years as a car salesman. He was joint head of FirstFord car dealership in the west of Scotland until it was placed into receivership in November 2002. He was also a director of Wylies until it went into administration in February 2003.

He joined the East Renfrewshire Conservatives in 1978. He was the Conservative candidate in the 1982 Queen's Park by-election, and in the 1983 general election in Pollok. He was Chairman of the Scottish Young Conservatives from 1984 to 1986, Chairman of Eastwood Conservatives from 1988 to 1992, and was Deputy Chairman of the Scottish Conservatives from 1992 to 1998. He was reappointed Deputy Chairman of the Scottish Conservatives in 2005. despite causing offence by telling racist jokes at the launch of the party manifesto.