How the Baby of the House grew into her new role
Jo Swinson was first elected as MP for East Dunbartonshire in 2005 at the age of 25, becoming the “Baby of the House” – the youngest MP and the first born in the Eighties.
The first woman to lead the Liberal Democrats, she has always been keen to be judged on her merits. At a 2001 party conference she wore a T-shirt saying “I am not a token woman” and has been a vocal opponent of all-woman shortlists since.
Ms Swinson grew up in Glasgow and studied management at the London School of Economics, going on to work in marketing and PR.
She first stood for Parliament in 2001, aged 21, running against John Prescott, then deputy prime minister. She tried to run for the Scottish Parliament in 2003, before finally winning a seat in the House of Commons two years later.
The MP held two ministerial jobs in the coalition government. As a business minister she introduced shared parental leave legislation.
She lost her seat in 2015 but returned two years later, winning East Dunbartonshire back from the Scottish National Party’s John Nicolson. She used her time out of Westminster to write a book, Equal Power: And How You Can Make It Happen.
She became deputy leader of the Lib Dems and made history by becoming the first MP to bring her baby into the Chamber during a debate.
Ms Swinson was made a CBE last year for political and public service. She is married to former Lib Dem MP Duncan Hames. The couple have two sons, Andrew and Gabriel.