Margaret Mitchell MSP was educated at Coatbridge High and has a BA degree from Open University and an LLB from Strathclyde University. She is a Justice of the Peace and a member of Hamilton Crime Prevention Panel.
She taught for many years before leaving the profession to study law. Margaret has also been a councillor and was special adviser to David McLetchie MSP and James Douglas-Hamilton MSP prior to being elected to the Scottish Parliament. She has extensive experience working with constituency associations as the Party's former Local Government Chairman.
Following the 2007 election Margaret Mitchell decided to concentrate her efforts on representing central region especially in light of the parliamentary results. As the sole Conservative MSP in Central Scotland she believes it is important that people have a choice in the political representation they can access which is why she is devoting more time to covering all ten parliamentary constituencies within the region ranging form Falkirk at one end and Kilmarnock at the other with all the Lanarkshire constituencies in between.
Since being elected in 2003, as the Conservative List MSP for Central Scotland, she has taken an interest in, and is a member of, both the Scottish Economy Cross Party Group (CPG) and Diabetes (CPG). In addition to this she is Vice Convenor of the Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse (CPG) and in 2007 was delighted to take on the Convenorship of the Dyslexia Cross Party Group.
In May 2010, she became Convener of Equal Opportunities Committee.