Elizabeth was elected to Holyrood in May 2007 as one of three Conservative Regional List Members in Mid Scotland and Fife. She lives in the Madderty area of Strathearn and fought the recent Scottish Elections as Conservative Candidate for the Perth constituency.
Prior to entering Holyrood, Elizabeth was a teacher of Economics and Modern Studies at George Watson’s College in Edinburgh and has been active in politics since her student days at Edinburgh University. She began her teaching career in 1983 during which time she was elected the Fellow Commoner at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge in 1992. Between 1997 and 2005 she worked in Scottish Conservative Central Office, firstly as Political Advisor to Sir Malcolm Rifkind and then as Head of the Chairman’s Office. Thereafter, she stood as the Party’s Westminster Candidate in Ochil and South Perthshire and returned part-time to the teaching profession and to coaching commitments with both school and Cricket Scotland.
Elizabeth is a keen sportswoman with particular interest in cricket and hillwalking. She won seven caps with the Scottish Ladies’ Cricket XI and has taken part in several mountaineering expeditions to the Alps and Himalayas. She lists among her other interests; travel, cooking and photography, and she has recently published two books on educational topics.
In May 2010, she was appointed Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education & Lifelong Learning.