Margaret Curran, 49, was born in Townhead, Glasgow and went to school in Our Lady and St Francis in Charlotte Street.

She joined the Labour Club at Glasgow University aged 17. After a degree in history and economic history and a course in community work, she became a welfare rights officer in the East End of Glasgow. She was instrumental in setting up Pensioner Action Group East which is still running, and specialised in economic regeneration.

She then taught community education at Jordanhill College before being elected to the Glasgow Baillieston constituency in the Scottish Parliament in 1999. That constituency is entirely contained within the Glasgow East parliamentary boundary.

In the Scottish Parliament, Margaret was at the forefront of introducing legislation to tackle antisocial behaviour including electronic tagging of offenders, anti-social behaviour orders and acceptable behaviour contracts, powers to disperse gangs and impose fixed penalties for graffiti.

As the minister responsible for tackling poverty, she has taken a lead in housing, supporting the voluntary sector and community regeneration.

Margaret is deeply rooted in the East End. Her sister was a well-known and long-serving Easterhouse community worker while Margaret was a community worker in Parkhead.

She is married to Rab, from Easterhouse, and has two children aged 21 and 19.