Carol Mochan

Mochan grew up in Ayrshire, attending Girvan Primary School and Auchinleck Academy. She worked in the NHS as a dietician for 17 years and during this time built up a wealth of experience around the needs of people and the extent of inequality within society. She is a lifelong dedicated and active trade union member. She lives in Mauchline, Ayrshire, running a small family business. Before her election to the Scottish Parliament she was active in many roles within the community: a member of the community council and community association, chair of a parent led toddler group, and part of the school parent council. ==Political career==

Mochan has served as Chair of the Carrick Cumnock and Doon Valley Constituency Labour Party. At the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, Mochan was the Labour candidate in Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, taking second place with 8,684 votes (27.4%). Mochan stood in the 2017 East Ayrshire Council election, as the running mate to incumbent councillor Billy Crawford in the Cumnock and New Cumnock ward. She took 295 first-preference votes (6.6%), being eliminated on the sixth count. At the 2017 general election, Mochan stood in Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, where she finished third with 11,024 votes (23.9%). Member of the Scottish Parliament Mochan ran again in Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election. During the election campaign, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar appointed Mochan as the party's mental health spokesperson. In the constituency, she finished third with a decreased vote share of 24.2%. Mochan was instead elected as one of the party's three regional MSPs for South Scotland. Shortly after her election, Mochan was appointed to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister for Mental Wellbeing, Women's Health and Sport. She was one of only two Labour MSPs to vote against the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. Mochan was one of 5 Labour MSPs who was absent for a Scottish Parliament vote calling for the UK Government to reverse its decision to means-test the Winter Fuel Payment. ==Personal life==

She is married and has two children. Mochan identifies as a socialist and a feminist. ==References==