Pam Gosal MSP was elected as an MSP for West Scotland Region in May 2021 and made history being the first Indian Sikh MSP and one of the first woman of colour elected to the Scottish Parliament.
Pam is the Deputy Chairwoman for the Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party. This gives Pam a fantastic opportunity to help the party engage with our members and supporters, as well as collaborating with company leaders and the business community on the party’s behalf. One of her main ambitions is to continue increasing the diversity of the party, building on her work as co-founder and co-chair of the Scottish Conservative Friends of BAME, which in recent elections resulted in more candidates standing from diverse backgrounds than ever before. More than anything, she wants to make sure that everybody who belongs to this party feels heard, knows how they can contribute, and understands what we are trying to achieve.
As an MSP, Pam is the Deputy Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government. Some of this role includes scrutinising the Scottish Government Budget. However, the bulk of her role is on holding the Scottish Government accountable for how they handle local government, particularly as she is a member of the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee.
Formerly, Pam was the Deputy the Shadow Minister for Further and Higher Education, Youth Employment and Training, which has given her the opportunity to interact with students and staff first hand to learn of the issues facing them and to inspire them to explore new paths to careers and reach their full potential.
Pam also sat on the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee, which dealt with significant issues facing minorities, women and a wide range of other communities who are disproportionately affected and disadvantaged.
Pam successfully set up the first ever Cross-Party Group on India in 2021 and is Convener of the group, which aims to improve relationships in the areas of education, trade and culture between India and Scotland. Pam is also the Convener of the Cross-Party Group of Skills and a Deputy-Convener of the Cross-Party Group on Challenging Racial and Religious Prejudice. She is also a member of the Cross-Party Groups on the USA and Dyslexia.
Pam is a Co-Founder and Chair of the Scottish Conservative friends of BAME (SCBAME), the first umbrella organisation affiliated with the Scottish Conservative Party to reach out to BAME communities in Scotland. Pam was also the Former Deputy Chair for the Scottish Conservative Women’s Organisation (CWO). She is also the Director of Conservative Friends of India Scotland (CFIS), which seeks to build stronger links between the Conservative Party and the British Indian community in Scotland.