Rosie Kane: A Life of Passionate Advocacy and Kindness
Rosemary “Rosie” Kane, born on June 5, 1961, is a former Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) politician who served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Glasgow Region from 2003 to 2007.
Rosie Kane’s journey into politics is rooted in her dedication to causes, starting with a campaign against the extension of the M77 motorway. She is a voice for those often unheard, with her political efforts focused on radical policies for social justice and equality. She was elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2003 and famously took her oath with the words “My oath is to the people” written on her hand, a gesture of her commitment to the citizens.
Her kindness and active compassion shone through her work, particularly in her campaigning for the rights of migrants and her efforts to end the detention of children at the Dungavel asylum detention centre. In a notable act of personal kindness, she paid the bail for a Cameroonian woman, Mercy Ikolo, and her 18-month-old Ireland-born baby, Percie, to allow them to leave the centre. She then invited the mother and baby to stay with her and her daughters in their tenement flat until their visa issues were resolved. An observer of Rosie Kane noted that “Kindness shone out of her” after hearing her speak about how real change could help all of society.
Beyond her parliamentary work, she has been an active anti-nuclear protester, even being imprisoned for 14 days after refusing to pay a fine for locking herself to a model of a nuclear submarine outside the Scottish Parliament. She also campaigned against toxic waste treatment, water fluoridation, and GM crops. Since leaving parliament, she has embraced storytelling and comedy, creating a one-woman show that recounts her life with “humour and heart,” providing an insight into how an ordinary working-class woman became a figure in (but a thorn in the side of) the political establishment.
Rosie Kane’s career is marked by a heartfelt commitment to helping the vulnerable and fighting for a more just society, continually putting the people at the centre of her activism.
You can find more on her story and activism here: Rosie Kane: Socialist MPs journey from Pollok to Parliament via Prison (interview). This video features an interview discussing Rosie Kane’s journey as a socialist politician, which includes details about her protests and time in parliament.
