Constituency : East Dunbartonshire 2005-15, 2017-19
Jo took the new seat of East Dunbartonshire which was notionally Labour. She was Baby of the House until 2009.
Jo was educated at Douglas Academy and the London School of Economics. She joined the Liberal Democrats as a teenager. She worked as marketing manager for Viking FM in Yorkshire. She stood for Hull East in 2001 reducing John Prescott's majority and moving into second place. At the 2002 party conference she signalled her opposition to positive discrimination by wearing a T-shirt with the slogan, "I am not a token woman". She stood for Strathkelvin and Bearsden in the Scottish Parliament elections of 2003 coming third.
Jo was spokesman at various times on women and equality, communities and local government and foreign affairs. In 2009 she was unfairly criticised in the expenses scandal when make-up appeared on one of the receipts she submitted though it wasn't one of the items she was claiming.
In 2010, Jo became PPS to Vince Cable. She briefly switched to Nick Clegg in 2012 before becoming Minister for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs. She was a business-friendly minister warning that setting the minimum wage too high might cost jobs and opposing gender quotas. She supported flexible working and employee ownership of shares.
In 2011, Jo married fellow MP Duncan Hames. They currently have two children.
In 2013, Jo went into anaphylactic shock after eating a nut biscuit.
Jo was defeated in 2015 but won back her seat with her highest majority in 2017. She was touted for the leadership after the resignation of Tim Farron but settled for being Deputy Leader to Vince Cable and Foreign Affairs spokesman.
Jo is a keen marathon runner.
Jo wrote a book Equal Power outlining her vision of feminism.
In March 2018, Jo supported the idea of a statue of Margaret Thatcher in Parliament Square.
At the time of writing, Jo is one of the two candidates aiming to succeed Vince Cable as leader of the party.
She is now 39.
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