Lara Bird, the new Member of Parliament for Arbroath & Broughty Ferry, has pledged to dedicate herself to serving her constituents following attention that focused on her accent and personal background rather than political matters. Bird, who appeared to have her fingers crossed while taking her oath in the House of Commons, remarked on the interest in her voice.
Speaking on the Matt Chorley show, Bird expressed a degree of flattery regarding the attention, noting it occurred in the same week the prime minister announced his resignation. She explained that her accent is a product of her upbringing in Angus, Scotland, with an English mother and Scottish father, and that she lived in London for a period. Bird stated that her accent becomes more pronounced when she is in England, while her Scottish accent is more apparent when she is back home.
Prior to her election victory, Bird had already drawn online commentary concerning her family background, education, attire, and her use of a shortened name. She clarified in an interview with The Courier newspaper that while her legal name is Bird-Leakey, she has not used it. Bird explained that her parents divorced when she was young and were not married when she was born, leading to her dual-named surname. She also noted a difficult relationship with her mother, which contributed to her not using the Bird-Leakey name.
An individual familiar with Bird from her time as an SNP press officer confirmed that her manner of speaking has remained consistent. The MP herself has indicated that she is eager to engage in discussions about policy and politics, shifting the focus away from her pronunciation and personal details.