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After first meeting Alex Salmond in 2007, Bardell joined the SNP's election campaign for the 2007 Scottish Parliament election. For three years, she worked for Salmond and Ian HudghtonMEP in his constituency office.[10] Bardell then worked for the US State Department in their Edinburgh Consulate,[10] before joining the oil and gas industry, initially with Subsea 7, then for Oil & Gas Service company Stork as Head of Communications & Marketing for the UK, Africa & Norway. She left the oil & gas industry after only 3 years, in acrimonious circumstances, having admitted to having voluntarily signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) on leaving her position with Stork after allegations of bullying. She refused to state whether any payment was made to her in relation to the NDA.[11]
Bardell contested the Livingston seat for the SNP in the 2015 UK general election. Her mother, Lis Bardell had previously finished in second place for the SNP in the same constituency at the 2010 UK general election.[6] Bardell was elected with 32,736 votes (56.9%), a majority of 16,843 votes over the sitting Labour Party MP, Graeme Morrice,[12] overturning a Labour majority of 10,791 votes at the 2010 general election.[13] Bardell became Shadow SNP Westminster Group Leader (Business, Innovation and Skills) in October 2015 and latterly was Spokesperson for Small Business, Enterprise and Innovation.[5]
She was re-elected at the 2017 UK general election, with a significantly reduced majority of 3,878 votes (7.4%).[14]
In November 2018, SpeakerJohn Bercow reprimanded Bardell for playing football in the historic debating chamber of the House of Commons at Westminster.[15]
She was again re-elected at the 2019 UK general election, with an increased majority of 13,435 votes (24.6%).[16]
In 2020 Bardell wrote to the Scottish Football Association (SFA) requesting that David Martindale, a convicted drug dealer, be allowed to become manager of Livingston FC. She tweeted that "The ability to be rehabilitated is a key part of an inclusive society"[17]
In March 2021, The Sunday Times reported that Bardell suggested a curfew banning men from the streets after 6pm should be considered in areas where women have been killed.[18][19]
Following the 2015 general election, she said: "I only came out to myself and to my family during the election. I then chose not to say anything publicly because I had just got elected and I didn't want it to be one of the first things I said about myself as an MP".[22]
