Rhona Brankin (born 19 January 1950) is a former Scottish Labour-Co-operative politician who served as the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Midlothian constituency. She was first elected in 1999 and was re-elected in 2003 and 2007. She was one of six female Labour MSPs to stand down in 2011.

Brankin is a graduate of the University of Aberdeen and before entering the Scottish Parliament she was a teacher and a lecturer on special educational needs. She was former Chair of the Scottish Labour Party.^[1] She is married with two grown-up daughters.^[2]

In early 2000, Brankin was diagnosed with breast cancer.^[2] She had a mastectomy at St. John's Hospital in Livingston, which successfully removed the cancer.^[3]

Brankin was Deputy Minister for Culture and Sport in the Scottish Executive from 1999 to 2000 and Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development from 2000 to 2001.^[4] In October 2004 she was appointed Deputy Minister for Health and Community care, returning to the Environment and Rural Development portfolio in June 2005.^[5] In January 2007 she was promoted to Minister for Communities after the resignation of Malcolm Chisholm.^[6] Following Labour's defeat at the hands of the SNP at the May 2007 election, Brankin became shadow Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning.^[7] She was convener of the Public Petitions Committee from June 2010.^[8]

Prior to the 2011 elections, Brankin announced her decision not to stand for re-election, retiring from Holyrood after 12 years.^[9] The Midlothian constituency underwent boundary changes, and the two new constituencies created, Midlothian North and Musselburgh, and Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, were won by the SNP.