Gail Elizabeth Ross is a former
Scottish National Party (SNP) politician, who served as the
Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for
Caithness, Sutherland and Ross from the
election in May 2016 up until
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
when she decided to not seek re-election. She was a councillor on the
Highland Council 2011–2016, and civic leader of Caithness 2012–2016.
Early life
Ross grew up in
Reiss and
Wick, Caithness.
She studied in Glasgow, first a combination of advertising and PR, later English and psychology.
Political career
She joined the SNP in 1997.
She was first elected to Highland council in a by-election in 2011. At the time her success was considered a breakthrough for the SNP. She was re-elected in May 2012.
Civic leader
In May 2012, following re-election to Highland Council, she became the civic leader of Caithness.
In August 2015, Ross spoke out against the
Grindadráp
Whaling in the Faroe Islands, or (from the Faroese terms , meaning pilot whale, and , meaning killing), is a type of drive hunting that involves herding various species of whales and dolphins, but primarily pilot whales, into shallow bays ...
, a Faroese traditional celebration of whaling, suggesting that on account of this that Wick should reconsider their twinning arrangement with the town of
Klaksvík
Klaksvík is the second largest town of the Faroe Islands behind Tórshavn. The town is located on Borðoy, which is one of the northernmost islands (the Norðoyar). It is the administrative centre of Klaksvík municipality.
History
The first ...
. Ross wrote to the mayor of Klaksvík to raise her concerns that the whaling was not something that Wick should be associated with. In January 2016 the matter was brought to the Highland Council, which led to an intervention from Klaksvík's mayor. The council deferred making a decision.
Scottish Parliament
In August 2015, Ross was announced as the SNP candidate for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross in the 2016
Scottish Parliament election, in place of the retiring
Rob Gibson
Robert McKay Gibson (born 10 October 1945) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. He was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) from 2003 until 2016, first as a Highlands and Islands regional member from 2003 until 2011, then repre ...
. During her time in Holyrood, she called for increased provision of ambulances in Caithness and highlighted the need for affordable housing in the Highlands.
In May 2016 she was elected with a majority of 3,913.
The following month she was elected as the deputy convener of the Rural Affairs and Connectivity Committee.
In February 2020, Ross announced that she would not be standing for reelection in the next election, citing her wish to spend more time with her family.
In November 2016 she resigned her position on Highland council after other Caithness councillors called for an independent review into the introduction of midwife-led maternity services in their area made by
NHS Highland
NHS Highland is one of the fourteen regions of NHS Scotland. Geographically, it is the largest Health Board, covering an area of from Kintyre in the south-west to Caithness in the north-east, serving a population of 320,000 people. In 2016– ...
. Ross supported the decision by NHS Highland to proceed with the reconfiguration to a Community Maternity Unit (CMU) at
Caithness General Hospital, which had been recommended on safety grounds following a review.
Executive positions
She is a member of the board of
North Highland College
North Highland College provides further education and higher education in the north of Scotland through a network of learning centres and by distance learning. It is a constituent college of the University of the Highlands and Islands.
History ...
.
Personal life
She is married to a teacher and they have a son together.
Ross has worked as a model, posing as the muses depicted on the glass engraved trophy awarded to winners of the ''
Mastermind
Mastermind, Master Mind or The Mastermind may refer to:
Fictional characters
* Mastermind (Jason Wyngarde), a fictional supervillain in Marvel Comics, a title also held by his daughters:
** Martinique Jason, the first daughter and successor of th ...
'' television quiz.
References
External links
*
profileon SNP website
personal website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Gail
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
Scottish National Party councillors
People from Caithness
Place of birth missing (living people)
Members of the Scottish Parliament 2016–2021
Scottish National Party MSPs
Female members of the Scottish Parliament