Màiri Louise McAllan (born 1993) is a Scottish politician serving as

Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform The Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform is a junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. As a result, the Minister does not attend the Scottish Cabinet, but supports the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Tra ...

since May 2021. A member of the

Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...

(SNP), she has been the

Member of the Scottish Parliament Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP; gd, Ball Pàrlamaid na h-Alba, BPA; sco, Memmer o the Scots Pairliament, MSP) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament. Electoral system The add ...

(MSP) for

Clydesdale Clydesdale is an archaic name for Lanarkshire, a traditional county in Scotland. The name may also refer to: Sports * Clydesdale F.C., a former football club in Glasgow * Clydesdale RFC, Glasgow, a former rugby union club * Clydesdale RFC, South ...

since

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 ...

. McAllan is a former solicitor, who served as a special advisor to

First Minister A first minister is any of a variety of leaders of government cabinets. The term literally has the same meaning as "prime minister" but is typically chosen to distinguish the office-holder from a superior prime minister. Currently the title of '' ...

Nicola Sturgeon.

Early life

McAllan grew up and was educated in

Biggar, South Lanarkshire Biggar ( gd, Bigear ) is a town and former burgh in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, in the Southern Uplands near the River Clyde on the A702. The closest towns are Lanark and Peebles. Details The town was once served by the Symington, Bigga ...

, then studied Scots law at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

, also spending time at the

University of Ghent Ghent University ( nl, Universiteit Gent, abbreviated as UGent) is a public research university located in Ghent, Belgium. Established before the state of Belgium itself, the university was founded by the Dutch King William I in 1817, when th ...

. Her father Ian is also a politician who has served as a local councillor for

South Lanarkshire gd, Siorrachd Lannraig a Deas , image_skyline = , image_flag = , image_shield = Arms_slanarkshire.jpg , image_blank_emblem = Slanarks.jpg , blank_emblem_type = Council logo , image_map ...

's Clydesdale East ward (which covers Biggar) since

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

Political career

She stood unsuccessfully in Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale at the

2017 United Kingdom general election The 2017 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday 8 June 2017, two years after the previous general election in 2015; it was the first since 1992 to be held on a day that did not coincide with any local elections. The governing Co ...

. On 6 May 2021 she was elected as

(MSP) for

. On 19 May 2021, McAllan was appointed to the new government as

References

External links

* Date of birth missing (living people) 1993 births Living people Scottish National Party MSPs Ministers of the Scottish Government Members of the Scottish Parliament 2021–2026 Female members of the Scottish Parliament Scottish expatriates in Belgium Scottish National Party parliamentary candidates People from Biggar, South Lanarkshire Alumni of the University of Glasgow Politicians from South Lanarkshire {{MSP-stub