Stuart Campbell McDonald (born 2 May 1978) is a
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) politician. He has been the
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
(MP) for the
Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East constituency since 2015. A member of the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
Home Affairs Select Committee
The Home Affairs Select Committee is a Departmental Committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Remit
The Home Affairs Committee is one of the House of Commons Select committees related to government departments: its ...
, he has served as the SNP Spokesperson for Justice and Immigration since 10 December 2022. He served as the SNP
Shadow Home Secretary
In British politics, the Shadow Home Secretary (formally known as the Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department) is the person within the shadow cabinet who shadows the Home Secretary; this effectively means scrutinising government polic ...
from 2021 to 2022. He was the SNP Spokesperson on Immigration, Asylum and Border Control from 2015 to 2021.
He was first elected at the
general election in May 2015, unseating incumbent Labour MP and Shadow Pensions Minister,
Gregg McClymont
Gregg McClymont (born 3 June 1976) is a retirement expert, historian and former politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East from 2010 until 2015.
Background and personal life
Born and brough ...
. McDonald is the first SNP MP to represent Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East (
Margaret Bain was MP for Dumbartonshire East which covered Cumbernauld in the early-1970s), which covers parts of the
North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire ( sco, North Lanrikshire; gd, Siorrachd Lannraig a Tuath) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also ...
and
East Dunbartonshire
East Dunbartonshire ( sco, Aest Dunbartanshire; gd, Siorrachd Dhùn Bhreatainn an Ear) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the north of Glasgow and contains many of the affluent areas to the north of the city, including Bear ...
council areas.
Early life and career before politics
Raised in
Milton of Campsie
Milton may refer to:
Names
* Milton (surname), a surname (and list of people with that surname)
** John Milton (1608–1674), English poet
* Milton (given name)
** Milton Friedman (1912–2006), Nobel laureate in Economics, author of '' Free ...
, McDonald attended Kilsyth Academy between 1990 and 1996. He studied at the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
between 1996 and 2001, where he graduated from with a 2:1
Bachelor of Law (Hons), and a Diploma in Legal Practice. During his time at the University of Edinburgh, McDonald studied European and Comparative Law while on an ERASMUS year at the
University of Leuven, between 1997 and 1998.
After graduating from university, McDonald worked as a Legal Trainee with Simpson and Marwick Solicitors, between October 2001 and July 2003, before he went to work for
NHS Scotland
NHS Scotland, sometimes styled NHSScotland, is the publicly funded healthcare system in Scotland and one of the four systems that make up the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. It operates 14 territorial NHS boards across Scotland, ...
's
Central Legal Office
The Central Legal Office (CLO) is the organisation that provides NHS Scotland with legal advice and assistance in every area of law relevant to the health service. It is one of the Strategic Business Units of NHS National Services Scotland
NHS ...
, as a Solicitor – a position he held between July 2003 and November 2005. In November 2005, McDonald began working for the
Immigration Advisory Service (IAS), as a Human Rights Solicitor – a job he held until November 2009, when he became a Senior Researcher at the
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...
.
He left his position at the Scottish Parliament in February 2013, to become a Senior Researcher for the pro-independence
Scottish independence referendum
A referendum on Scottish independence from the United Kingdom was held in Scotland on 18 September 2014. The referendum question was, "Should Scotland be an independent country?", which voters answered with "Yes" or "No". The "No" side wo ...
campaign
Yes Scotland
Yes Scotland was the organisation representing the parties, organisations, and individuals campaigning for a ''Yes'' vote in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. It was launched on 25 May 2012 and dissolved in late 2014 after Scotland voted ...
, a position he held until the independence referendum on 18 September 2014. Immediately prior to his election, McDonald worked as a Parliamentary and Public Affairs Officer for the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights, a Glasgow-based charity.
Member of Parliament (2015–present)
McDonald was officially selected unopposed as the SNP candidate, in December 2014, for the constituency which he has described as his "home patch". He went on to win Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East in the
2015 UK Parliamentary Election with 59.9% of the vote, and a majority of 14,752.
Following his election, McDonald became the SNP's Spokesperson on Immigration, Asylum and Border Control, building on his previous experience as an immigration lawyer.
McDonald is gay and, on 19 May 2015, gathered with other
LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term is a ...
SNP MPs, including his near-namesake
Stewart McDonald, to campaign for a Yes vote in the
Irish referendum on same-sex marriage, being held 3 days later.
McDonald is a Vice-Chair of the
All-Party Parliamentary Group for Choice at the End of Life
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Choice at the End of Life is a cross-party group of members of the British Parliament and Peers that supports better end-of-life options, including assisted dying. They believe that, subject to legal safeguar ...
.
References
External links
profileon SNP website
*
All-Party Parliamentary Group for Choice at the End of Life
{{DEFAULTSORT:McDonald, Stuart
1978 births
Living people
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh School of Law
Gay politicians
LGBT members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
LGBT politicians from Scotland
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Scottish constituencies
People from Milton of Campsie
Scottish National Party MPs
Scottish solicitors
UK MPs 2015–2017
UK MPs 2017–2019
UK MPs 2019–present
Politicians from East Dunbartonshire