Fulton MacGregor explained

Fulton MacGregor
Honorific-Suffix:MSP
Office:Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Coatbridge and Chryston
Term Start:5 May 2016
Predecessor:Elaine Smith
Majority:9,437 (26.4%)
Birth Date:[1]
Birth Place:Airdrie, Scotland
Party:Scottish National Party
Alma Mater:University of Strathclyde
University of Edinburgh

Fulton James MacGregor MSP (born 1980) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the constituency of Coatbridge and Chryston since 2016. He serves on the Justice and Education & Skills committees in the Scottish Parliament.[2]

Early life

MacGregor attended Coatbridge High School before going on to gain degrees in Psychology and in Social Work from the University of Strathclyde and the University of Edinburgh.

Political career

MacGregor stood as an SNP candidate in the North Lanarkshire Council election in 2012 and was elected as one of four councillors for the Coatbridge North and Glenboig ward.

In August 2015 MacGregor was selected by the SNP as their local candidate to contest the Coatbridge and Chryston constituency at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election. In an acrimonious internal selection process, party members chose MacGregor ahead of five other candidates. A small minority of branch members then unsuccessfully attempted to have MacGregor de-selected as a candidate.[3] In February 2016 the Coatbridge and Chryston Branch was suspended entirely by the SNP, until the election had passed.[4] Branch members later went as far as to plan a silent protest at the 2016 SNP party conference held in Glasgow in March.[3] In a secret recording of one meeting, MacGregor was heard stating that the internal fighting was making him "physically sick".[5] During the campaign MacGregor was branded as 'no show', a name initially coined by journalist Tom Gordon in reference to him not attending a hustings.[6]

On 6 May 2016, MacGregor was elected as the first SNP MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston.[7] He retained the seat in the 2021 election with an increased majority and 57% of the vote share.[8]

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/record-results?search_type=people&dl_cat=statutory&dl_rec=statutory-births&surname=macgregor&surname_so=exact&forename=fulton&forename_so=syn&sex=M&record_type=stat_births Statutory registers - Births - Search results
  2. Web site: Fulton MacGregor. 2016-06-05. www.scottish.parliament.uk. 2016-10-19.
  3. News: Silent protest against 'Monklands McMafia' planned for SNP conference in Glasgow . Andrew . Learmonth . . 12 March 2016 . 8 May 2016.
  4. News: SNP suspends Coatbridge and Chryston branch . Andrew . Learmonth . The National . 10 February 2016 . 27 May 2016.
  5. News: SNP candidate in professional misconduct probe . Tom . Gordon . . 3 April 2016. 8 May 2016.
  6. News: Election Unspun: a sighting of the SNP's elusive Fulton MacGregor and what's your stance on fracking? . Ellen . Thomas . The Herald . 25 April 2016.
  7. News: Election 2016: Coatbridge and Chryston Scottish Parliament constituency . BBC News . 6 May 2016.
  8. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2021/scotland/constituencies/S16000091 Constituencies A-Z | Coatbridge & Chryston