About Me
It is a privilege to be the SNP MP for Glenrothes & Central Fife, and to represent the area which has been my home for over 30 years in the UK Parliament since 2015.
I was brought up in Coatbridge and studied at Glasgow University where I met Fiona, a medical student from Glenrothes. After we got engaged I moved to Glenrothes in 1983 and the following year we got married. Fiona has now been a GP in the area for over 25 years as well as being one of Fife’s longest serving councillors.
I joined the SNP in 1987 because I believed, as I still do, that Scotland will be a better place for all of us when decisions about Scotland are taken by the people who live here. For 23 years I represented part of my present constituency as a Councillor. I had the privilege to serve as the council’s SNP Group Leader from 2007 until 2015, including five years as Leader of the Council.
In 2017 I was made SNP Spokesperson on Europe and I sat on the Exiting the European Union Committee. Following the 2019 snap General Election I was appointed as the party's Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury and I am now a member of the Public Accounts Committee.
Before being elected as MP for Glenrothes and Central Fife, I worked in public sector finance alongside my work as a local Councillor. I previously trained as a physics teacher before qualifying as an accountant. I also enjoy a game of bowls or a night at the local folk club, with or without my fiddle, when I get the chance.
It is an honour to have the opportunity to represent our constituency in the UK Parliament to ensure that Scotland's voice is protected.
