Fiona Hyslop

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Fiona Hyslop
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning
In office
17 May 2007 – 1 December 2009
First MinisterAlex Salmond
Preceded byHugh Henry
Succeeded byMichael Russell
Junior ministerial offices
Minister for Transport
In office
13 June 2023 – 20 February 2024[1]
First MinisterHumza Yousaf
Preceded byKevin Stewart
Succeeded byJim Fairlie (Agriculture and Connectivity)
Minister for Culture and External Affairs
In office
1 December 2009 – 19 May 2011
First MinisterAlex Salmond
Preceded byMichael Russell
Succeeded byHumza Yousaf (2012)
Parliamentary offices
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Linlithgow
Assumed office
5 May 2011
Preceded byMary Mulligan
Majority10,105 (21.5%)
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Lothians
(1 of 7 Regional MSPs)
In office
6 May 1999 – 5 May 2011
Personal details
Born
Fiona Jane Hyslop

(1964-08-01) 1 August 1964 (age 59)
Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland
Political partyScottish National Party
SpouseKenneth Anderson (m.1994)
Children3
Alma materUniversity of Glasgow
Heriot-Watt University
OccupationSales and marketing executive
Websitehttp://www.fionahyslop.com/

Fiona Jane Hyslop (born 1 August 1964) is a

economy secretary as well as in junior ministerial roles.[2][3] A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has been a member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Linlithgow constituency since 2011, having represented the Lothians region from 1999
to 2011.

Hyslop was born in Ayrshire and spent her early years in England, before moving back to Scotland. She attended the University of Glasgow, where she earned a Masters of Art in Economic History and Sociology. She moved to Edinburgh and worked for the Standard Life Assurance Company.[4] Hyslop joined the SNP in 1986 and spent her spare time campaigning in local elections. She unsuccessfully stood election to the British House of Commons for both the Edinburgh Leith and Edinburgh Central constituencies in the 1990s. In 1999, she was elected to the Scottish Parliament as an additional member for the Lothian regions.

After the SNP's election victory in 2007, Hyslop was appointed by

Minister for Culture and External Affairs, which was later promoted to cabinet-level in 2011. She served as Culture Secretary from 2011 to 2020, where she then added economy on to her portfolio, as Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture. In 2021, following First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's cabinet reshuffle, she announced her intention to step down, having served 14 years in government.[6]

Hyslop returned to the government as Minister for Transport in June 2023 under First Minister Humza Yousaf. She was promoted to Cabinet Secretary for Transport in February 2024 and was reappointed to the position by Yousaf's successor, John Swinney.

Early life

Childhood and education

Fiona Jane Hyslop[7] was born in Irvine, Ayrshire, on 1 August 1964.[8] At the age of three she moved to Grantham, England, where it made her feel Scotland was a "distinct country".[4] Her father died at a young age and her mother, a midwife, was left as a single parent to two children. Following the death of Hyslop's father, her family returned to Ayrshire where she attended Alloway Primary School and later Ayr Academy. In the 1970s, she began to have an interest in politics through her mother's friends, who were members of the Scottish National Party.[9]

When Hyslop was 14, her mother married her step-father, a general practitioner, who had two children. Her step-brother was hospital catering manager and her step-sister was in the police, giving Hyslop a sense of the importance of public services.[4] Her political awareness was enhanced in the 1980s, during the Thatcher years, to what she describes as the years Margaret Thatcher "attacked" public services.[10]

Hyslop studied social sciences at the University of Glasgow and earned an Masters of Art in Economic History and Sociology. She also earned a Post-graduate Diploma in Industrial Administration from the Scottish College of Textiles. She moved to Edinburgh, where she worked for the Standard Life Assurance Company from 1986 to 1999.[11]

Early political activism

Official parliamentary portrait of Hyslop, 1999
Hyslop meets Andrew Mitchell and David Mundell outside St. Andrew's House

Hyslop helped campaign for the Scottish National Party at a local by-election even though she was not a member. In 1986, she eventually joined the Scottish National Party. She described herself as never being a "joiner" and joined the SNP after she read their manifesto, and felt that Scottish independence most suited her interests. She became the party's election agent for three regional candidates in the 1988 Scottish local elections and managed to win a seat.[4]

Whilst working in Edinburgh, Hyslop spent her spare time campaigning for the SNP and was an active member of the Young Scots Nationalists, the SNP's youth wing. She worked along with

Charlie Reid of the Proclaimers and Angus Robertson. She worked on motions to move the SNP to a more centre-left, social democratic party. Hyslop became Vice Convener for Policy and served on the SNP Executive Committee.[4]

Hyslop stood as a candidate in the 1988

Lothian Regional Council elections. She also stood as candidate for Edinburgh Leith and Edinburgh Central in the 1992 and 1997 UK General Elections respectively.[11]

Political career

SNP in opposition; 1999-2007

Following the re-establishment of the

additional list for the Lothian region and was elected in 1999.[12] Her first years as Member of the Scottish Parliament, strengthened her views on Scottish independence after seeing the lack of powers the parliament really had.[4]
In 2003, Hyslop sought re-election to the 2nd Scottish Parliament, this time as a candidate for the Linlithgow constituency. Although she failed to win this constituency, she was re-elected from the Lothian regional list.[13] She felt frustrated by the lack of influence the parliament had over the Iraq war and believed Scotland's place in the world "would be far better strengthened by independence."[4]

Hyslop, once again, stood for the Linlithgow constituency in the 2007 election. She lost the seat, again, but increased her vote share and retained her seat on the Lothian list.[14]

Education Secretary; 2007-2009

The SNP formed a

Minister for Culture and External Affairs.[15]

In 2011 election to the 3rd Scottish parliament, Hyslop ran, again, for the Linlithgow constituency. After running twice, she successfully defeated Scottish Labour's Mary Mulligan, gaining the constituency.[16]

Culture Secretary; 2009-2020

Following the SNP's landslide victory in the 2011 election, she was promoted back to cabinet in

Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs.[17] In the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, she campaigned in favour of Scottish independence
.

Hyslop speaking at Scottish Government press conference, 2020

Following the defeat of the

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture
.

Backbencher; 2021-2022

Hyslop was re-elected to the Scottish Parliament in the

Net Zero, Energy and Transport
Committee.

Transport Minister; 2023-2024

In June 2023, she was appointed as the junior Minister for Transport, after Kevin Stewart's resignation.[22][23]

Transport Secretary; 2024-present

In February 2024, her Transport portfolio was elevated to be a full cabinet position and she was appointed as the new

Health Secretary at the time.[1][24][25] She was reappointed to the position by Yousaf's successor, John Swinney.[26]

Personal life

Hyslop lives in Linlithgow with her husband and their three children.[4] She met her husband, Kenneth Anderson, through the SNP and the couple married in 1994.[10]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b Culture and External Affairs (2011-2014); Culture, Europe and External Affairs (2014-2016).
  2. ^ As Minister for Europe, External Affairs, Culture and Gaelic in the Scottish Cabinet.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Meeting of the Parliament, 20 February 2024". parliament.scot. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Hyslop sacked as Education Secretary". HeraldScotland. 1 December 2009. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Kate Forbes named Finance Secretary as Nicola Sturgeon reshuffles her cabinet". HeraldScotland. 17 February 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "Fiona Hyslop – Member of Scottish Parliament for Linlithgow Constituency". Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  5. ^ Dailyrecord.co.uk (1 December 2009). "Under-fire education minister Fiona Hyslop sacked and demoted". Daily Record. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  6. ^ "Fiona Hyslop and Fergus Ewing leave Cabinet as First Minister reshuffles top team". The National. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  7. ^ Birth certificate of Fiona Jane Hyslop, born 1964, 595 / 1705 Irvine - National Records of Scotland
  8. ^ "Fiona Hyslop MSP". Scottish Parliament. Archived from the original on 20 May 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  9. ^ "Scots vote Tam o' Shanter favourite Robert Burns poem". BBC News. 23 January 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  10. ^ a b "Biography". Fiona Hyslop.
  11. ^ a b "Fiona Hyslop: Personal information". The Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  12. ^ "Lothian Election 1999". BBC News. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  13. ISSN 1368-8456
    .
  14. ^ "Scottish elections 2007". BBC News. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  15. ^ "Demoted SNP education secretary endorses successor". BBC News. 1 December 2009. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  16. ISSN 1368-8456
    .
  17. ^ "Scotland Election 2016". BBC News. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  18. ^ Donnelly, Brian (24 February 2021). "'Huge economic uncertainty caused by Brexit' says Economy Secretary". The Herald. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  19. ^ The SNP (6 November 2020). "The SNP's candidates for the 2021 Scottish Parliament election". Scottish National Party. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  20. ^ Grant, Alistair (19 May 2021). "Nicola Sturgeon announces two long-serving ministers to leave government". The Herald. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  21. ^ Bibdin, Thom (19 May 2021). "Fiona Hyslop steps down as Scotland's culture secretary". The Stage. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  22. ^ "Màiri McAllan appointed new Scottish transport secretary". BBC News. 13 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  23. ^ "Fiona Hyslop becomes transport minister as Humza Yousaf changes Scottish Government portfolios". Holyrood Magazine. 13 June 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  24. ^ "Cabinet Secretary for Transport". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  25. ^ Meighan, Craig (8 February 2024). "Neil Gray replaces Matheson as health secretary in Yousaf reshuffle". STV News. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  26. ^ "New Scottish Cabinet". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 8 May 2024.

External links

Scottish Parliament
New parliament
 Member of the Scottish Parliament for Lothians
1999–2011 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the Scottish Parliament for Linlithgow
2011–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning

2007–2009 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Minister for Culture and External Affairs

2009–2011 		Succeeded by
New office
Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs

2011–present 		Succeeded by
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy
Succeeded byas Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture
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