Angus MacNeil

Angus Brendan MacNeil (Scottish Gaelic: Aonghas Brianan MacNèill;[2] born 21 July 1970) is a Scottish politician serving as the independent Member of Parliament (MP) for Na h-Eileanan an Iar covering the Outer Hebrides. He was elected as the Scottish National Party (SNP) candidate in 2005. He was re-elected for the party at the subsequent four elections, but was suspended for one week from the party's Parliamentary group in July 2023, after which he decided not to rejoin, leading to his suspension and later expulsion from the party.

Angus MacNeil
MP
Official portrait, 2017
Chair of the Energy Security and Net Zero Select Committee[lower-alpha 1]
Assumed office
26 April 2023
Preceded byCommittee re-established
In office
18 June 2015 – 13 July 2016
Preceded byTim Yeo
Succeeded byCommittee abolished
Chair of the International Trade Select Committee
In office
13 July 2016 – 26 April 2023
Preceded byCommittee established
Succeeded byCommittee abolished
Member of Parliament
for Na h-Eileanan an Iar
Assumed office
5 May 2005
Preceded byCalum MacDonald
Majority2,438 (16.9%)
Personal details
Born (1970-07-21) 21 July 1970
Barra, Scotland
CitizenshipBritish / Irish
Political partyIndependent
Other political
affiliations		Scottish National Party (until 2023, Expelled)
SpouseJane MacNeil[1]
Alma materUniversity of Strathclyde
ProfessionCivil Engineer, reporter, teacher
Websiteangusmacneilsnp.com

Background

MacNeil was educated at Castlebay Secondary School on the island of Barra and the Nicolson Institute in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis before attending Strathclyde University where he played shinty[3] and in 1992 gained a degree in civil engineering.[4] After graduation he worked as a civil engineer for Morrison Construction and as a student reporter for the Gaelic section of BBC Radio Scotland. After qualifying as a teacher at Jordanhill College in 1996 , he then taught the first Gaelic Medium Class at Salen and Acharacle Primary Schools in Argyll on the Scottish mainland.

MacNeil identifies as a Catholic.[5]

House of Commons

After being defeated by the Labour Party's David Stewart in Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber at the 2001 general election, he was elected in 2005 for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (the Western Isles), gaining the seat from Labour's Calum MacDonald.

In March 2006, MacNeil came to attention when he lodged a complaint with the Metropolitan Police regarding the Labour Party Cash for Peerages scandal. In April 2006, he and former "anti-corruption" MP Martin Bell wrote to prime minister, Tony Blair calling for all appointments to the House of Lords to be suspended in the wake of the scandal.[6] In November 2006 he won the Best Scot at Westminster section of the Scottish Politician of the Year awards for instigating the inquiry into possible abuse of the honours system.[7] On 17 November 2006 MacNeil had the highest bill for travel in 2006–07.[8] This is mainly due to the distance of his constituency from London as well as the dispersed geographical nature of the constituency. He also received awards from The Spectator magazine and the Political Studies Society for setting the political agenda in Britain during 2006. He is a member of the editorial board for political monthly Total Politics. MacNeil was re-elected to Parliament in 2010.

He has served on a number of parliamentary committees. In June 2015 he was appointed chair of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee;[9] in July 2016, chair of the International Trade Select Committee; in October 2017, a member of the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy; and in April 2023, chair of the Energy Security and Net Zero Select Committee.[10]

Outside Parliament, he has also served as a member of the Advisory Board at Polar Research and Policy Initiative since February 2016.[11]

In July 2019 MacNeil criticised the then Conservative leadership candidate, Boris Johnson for stating that learning English is essential for immigrants. MacNeil called English a "Germanic import" in contrast to indigenous Celtic languages.[12][13][14]

Suspensions from the SNP

On 5 July 2023, he was suspended from the SNP Westminster group for one week, following an argument with SNP Chief Whip Brendan O'Hara allegedly over MacNeil's missing key votes.[15] A week later, on 12 July MacNeil tweeted that he would sit as an independent until deciding whether to rejoin after the SNP conference in October 2023, and that he would stand in the next UK general election, though not necessarily for the SNP.[16] As a result, he was informed that day by the SNP National Secretary his refusal to take the whip was in breach of the rules, and the following day his party membership was suspended.[17]

Expulsion from the SNP

The SNP selection process for all MP candidates, including in seats the party holds, was scheduled to take place before the October conference MacNeil had chosen as a time he would consider re-joining the group.[18] MacNeil said of his suspension to The Times: "It's a bit Stalinist and I'm going to fight this. They can't just resign me from the party. I've been a member since the 1990s at least."[19] MacNeil was subsequently expelled from the SNP on the 11th August 2023.[20] He announced his intention to stand in the next general election as an independent.[21]

Personal life

In 1998, MacNeil married Jane Douglas who worked as his parliamentary secretary.

In 2007, the Sunday Mail reported MacNeil had "kissed and fondled" two girls aged 17 and 18 in an Orkney hotel room while his wife was in hospital pregnant with their third child.[22] MacNeil said he bitterly regretted the incident and said he was angry it had diverted attention from the "substantial political issues" he had been pursuing. In a statement, MacNeil, then 36, apologised for the "embarrassment and hurt" caused to his family by his actions.

In May 2016, MacNeil and his wife announced that they had separated; this followed reports that MacNeil and his colleague Stewart Hosie had both had affairs with Westminster-based journalist Serena Cowdy.[23]

In October 2020, he was involved in a collision with a 17 year old motorcyclist and charged with causing serious injury, to which he pleaded not guilty. His trial was delayed[24] until May 2022 where he was found guilty of dangerous driving and fined £1,500.[25]

MacNeil is a dual British and Irish citizen.[26]

References
  1. Commons, House of. "House of Commons - The Register of Members' Financial Interests - Part 2: Part 2".
  2. "Tobar an Dualchais". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  3. "MacNeil appeals for home support for shinty team". Stornoway Gazette. 13 May 2011. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  4. "Angus MacNeil MP, MP for Na H-Eileanan An Iar". Scottish National Party. Archived from the original on 26 May 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  5. Ceridwen Lee (27 August 2015). "Fall in number of Catholic MPs in the House of Commons ahead of landmark debate on assisted dying". The Tablet. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  6. "MacNeil presses Blair over honours". BBC News Online. 15 April 2006. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  7. "The SNP's Angus MacNeil was the Best Scot at Westminster for instigating an inquiry into possible abuse of the honours system.", The Herald
  8. Morris, Nigel (26 October 2007). "MPs claim £88m expenses on top of the £60,675 each gets in salary". The Independent. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  9. "Winning candidates for select committee Chairs announced". UK Parliament. 18 June 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  10. "Angus Brendan MacNeil MP". UK Parliament.
  11. "Angus MacNeil MP". The Polar Connection.
  12. "Boris Johnson mocked by own sister over English language claim". Irish Examiner. 6 July 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  13. Barry, Ellen (6 July 2019). "Boris Johnson Says Immigrants to U.K. Should Be Forced to Learn English". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  14. "Boris Johnson cites Jews, Bangladeshis as immigrants that shaped British culture". The Times of Israel. 6 July 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  15. Cochrane, Angus (5 July 2023). "SNP MP Angus MacNeil suspended following clash with chief whip". BBC News.
  16. @AngusMacNeilSNP (12 July 2023). "I shall not now be seeking to re-join the Westminster SNP group until at least October" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  17. Learmonth, Andrew (14 July 2023). "Angus MacNeil has SNP membership suspended". The Herald.
  18. Learmouth, Andrew (16 July 2023). "Angus MacNeil set to be expelled from the SNP". The Herald.
  19. Andrews, Kieran (14 July 2023). "SNP MP suspended after refusing to rejoin Westminster group". The Times.
  20. Fitzpatrick, Tara (11 August 2023). "MP expelled from SNP after saying party 'clueless' about independence". STV News.
  21. "Angus MacNeil to stand as an independent following expulsion from the SNP". Yahoo Sports. 12 August 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  22. "Police probed MP spy allegations". BBC News Online. 10 April 2007. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  23. "SNP MPs Stewart Hosie and Angus MacNeil split from wives over alleged affairs with same woman". The Daily Telegraph. 16 May 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
  24. Maclean, Murdo. "Western Isles MP Angus MacNeil's dangerous driving trial delayed". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  25. Hutcheon, Paul (18 May 2022). "SNP MP Angus MacNeil found guilty of careless driving and fined £1500". Daily Record. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  26. Bourke, Latika (13 May 2018). "'Utterly absurd': British MPs question Australia's ban on dual citizens". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 June 2020.

Notes
  1. As Chair of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee from 2015 to 2016.
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