Donald Cameron (Scottish politician)

Donald Andrew John Cameron of Lochiel MSP (born 26 November 1976) is a Scottish Conservative politician, who has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Highlands and Islands region since 2016. He currently serves as the Scottish Conservative's Shadow Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture since May 2021.

The Right Honourable
Donald Cameron
MSP
Official portrait, 2016
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Highlands and Islands
(1 of 7 Regional MSPs)
Assumed office
5 May 2016
Scottish Conservative portfolios
2017–2018Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform
2018–2020Shadow Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy
Feb–Aug 2020Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance
2020–2021;
2016–2017		Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport
2021–presentShadow Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture
Personal details
Born (1976-11-26) 26 November 1976
London, United Kingdom
Political partyScottish Conservatives
Spouse
Sarah MacIay
​
(m. 2009)​
Children5
Alma materOriel College, Oxford
City Law School
OccupationAdvocate
WebsiteOfficial website

In October 2023, he succeeded his father as the 28th Lochiel (i.e. hereditary chief) of Clan Cameron.

Background

Donald Cameron was born in St Mary's Hospital, London[1] on 26 November 1976, as the son of Donald Angus Cameron, Master of Lochiel—later Chief of Clan Cameron—and Lady Cecil Cameron (née Kerr), daughter of Lord Lothian.[2] He was educated at Harrow School and graduated with a first-class honours degree in modern history from Oriel College, Oxford and a Diploma in Law from City, University of London.[3][4]

He worked as an advocate for 10 years before his election and acted for a range of clients in public, agricultural and crofting law.[5][6]

Career

Cameron stood as the Scottish Conservative candidate in the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency, coming fourth in the 2010 general election;[5] he came third contesting Orkney and Shetland in 2015.

In 2016, Cameron stood as a candidate at Argyll and Bute for the Scottish Parliament and finished third, but was subsequently elected as the Conservatives' third placed candidate on the Highlands and Islands regional list.[7] He was appointed by the party as their 'Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport'.[8][9]

In 2017, Cameron was appointed the Scottish Conservatives' 2021 Policy Co-ordinator.[10]

In February 2020, Cameron was appointed Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance by the Scottish Conservative Leader Jackson Carlaw.[11]

In August 2020, Cameron was appointed Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport by the new Leader of the Scottish Conservatives Douglas Ross.[12] In May 2021, he was appointed Shadow Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture.[13]

Cameron helped re-establish the Cross Party Group on Health Inequalities and was one of three co-convenors of the group until May 2021. He remains a member of the group. He is Co-convenor of the Cross Party Group on MS and he is the vice-convenor of the Cross Party Group on Gàidhlig. He also sits on various other cross-party groups including those on Beer & Pubs and Crofting.

On 12 January 2022, Cameron joined his leader Ross in calling for Boris Johnson to resign as Conservative party leader and Prime Minister over the Westminster lockdown parties controversy along with a majority of Scottish Conservative MSPs.[14]

Upon the death of his father in October 2023, he assumed the chiefship of Clan Cameron, becoming the 28th Lochiel.[15]

Personal life

Cameron is married to Sarah Elizabeth MacIay, daughter of Hon. Angus Grenfell MacIay and thus a niece of Lord MacIay. They have four sons and a daughter.[1][16][17]

Ancestry

References
  1. Burke’s Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage (107th ed.). Burke's Peerage. 2003. p. 653. ISBN 978-0-9711966-2-9.
  2. McDonald, Sally (14 December 2021). "Reluctant aristocrat Lady Cecil Cameron on writing her debut novel at 73". The Sunday Post.
  3. ‘CAMERON, Donald Andrew John’, Who's Who 2017, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017
  4. Cameron, Donald. "Donald Cameron" (PDF). Murray Stable. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 October 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  5. "D. Cameron is Conservatives' man for Argyll and Bute (but not that one)". The Buteman. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  6. "Conservative candidate named". The Shetland Times. 16 March 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  7. "Election 2016: Highlands and Islands Scottish Parliament region". BBC News. 6 May 2016.
  8. "Donald Cameron / Political Activities". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  9. "Ruth Davidson brings new Tory MSPs into Shadow Cabinet". The Daily Telegraph. 19 May 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  10. "Shadow cabinet reshuffle to 'put Sturgeon on notice'". Scottish Conservatives. 28 June 2017.
  11. "Donald Cameron is Shadow Finance Secretary". Hebrides News. We Love Stornoway. 1 February 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  12. "Ruth Davidson in frontline comeback to lead tory group holyrood". Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  13. Hutcheon, Paul (20 May 2021). "Douglas Ross announces new Scottish Conservative team after shadow cabinet reshuffle". Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  14. Green, Chris [@ChrisGreenNews] (12 January 2022). "Majority of Scottish Tories' 31 MSPs at Holyrood now openly calling for the Prime Minister to resign" (Tweet). Retrieved 12 January 2022 – via Twitter.
  15. Clan Cameron mourns death of its Chief
  16. Ferguson, John (29 April 2018). "Tory doubles income from £6.5m Highland estate but says he doesn't make a penny". Daily Record. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  17. Linklater, Magnus (3 March 2018). "Donald Cameron: 'I'm not ashamed of my background'". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
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