Eilidh Whiteford

Whiteford was born in 1969 in Aberdeen and grew up in Macduff, Banffshire. She attended Banff Academy and has been active in the SNP since joining her local branch in 1986 during the run-up to Alex Salmond's election in 1987.[4] She graduated from Glasgow University with First Class Honours in English and Scottish Literature, followed by postgraduate studies in Canada and Scotland that led to a PhD in 1998. While at university, she became involved with the Federation of Student Nationalists, first as National Organiser and then as President, sitting on the SNP National Executive and acting as party spokesperson on Higher Education. In 1992, she worked in the Peterhead office for Alex Salmond.

She returned to the North East in early 1998 to work for Allan Macartney MEP. After Macartney died in August 1998, she worked for Ian Hudghton MEP until the 1999 elections, and later helped new MSP Irene McGugan establish a constituency office in the first term of the Scottish Parliament.

She became a lecturer at Glasgow University in 1999 teaching Scottish Literature and developing access routes into higher education for mature students (in Glasgow University's adult and continuing education department).

In 2001, she moved into a campaigning role in the voluntary sector as Co-ordinator of the Scottish Carers' Alliance, a network of carer, disability and children's organisations working for the rights of and to support people looking after elderly, sick or disabled relatives or friends at home.[5]

In 2003 she moved to Oxfam where she worked as a policy adviser and campaigns manager for over six years in a role that took her to many parts of the world. Closer to home, Whiteford was actively involved in the Make Poverty History campaign in 2005 and helped establish the Scottish Fair Trade Forum.[6] In 2006 she was chair of Global Call to Action Against Poverty Scotland.[7] She also promoted development issues with members of the Scottish Parliament, and immediately after the Make Poverty History campaign, became Oxfam's Scottish Campaigns Manager. She left this post in 2009, to stand as a SNP candidate for Banff and Buchan.[8] She sat on the Board of Turning Point Scotland until 2011.[9][10]

Whiteford maintains her interests in social policy and global issues as a volunteer for several charities, and previously sat on the Board Jubilee Scotland.[11]

Whiteford was first elected for Banff and Buchan on 6 May 2010.[12] She made her maiden speech at 20:47 on 7 June 2010 on Constitution and Home Affairs[13] stating that "a very great deal is at stake in our constitutional arrangements. Banff and Buchan's local economy depends heavily on agriculture, fisheries and energy and the manufacturing industries associated with them". She held SNP's Westminster Spokesperson posts: for Women 15 June 2010 – 20 May 2015; for Fishing, Food and Rural Affairs 15 June 2010 – 20 May 2015; and for International Development 15 June 2010 – 20 May 2015. She sat on the Scottish Affairs Select Committee 12 July 2010 – 30 March 2015.[14]

In the 2015 general election, Whiteford was re-elected as the MP for Banff and Buchan, winning 60.2% of the vote in the constituency and increasing the SNP's majority to 31.5%.[15] She was the Shadow SNP Westminster Group Leader (Social Justice and Welfare) 21 May 2015 – 3 May 2017.[14]

In the 2017 election, she lost the seat to David Duguid, one of her former schoolmates, of the Conservative party.[16]

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• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
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