Kirsty McNeill MP
Biography
Kirsty McNeill is the Scottish Labour and Co-operative MP for Midlothian and the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland.
Career before politics
Immediately before her election to parliament Kirsty was an Executive Director at Save the Children, leading a team of 160 to deliver practical support to families across the UK and award-winning campaigns on international development and humanitarian action.
Between 2007 and 2011 she was an advisor to Gordon Brown, working first with him in Downing Street when he was prime minister and latterly with Gordon and his wife Sarah on their charitable and social change projects.
She has extensive non-executive experience having chaired IPPR, the Civic Power Fund, Larger Us and the advisory board of Our Scottish Future. She is a former board member of The Center for Countering Digital Hate, The Labour Climate and Environment Forum, The Climate Coalition, The Holocaust Educational Trust and The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. She was a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations alongside foreign ministers, former prime ministers and leaders from NATO.
She is the co-author of a Fabian Society pamphlet (Counter Culture: How to resist the culture wars and build 21st century solidarity) and author of chapters in two recent books (Raising the Nation and Children’s Experience, Participation and Rights During COVID-19). She has written for outlets including the Telegraph, Times, Observer, Guardian, New Statesman and Scotsman.
Personal life
Kirsty grew up in a family of SNP activists, creating a life-long interest in how to disagree well. Her interest in social justice was spurred by understanding how badly her mum had been failed by the care system, leading to her policy interests in children and young people, Care Experience, class inequality and poverty. She is a trade unionist and co-operator.
Ministerial Portfolio
- Business Engagement*
- Charities, voluntary and third sector
- Communities, including: structural funds/City and Growth Deals*
- Connectivity, broadcasting, broadband, science, space and technology
- Data, digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI)
- Environment and nature
- Health
- Opportunities, including, equalities, education, employment
- Scotland Act Orders*
- Security, including, Migration and Justice system
- Tourism, heritage and culture
- Rural and Islands, including fisheries and agriculture
- Welfare - reducing child poverty*
*shared responsibility