Derek Mackay

Mackay attended Kirklandneuk Primary School and Renfrew High School.[3] He later studied at the University of Glasgow, pursuing but ultimately abandoning a course in social work.[4] He joined the SNP at 16 and was involved in both the youth, where he served as National Convener from 1998–2002, and student movements.[3] He was first elected as a councillor for Renfrewshire Council at the age of 21 in 1999, making him at the time the youngest male councillor in Scotland.[3]

Mackay was first elected as a councillor in 1999, representing the Blythswood Ward on Renfrewshire Council. After his election in 1999, he won three successive ward elections and became leader of Renfrewshire Council in May 2007, taking the SNP from opposition to lead the administration for the first time.[5] He became a national figure in local government, leading the SNP group in the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) from 2009 to 2011.[5] He coordinated the SNP campaign in the 2012 Scottish local government elections and the 2017 general election.[6]

At the 2011 election, Mackay was adopted for the new constituency of Renfrewshire North and West while also being placed third on the SNP regional list for West Scotland region. Upon his election as the constituency MSP for Renfrewshire North and West, he was placed on the Finance Committee and also appointed as the SNP's Business Convener and Parliamentary Liaison Officer to the Cabinet Secretary for Parliamentary Business and Government Strategy Bruce Crawford MSP.

Following a mini-reshuffle Mackay replaced Aileen Campbell as Minister for Local Government and Planning on 7 December 2011. When Nicola Sturgeon became First Minister of Scotland he was appointed as Minister for Transport and Islands.[7]

Following the Scottish Parliament election in 2016, Mackay was promoted to the Scottish Cabinet to serve as Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution.[5] After a reshuffle in June 2018, Economy and Fair Work was added to his portfolio.[5]

In June 2011, Mackay was appointed as the SNP's Business Convener (party chair), succeeding Bruce Crawford. The Business Convener is responsible for chairing the SNP's Party Conference and the National Executive Committee; overseeing the party's management, administration and operations, as well as the coordination of election campaigns; working with the Chief Executive of Headquarters in setting priorities. Mackay stepped down from the role in October 2018.

Mackay came out as gay in 2013 and separated from his wife.[14] They have two sons together, who were aged 12 and 9 in February 2017.[15] Mackay lives in Bishopton, Renfrewshire, near Glasgow, with his partner, a physiotherapist.[6] He lists his personal interests as reading, running and going to the gym. He is involved with the Paisley Fairtrade Partnership, and is a member of CND and Amnesty International.[16] He was the Honorary Vice President of the Battalion for Paisley and District Boys' Brigade,[17] until being removed from the position following his resignation scandal.[18]

In February 2020, it was reported by a former senior SNP staff member that Nicola Sturgeon had banned Mackay from drinking at SNP conferences, because of reports around his behaviour. Mackay joked to attendees at the 2017 party conference that they would not see him later as, "Nicola won't let me".[19][8] It was also reported that Mackay had sent unwanted private social media messages to a teenage boy aged 16 in 2016, which continued over the next four years.[8][20]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Derek Mackay.

• personal website
• biography pages on Scottish Parliament website
• "Derek Mackay MSP". Scottish National Party. Archived from the original on 9 June 2017.