Ross Thomson

Ross Thomson
MP
Member of Parliament
for Aberdeen South
Assumed office
8 June 2017
Preceded by Callum McCaig
Majority 4,752 (10.7%)
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for North East Scotland
In office
12 May 2016 – 13 June 2017
Succeeded by Tom Mason
Personal details
Born (1987-09-21) 21 September 1987
Aberdeen, Scotland
Political party Conservative
Education Bridge of Don Academy
Alma mater University of Aberdeen
Website www.rossthomson.org.uk

Ross Thomson (born 21 September 1987) is a Scottish Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Aberdeen South since 8 June 2017. Thomson is the first Conservative MP elected for Aberdeen South since the 1992 general election.[1] He was Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the North East Scotland region from May 2016 until June 2017.[2] He was elected to the Aberdeen City Council at the 2012 Aberdeen City Council election.[3][4]

Early life

Thomson was born in Aberdeen and educated locally at Bridge of Don Academy.[5] He studied Politics and International Relations at the University of Aberdeen, graduating with a first class MA(Hons) degree in 2009.[6] During his university career, Thomson was the Vice-Chairman of University of Aberdeen Conservative and Unionist Association.

Professional career

Thomson worked as a store trainer for Debenhams between November 2009 and May 2012 (2 years 7 months). He also worked as a customer adviser for Bank of Scotland between October 2010 and June 2011 (9 months). [7]

Political career

He stood for the Scottish Parliament at the 2007 elections for the Coatbridge and Chryston constituency, coming third behind Labour MSP Elaine Smith and the Scottish National Party candidate.[8] He was also third in Aberdeen Donside in 2011

At the United Kingdom general election, 2010, Thomson was selected as the Conservative Party candidate for the Scottish constituency of Gordon, and finished in fourth place; receiving 4,111 votes. He was the youngest Conservative Party candidate for the House of Commons.[9] He was elected to the Aberdeen City Council at the 2012 Aberdeen City Council election.[4]

Thomson contested the Aberdeen Donside by-election in 2013, finishing in fourth place. He stood as the Conservatives' candidate in Aberdeen South during the 2015 general election, and subsequently stood in the Aberdeen South and North Kincardine constituency at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election. In this election, there was a 20% increase in the Conservative vote. Although the Scottish National Party's Maureen Watt retained the seat,[10] Thomson was elected through the Additional Member System as one of the seven representatives of the North East Scotland region.[11]

During his time as a Member of the Scottish Parliament, Thomson was the Scottish Conservative spokesperson for Further Education, Higher Education and Science,[12] and sat on the Education and Skills Committee.[13] Thomson also became a spokesman for Vote Leave in Scotland during the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum as one of the few members of the Scottish Parliament supporting a leave vote.[14][15]

On 8 June 2017, Thomson became the Member of Parliament for Aberdeen South, defeating incumbent Callum McCaig, with 18,746 votes, a 19.3% swing and a majority of 4,752.[16] He stood down from his seat as an MSP after being elected.[17] Since entering the UK Parliament, Thomson has become known as a "hardline" supporter of Brexit.[18]

Controversies

On 5 October 2016, Thomson repaid expenses relating to a night's stay in an Edinburgh hotel.[19]

On 18 April 2018, Thomson was criticised for posts made on his private social media account whilst visiting Baghdad. Thomson was accused of trivialising the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein when he posed for photos at Hussein's military parade ground.[20]

References

  1. ↑ "Ross Thomson MP". UK Parliament.
  2. ↑ "New Tory MPs quit Holyrood for Westminster". 13 June 2017 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  3. ↑ "Candidate chosen for Aberdeen Donside by-election - Scottish Conservatives". Scottish Conservatives. 10 May 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Aberdeen City Council Election 2012: Hazlehead/Ashley/Queen's Cross". STV News. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  5. ↑ Thomson, Ross. ukwhoswho.com. Who's Who. 2018 (February 2018 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  6. ↑ "About Ross | Councillor Ross Thomson: Scottish Conservatives". rossthomson.net. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  7. ↑ Ross, Thomson. "The Scottish Samurai Awards".
  8. ↑ "MSPs". 3 November 2010.
  9. ↑ "ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog: Ross Thomson selected for Gordon".
  10. ↑ "Aberdeen South and North Kincardine - Scottish Parliament constituency - Election 2016". BBC News. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  11. ↑ "North East Scotland - Scottish Parliament electoral region - Election 2016". BBC News. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  12. ↑ "Scottish Conservative appointments for new parliamentary term". Scottish Conservative Party. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  13. ↑ "Membership". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  14. ↑ "Aberdeen to become base for EU leave team". Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  15. ↑ "New MSPs join Vote Leave EU campaign". BBC News. 2016-05-18. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  16. ↑ "North-east 'sends a message' as Ross Thomson takes Aberdeen seat - Evening Express". Evening Express. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  17. ↑ "Newly-elected Tory MPs quit Holyrood for Westminster". BBC News. 13 June 2017.
  18. ↑ "Scottish Tory MP Ross Thomson attacks May's Brexit plan". BBC News. 17 July 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  19. ↑ "Tory MSP repays expenses after aide's hotel stay". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  20. ↑ "Tory MP should resign after 'channelling his inner dictator' on Iraq visit". Evening Times. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Callum McCaig		 Member of Parliament
for Aberdeen South
2017–present		 Incumbent
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