Shirley-Anne Somerville

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Shirley-Anne Somerville
MSP
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Shirley-Anne Somerville, 2021.jpg
Official Portrait, 2018
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills
Assumed office
20 May 2021
First MinisterNicola Sturgeon
Preceded byJohn Swinney
Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People
In office
26 June 2018 – 20 May 2021
First MinisterNicola Sturgeon
Preceded byJeane Freeman
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science
In office
18 May 2016 – 26 June 2018
Preceded byAlasdair Allan
Succeeded byRichard Lochhead
Parliamentary offices
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Dunfermline
Assumed office
5 May 2016
Preceded byCara Hilton
Majority4,558
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Lothians
(1 of 7 Regional MSPs)
In office
31 August 2007 – 22 March 2011
Preceded byStefan Tymkewycz
Succeeded byConstituency Abolished
Personal details
Born (1974-09-02) 2 September 1974 (age 47)
Cardenden, Scotland
NationalityScottish
Political partyScottish National Party
Children2
Alma materQueen Margaret University
University of Strathclyde
University of Stirling

Shirley-Anne Somerville (born 2 September 1974) is a Scottish politician serving as Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills since May 2021. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Dunfermline since 2016, having previously served as an additional member for the Lothians region from 2007 to 2011.

Born in Kirkcaldy, Somerville attended the University of Strathclyde, and later the University of Stirling, earning a BA (Hons) in Economics and Politics, and a Diploma in Housing studies respectively. After graduating, she worked as a Policy and Public Affairs Officer, and in 2006 she attended the Queen Margaret University.[1] In the 2007 Scottish election, she was an SNP candidate for the Edinburgh Central constituency, but failed to win the seat, coming third. Following the resignation of Stefan Tymkewycz, Somerville succeeded him as the MSP for the Lothian region. She lost her seat in the 2011 election and in 2012 was announced as a director of Yes Scotland. After losing the 2013 Dunfermline by-election, she stood down as director of communities.

In the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, Somerville was elected to serve as the MSP for the Dunfermline constituency. She served as Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science from 2016 to 2018, before being appointed to the Scottish Cabinet as Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People in Nicola Sturgeon's 2018 cabinet reshuffle. Somerville was re-elected to the Scottish Parliament in the 2021 election, and in Sturgeon's third government, she was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills.[2] Following her appointment, she announced that the Scottish Qualifications Authority and Education Scotland would be reformed, following widespread criticism.[3]

Early life[]

Shirley-Anne Somerville was born on 2 September 1974 in Kirkcaldy.[4] She was educated at Kirkcaldy High School, before attending the University of Strathclyde from 1992 to 1996, graduating with a BA (Hons) in Economics and Politics. From 1997 to 1999, Somerville attended the University of Stirling, where she gained a Diploma in Housing Studies. Before being elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2007, she attended the Queen Margaret University, where she took a Diploma in Public Relations.[1][5]

Somerville worked as a parliamentary researcher for Duncan Hamilton, who was the MSP for Highlands and Islands. From 2001 to 2004, she was a Policy and Public Affairs Officer at the Chartered Institute of Housing, before working as a Media and Campaigns Officer at the Royal College of Nursing from 2004 to 2007.[1][5]

Somerville (left), John Swinney (centre), and Michael Russell (right)

Political career[]

Parliamentary candidate[]

Somerville stood as the SNP's candidate for Kirkcaldy at the 2001 UK general election, where she came in 2nd place with 22.2% of the vote. In the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, she was the candidate in the Edinburgh Central constituency, where she came in 3rd place with 25.5% of the vote.

Member of the Scottish Parliament[]

On 31 August 2007, Stefan Tymkewycz resigned his seat in the Scottish Parliament representing the Lothians region in order to concentrate on serving as a City of Edinburgh councillor. Somerville was selected by the SNP to succeed him.[6] In the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, she lost her seat.

Out of Parliament[]

On the launch of the cross-party Yes Scotland campaign in 2012, Somerville was announced as its director of communities.[7] She later stood as the SNP candidate in the Dunfermline by-election, 24th October 2013, coming second behind Cara Hilton of Scottish Labour. She did not return to her position in Yes Scotland after the by-election. She campaigned in favour of Scottish independence in the run up to the 2014 referendum.[7]

Return to Holyrood[]

In the Scottish Parliament election of 2016, Somerville again stood in the Dunfermline constituency. This time she was successful in securing the seat, defeating Cara Hilton on a majority of 4,558 votes.

Junior minister[]

In May 2016, she was appointed Minister of Further Education, Higher Education and Science.[citation needed]

Social Security Secretary[]

Following a cabinet reshuffle, she later succeeded Jeane Freeman as Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People. In February 2021, Christina McKelvie announced a short medical leave. Her role was covered by Somerville as minister for equalities and older people.[8]

Somerville at Scottish Government Press Conference on COVID-19, September 2020

Education Secretary[]

In a cabinet reshuffle on 19 May 2021, she succeeded Deputy First Minister John Swinney as Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills.[9][2]

Personal life[]

Somerville lives in North Queensferry with her husband and two children. She is a trustee of Shelter Scotland, and is a member of the RSPB and the Scottish Wildlife Trust.[10]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP - gov.scot". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Nicola Sturgeon appoints new health and education secretaries". BBC News. 19 May 2021. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021.
  3. ^ "SQA and Education Scotland to be reformed". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Previous MSPs: Session 3 (2007–2011): Somerville, Shirley-Anne". Scottish Parliament. 26 April 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  5. ^ a b Somerville, Shirley-Anne, (born 2 Sept. 1974), Member (SNP) Dunfermline, Scottish Parliament, since 2016; Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People, since 2018. WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U246319. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4.
  6. ^ "MSP announces move to step down". BBC News. 18 August 2007.
  7. ^ a b "Losing SNP by-election candidate leaves Yes job". The Herald. 3 November 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  8. ^ "SNP's Christina McKelvie takes medical leave from ministerial role". BBC News. 25 February 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  9. ^ "New Cabinet appointed". Scottish Government. 19 May 2021.
  10. ^ StDunfermline, 34 Chalmers; KY12 8DFScotl (5 September 2018). "Shirley-Anne Somerville". Scottish National Party. Retrieved 31 July 2021.

External links[]

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