Aileen Campbell

(1 of 7 Regional MSPs)

Aileen Campbell
Official portrait, 2018
Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government
In office 26 June 2018 –20 May 2021
In office 3 May 2007 –5 May 2011

Personal detailsBorn (1980-05-18) 18 May 1980 (age 43)
Perth, Scotland Political party Scottish National Party SpouseGraham Fraser WhiteChildren2 Alma mater University of Glasgow

Aileen Elizabeth Campbell (born 18 May 1980) is a Scottish football administrator and former politician who has served as the chief executive of Scottish Women's Football since 2021. A member of the Scottish National Party, she was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for fourteen years and was a Scottish Government minister for ten, having served on the Scottish Cabinet as Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government, from 2018 to 2021.

Born and raised in Perth, Campbell is a politics and history graduate of the University of Glasgow. ^{[1] [2]} She served as the National Convenor of the SNP's youth wing from 2005 to 2006, and was an editor for the Keystone magazine. Before becoming an elected official, she worked for politicians like Nicola Sturgeon, Shona Robison and Stewart Hosie. ^{[3] [4]} In the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, she stood as the SNP's candidate for the Clydesdale constituency, but came second. Although she failed to win, Campbell was elected as an additional member for the South of Scotland region. In the 2011 election, she successfully defeated Scottish Labour's Karen Gillon in Clydesdale.

After Campbell's re-election to the Scottish Parliament, she was appointed a junior minister in the Scottish Government as Minister for Local Government and Planning, a post she held for seven months. From 2011 to 2016, she served as Minister for Children and Young People. In December 2014, she became the first person to take maternity leave while serving as a minister in government. ^[5] After being re-elected in 2016, Campbell was appointed the role of Minister for Public Health and Sport. ^{[6] [7]} In 2018, following a cabinet reshuffle, Campbell was promoted to Cabinet and served as Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government. In March 2020, she announced her intention to step down as an MSP, therefore relinquishing her role in government. ^[8]

Early life

Campbell was born on 18 May 1980 in Perth, Scotland. She grew up on her parents' tenant farm in Perthshire and was educated at Collace Primary School and Perth Academy. ^[1] She studied Politics and History at the University of Glasgow. From 2005−06 Campbell was national convener of the SNP youth wing, the Young Scots for Independence. ^[2] Since graduating, she has worked as editor of construction magazine Keystone and was editorial assistant on a short-lived pro-independence newspaper, the Scottish Standard . Before her election to Parliament, Campbell also worked for Nicola Sturgeon and as a researcher for Shona Robison and Stewart Hosie. ^{[3] [4]}

Member of the Scottish Parliament

Official parliamentary portrait, 2011

At the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, Campbell was the SNP candidate for the Clydesdale constituency where she finished second but was subsequently elected as an additional member for the South of Scotland region due to her being fifth on the SNP's regional list.

Campbell suffered a minor injury on 23 January 2008, receiving medical treatment at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary before returning to the parliament for a vote. ^[9] The vote was won by 64 votes to 62. ^[10]

In early 2009, Campbell launched the "Play it again" scheme with the Scottish Arts Council and others to encourage people across Scotland to donate their unwanted and unloved musical instruments to be passed on to children across the country to give them the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of music. ^{[11] [12]} Campbell was nominated for Real Radio's "Best New Scottish Politician 2009 Award". ^[13]

Campbell was elected as MSP for Clydesdale on 5 May 2011 after receiving an 8.9% swing from Labour, giving her a majority of 4,216.

She served as Minister for Local Government and Planning from 25 May 2011 until 6 December 2011. ^[14] when she was moved to the position of Minister for Children and Young People. On 18 December 2014, Campbell began maternity leave and Fiona McLeod acted as Minister for Children and Young People until Campbell returned on 1 September 2015. This was the first time that a Minister of the Scottish Government had taken maternity leave. ^[5]

In the 2016 election she was re-elected as the MSP for Clydesdale with an increased majority. ^[7]

Help to buy a home, Nicola Sturgeon, Louisa Harper, Nicola Barclay and Campbell.

On 18 May 2016 she was moved to the post of Minister for Public Health and Sport in a reshuffle; ^[6] as part of her role as Public Health Minister she oversaw a 22% cut in government funding to drug and alcohol rehabilitation programmes from £69.2 million to £53.8 million. At the time, Scottish Drugs Forum Chief Executive David Liddell said he was concerned that the cuts had "the potential to increase harm and drug-related deaths." ^[15] That year 867 Scots lost their lives to drugs – an increase of 23% on the previous year's figures – and the SNP insisted it was part of a trend seen across much Europe. ^[16] In December 2020 figures were released revealing that 1,264 people in Scotland had died from drug overdoses in 2019 – the highest number in Europe per head and more than double the number in 2014. ^[17] Sturgeon sacked Campbell's successor as Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick and in April 2021 said of the crisis: "I think we [the Scottish Government] took our eye off the ball." ^[18]

She was made Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government on 26 June 2018. Following her elevation to the cabinet The Times reported that her promotion, "has bemused many. It was on her watch that the named person legislation, which has caused the SNP so much trouble, was introduced, while her record on drugs policy is regarded by many inside the party as deplorable." ^[19]

In February 2020 Campbell wrote to MSPs voicing concerns about a Labour party proposal to provide women and trans men in Scotland with free sanitary products. Campbell said the Scottish Government had “grave concerns” over the plans' “deliverability” and cost. She also said she was worried about "people outside Scotland seeking access to the products". ^[20]

On 8 March 2020, she announced that she would step down at the next election to spend more time with her family. ^[8]

Football

After leaving politics, Campbell was appointed as chief executive of Scottish Women's Football, the governing body of women's football in Scotland, in August 2021. On her first day in the role, she had to deal with the withdrawal of Forfar Farmington F.C. from the Scottish Women's Premier League. ^[21]

Personal life

Campbell married Graham Fraser White in Collace Kirk, Perthshire, on 15 August 2009. ^[22]

See also

• Government of the 3rd Scottish Parliament
• Government of the 4th Scottish Parliament

References

1. Buie, Elizabeth (13 January 2012). "Aileen Campbell". TES . Retrieved 22 May 2016.
2. "SNP names Holyrood candidate". Carluke Gazette. 28 June 2006. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
3. "Aileen Campbell". The SNP. Archived from the original on 2 February 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
4. "Minister for Public Health and Sport - gov.scot". beta.gov.scot. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
5. "New ministerial line-up unveiled" (Press release). Scottish Government. 21 November 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
6. "Who is in the 2016 Scottish cabinet?". BBC News. 18 May 2016.
7. "Clydesdale goes with the flow in election". Carluke Gazette. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
8. "SNP minister Aileen Campbell quits for better 'work-life balance'". 8 March 2020 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
9. "MSP returns despite soup incident". BBC News. 23 January 2008.
10. "Scots budget clears first hurdle". BBC News. 23 January 2008.
11. "Musical cast-offs play it again". BBC News. 2 January 2009.
12. "Franz Ferdinand bassist in call for old instruments". The Herald. 2 January 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
13. Real Radio
14. "Previous MSPs: Session 4: Campbell, Aileen". Scottish Parliament . Retrieved 22 May 2016.
15. "Health boards told to fill £15 million cut in funding for drug and alcohol care".
16. "Drug deaths in Scotland rose by 23% in 2016". BBC News. 15 August 2017.
17. "Scotland's drug deaths rise to new record". BBC News. 15 December 2020. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
18. "Sturgeon: We took our eye off the ball on drug deaths". HeraldScotland. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
19. Boothman, John (1 July 2018). "Sturgeon's reshuffle blindsided by transphobic blog made by Gillian Martin, her pick for junior education minister". The Sunday Times . Retrieved 12 March 2022.
20. Hutcheon, Paul (11 February 2020). "SNP Government criticised for "tampon raid" fear in opposing period poverty Bill". Daily Record.
21. "Time to 'awaken women to football'". BBC Sport. 23 August 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
22. "Salmond sends wedding wish". Edinburgh Evening News . 15 August 2009. Retrieved 9 May 2015.

External links

• Scottish Parliament profiles of MSPs: Aileen Campbell
• Personal website
• Daily Record Coverage of Play it Again
• Scotsman Coverage of Play it Again ^{[ permanent dead link ]}

Scottish Parliament
Preceded by Karen Gillon	Member of the Scottish Parliament for Clydesdale 2011–2021	Succeeded by Màiri McAllan