Tess White

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Tess White
MSP
Tess White 2021.jpg
Swearing in, 2021
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for North East Scotland
(1 of 7 Regional MSPs)
Assumed office
8 May 2021
Personal details
Political party Scottish Conservatives

Tess White is a Scottish Conservative politician, serving as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the North East Scotland Region since being elected in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election. [1]

Contents

Career

White worked in the oil and gas industry and served as a board director at Shell Renewables, vice president of Shell International and HR director at Centrica. [2]

Political career

White unsuccessfully stood as the Conservative candidate for Dundee West at the 2019 United Kingdom general election, [3] where she came in third with 5,149 votes (12.4%). [4]

Member of the Scottish Parliament

White ran as the Conservative candidate for Dundee City West at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, finishing third, with 10.3% of the vote. [5] She was elected on the regional list in North East Scotland. [6]

White was appointed Shadow Minister for Equalities for the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party in autumn 2024 and sits on the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee in the Scottish Parliament. [7] White lodged a motion to remove Green MSP Maggie Chapman from the Committee after her comments at a protest in Aberdeen that “bigotry, prejudice and hatred” is “coming from the Supreme Court and from so many other institutions in our society”. [8] The Faculty of Advocates said Ms Chapman's remarks failed "to respect the Rule of Law". [9]

White was previously Shadow Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport and a member of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. [10] She helped to lead a cross-party campaign to introduce life-saving testing for pre-eclampsia across Scotland for expectant mothers. [11] She sits on several cross-party groups, including Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, Sport, Women’s Health, and Men’s Violence Against Women and Girls. [12]

During a session of First Ministers' Questions on 2 September 2021, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was answering a question about anti-Irish and anti-Catholic discrimination in Scotland. As Sturgeon said "...anybody who chooses to live in Scotland [...] this is their home", White interrupted and shouted across the chamber, "unless you're English". [13] She later apologised and withdrew her remark in the parliamentary chamber. [14]

On 12 January 2022, White called for Boris Johnson to resign as Conservative party leader and Prime Minister over the Westminster lockdown parties controversy along with a majority of Scottish Conservative MSPs. [15]

In May 2025, she was selected as the Conservative candidate for Angus North and Mearns for the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. [16]

White was nominated as Backbencher of the Year and Political Hero of the Year, along with Claire Baker MSP and Michelle Thomson MSP, as part of the Holyrood Political Awards 2025. [17]

Personal life

White is married. She is also a 2nd Dan Black Belt in Karate, as well as a keen golfer and swimmer. [18] [19] [20]

References

  1. Gossip, Alastair (8 May 2021). "Aberdeen city council co-leader to step down as Tories dominate list vote and Alba miss out". Press and Journal. Aberdeen Journals Ltd. DC Thomson Media. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  2. Penman, Hamish (9 May 2021). "Scottish Election: North-east MSPs set out vision for energy transition". Energy Voice. DC Thomson Media. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  3. Bell, Matteo (11 December 2019). "General Election 2019 - who are the candidates vying for the Dundee West seat?". Evening Telegraph. DC Thomson Media. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  4. "Dundee West parliamentary constituency - Election 2019 - BBC News". BBC. BBC. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  5. "Dundee City West - Scottish Parliament constituency - BBC News". BBC News. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
  6. Finnis, Alexander (6 May 2021). "The full list of candidates standing in the 2021 Scottish election". inews.co.uk. Associated Newspaper Ltd. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  7. "About Tess White" . Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  8. "Maggie Chapman survives attempt to remove her from equalities committee". Holyrood. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  9. "Faculty protests MSP's attack on the Judiciary". The Faculty of Advocates. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  10. "About Tess White" . Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  11. "'Breakthrough' as first NHS board brings in vital pregnancy test". The Sunday Post. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  12. "About Tess White" . Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  13. Andrews, Kieran (2 September 2021). "Nicola Sturgeon 'deeply offended' over anti-English accusation by Tess White". The Times . ISSN   0140-0460 . Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  14. "Tory MSP apologises after 'anti-English' slur against Sturgeon". The Herald . 2 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  15. Green, Chris [@ChrisGreenNews] (12 January 2022). "Majority of Scottish Tories' 31 MSPs at Holyrood now openly calling for the Prime Minister to resign" (Tweet). Retrieved 12 January 2022 via Twitter.
  16. https://www.anguscountyworld.co.uk/news/politics/tess-white-chosen-as-conservative-candidate-for-angus-north-and-mearns-5132087
  17. "Holyrood Garden Party & Political Awards 2025". Holyrood. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  18. "About Tess White" . Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  19. Boyle, Janet (25 July 2023). "Sister's ordeal left MSP 'open to considering a change in the law' on rights to assisted dying". The Sunday Post.
  20. White, Tess [@TessWhite4NE] (13 July 2024). "My Scottish wife who was born in Wales will be supporting England tomorrow for what will be brilliant football!
    This below is a shameful. Sad to see.<be/>We are a United Kingdom"
    (Tweet) via Twitter.