Neil Gray
Neil Gray is a Scottish politician and member of the Scottish National Party (SNP) serving as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care since 2024.[1][2] Born and raised in Orkney, he attended Kirkwall Grammar School and graduated from the University of Stirling in 2008 with a degree in politics and journalism.[1] Prior to entering politics, Gray worked as constituency office manager for SNP MSP Alex Neil.[1] He was elected as Member of Parliament for Airdrie and Shotts in 2015, holding the seat until 2021, after which he successfully stood for the Scottish Parliament constituency of the same name.[2][3] In the Scottish Government, Gray has held ministerial portfolios including wellbeing economy, fair work, energy, and international development before his current health role.[1]Early life
Upbringing and education
Neil Gray was born on 16 March 1986 in Kirkwall, Orkney, and raised on the islands in a tight-knit rural community.[4][5] His father, hailing from Torry in Aberdeen and described locally as a "Torry loon," was medically discharged from the British Army in his twenties following a brain tumour diagnosis; he endured major surgery and subsequent health limitations but stayed engaged in community life.[6] Gray's mother served as a special needs teacher and participated actively in local affairs alongside her husband.[6] He attended a small primary school on Orkney, comprising just four pupils in his class, which fostered a close environment atypical of mainland schooling.[7] Gray then progressed to Kirkwall Grammar School for secondary education, where he first voiced support for Scottish independence by standing on a chair during a class discussion—a stance he later reflected positioned him as "probably the black sheep of the class."[6][1] In 2004, Gray relocated to mainland Scotland to enroll at the University of Stirling, graduating in 2008 with a first-class Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in politics and journalism.[8][1][5] This academic focus aligned with his emerging interest in media and public affairs, building on earlier experience as a producer and reporter for BBC Radio Orkney starting in 2003.[9]Political career
Pre-parliamentary involvement
Prior to his election to the UK House of Commons in 2015, Neil Gray engaged in roles supporting the Scottish National Party (SNP) and its elected representatives. Following his graduation from the University of Stirling in 2008, where he studied politics after initially pursuing sport, psychology, and media studies, Gray secured a position as a press and research intern with the SNP's parliamentary group at the Scottish Parliament.[5] In this capacity, he transitioned to working directly for SNP MSP Alex Neil, beginning around 2008 and advancing to constituency office manager for Neil's Airdrie and Shotts office by 2011.[1][5] Gray managed daily operations in the office, which supported Neil during his tenure as a Scottish Government cabinet secretary for health and wellbeing from 2011 onward. He also oversaw Neil's re-election campaign for the Scottish Parliament in the Airdrie and Shotts constituency, handling tasks such as drafting materials and coordinating logistics.[10] These experiences within the SNP's infrastructure provided Gray with practical involvement in constituency-level politics and party organization, focusing on central Scotland rather than his Orkney birthplace, prior to his selection as the SNP candidate for Airdrie and Shotts in the 2015 UK general election.[11]Service in the House of Commons
Neil Gray first served as the Scottish National Party Member of Parliament for Airdrie and Shotts from 8 May 2015 to 3 May 2017, following his election in the 2015 general election.[12] During this initial term, he was appointed to the House of Commons Finance Committee and the Joint Committee on the Palace of Westminster, contributing to scrutiny of public spending and restoration works at the Palace.[13] Gray lost the seat to Labour's Marty Brennan in the 2017 general election but regained it in the 2019 general election held on 12 December, securing a majority of 5,718 votes.[14] In his second term, from 2019 to 2021, he focused on social security and pensions issues, opening debates on reductions to Employment Support Allowance and Universal Credit assessments, and participating in discussions on universal basic income proposals.[15][16] He served on the Public Bill Committee examining the Pension Schemes Bill during its third and fourth sittings in November 2020, advocating for stronger protections in defined benefit pension schemes.[17] Gray also engaged in debates on European Union citizenship rights post-Brexit and safer drug consumption facilities, supporting evidence-based pilots to reduce harm.[18][19] Gray resigned from the House of Commons on 24 March 2021 to contest the Airdrie and Shotts seat in the Scottish Parliament election, triggering a by-election won by Labour's Anum Qaisar.[12][20] Throughout his Commons service, he tabled early day motions, written questions, and participated in over 100 recorded contributions in Hansard.[21][22]Election to the Scottish Parliament
Neil Gray, the Scottish National Party (SNP) Member of Parliament for Airdrie and Shotts since 2015, resigned from the House of Commons on 24 March 2021 to contest the Scottish Parliament election for the same constituency.[14] This move followed the retirement of the incumbent MSP Alex Neil, who had held the seat for the SNP since 1999.[2] Gray was selected as the SNP candidate, campaigning on themes of Scottish independence, public service recovery post-COVID-19, and local economic development in North Lanarkshire.[2] The 2021 Scottish Parliament election took place on 6 May 2021, using the Additional Member System, with Airdrie and Shotts as a first-past-the-post constituency seat. Gray secured victory, retaining the seat for the SNP with a reduced but substantial majority. Voter turnout in the constituency was 59.0%, an increase of 9.7 percentage points from 2016.[23][24] The constituency results were as follows:| Candidate | Party | Votes | Percentage | Change from 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neil Gray | Scottish National Party | 16,139 | 50.6% | -1.9% |
| Richard Leonard | Scottish Labour Party | 10,671 | 33.4% | +4.2% |
| Ross Lambie | Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party | 4,422 | 13.9% | -1.8% |
| John Cole | Scottish Liberal Democrats | 562 | 1.8% | -0.8% |
| Jimmy Dowson | Independent | 132 | 0.4% | +0.4% |