Ben Macpherson | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2021 | |
| Minister for Higher and Further Education | |
| Assumed office 21 September 2025 | |
| First Minister | John Swinney |
| Preceded by | Graeme Dey |
| Minister for Social Security and Local Government | |
| In office 20 May 2021 – 29 March 2023 | |
| First Minister | Nicola Sturgeon |
| Preceded by | Kevin Stewart |
| Succeeded by | Joe FitzPatrick |
| Minister for Public Finance and Migration | |
| In office 17 February 2020 – 20 May 2021 | |
| First Minister | Nicola Sturgeon |
| Preceded by | Kate Forbes |
| Succeeded by | Tom Arthur |
| Minister for Europe, Migration and International Development | |
| In office 27 June 2018 – 17 February 2020 | |
| First Minister | Nicola Sturgeon |
| Preceded by | Alasdair Allan |
| Succeeded by | Jenny Gilruth |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament forEdinburgh Northern and Leith | |
| Assumed office 5 May 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Malcolm Chisholm |
| Majority | 6,746 (18.2%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ben Macpherson 12 July 1984[1] Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Political party | Scottish National Party |
| Website | benmacpherson |
Ben Macpherson (born 12 July 1984) is a Scottish politician who is currently serving as theMinister for Higher and Further Education in theScottish Government. A member of theScottish National Party (SNP), he has been theMember of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for theEdinburgh Northern and Leith constituency since2016.
He previously served asMinister for Social Security and Local Government in the Scottish Government from May 2021 to March 2023, having previously served as Minister for Europe, Migration and International Development (June 2018-February 2020),Minister for Public Finance and Migration (February 2020-December 2020) and Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment (December 2020-May 2021).
Macpherson attended Flora Stevenson Primary School and thenGeorge Heriot's School.[2] He then graduated from theUniversity of York with a degree in philosophy and politics. He later studied law at theUniversity of Edinburgh.[3]
As a youth, Macpherson was involved in the localLabour Party.[1] When he was sixteen, in 2002 he did work experience with his local MSPMalcolm Chisholm, whose constituency he later represented.[1] He became a member of the SNP in 2005,[3] having left Labour in 2003 due to theIraq War and lack of sufficient progress on social justice.[1]
He worked in a number of different roles and sectors, including time as abartender, for awave energy company and as a clerical assistant atJames Gillespie's High School.[1] He then trained as alawyer, working for the firmBrodies.[1]
In the summer of 2004 he walked from Edinburgh to London to raise awareness of the annualInternational Day of Peace.[4] Growing up he was a keen footballer and played for several teams in Edinburgh and the University of York's 1st Team.[5][1] In 2003, he lived briefly in China, working as a volunteer English teacher in Wujiang.[5]
In August 2015, Macpherson was selected from a field of ten contenders as the SNP candidate for theEdinburgh Northern and Leith constituency, having been supported by former SNP leaderAlex Salmond and Edinburgh Southern MSPJim Eadie.[3] Tipped as "one of the SNP’s rising stars",[3] at theMay 2016 Scottish Parliament election Macpherson won the seat with a 10%swing from Labour.[6] He succeeded Malcolm Chisholm, who had retired.[6]
As abackbencher, he served on the JusticeCommittee and the Social Security Committee, and was a Parliamentary Liaison Officer to theFirst Minister.[7] On 27 June 2018, he was appointed asMinister for Europe, Migration and International Development in theScottish Government.[8] He served in this role until February 2020, when he becameMinister for Public Finance and Migration.In December 2020, he was appointed Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment.[9]
Macpherson was re-elected at the2021 Scottish Parliament election,[10] when his constituency was the last to declare a result.[11] In the subsequentministerial reshuffle, Macpherson was appointed on 19 May asMinister for Social Security and Local Government.[12] He left the role on 29 March 2023, after declining to serve in theYousaf Government.[13]
| Scottish Parliament | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the Scottish Parliament forEdinburgh Northern and Leith 2016–present | Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Minister for Europe, Migration and International Development 2018–2020 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Public Finance and Migration 2020–2021 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Social Security and Local Government 2021–2023 | Succeeded by |