Gillian Mackay | |
|---|---|
 Affirming in 2021 | |
| Co-Leader of the Scottish Greens | |
| Assumed office 29 August 2025 Serving with Ross Greer | |
| Preceded by | Lorna Slater |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament forCentral Scotland (1 of 7 Regional MSPs) | |
| Assumed office 8 May 2021 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gillian Audrey Mackay (1991-08-11)11 August 1991 (age 34)[1] |
| Political party | Scottish Greens |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | Heriot-Watt University |
Gillian Audrey Mackay[2] (born 11 August 1991) is a Scottish politician who has served asco-leader of the Scottish Greens since August 2025. She has been aMember of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for theCentral Scotland region since the2021 Scottish Parliament election.[3] She is the first Green MSP ever to be elected in Central Scotland.[4]
Raised inGrangemouth, Scotland, she is a graduate in marine biodiversity and biotechnology fromHeriot-Watt University. She has the sensory disorderMénière's disease.[5]
Mackay was born to a father fromBrora inSutherland, Scotland and a mother, Audrey, fromPortobello, Edinburgh, also in Scotland.[6] Her mother was a music teacher inFalkirk and died in December 2020.[6] She also has a sister and a brother.[7] She attendedHeriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and playedbadminton,hockey andrugby.[6]
Mackay first entered politics with an internship with theScottish Greens at Holyrood.[5] She received the internship through a program which aimed to support disabled people in politics.[5] She subsequently went on to become a Regional Campaign Support Officer for theLothian region.
Prior to being elected to theScottish Parliament, Mackay was an unsuccessful candidate in theLinlithgow and East Falkirk constituency in the2019 UK general election, and also stood in the2017 City of Edinburgh Council election and the2019 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom.[5]
She is the Scottish Greens' spokesperson for health and social care,[8] and currently sits on the Parliamentary Bureau for the party.[9]
Mackay lodged the draft proposal for her Members Bill, the "Abortion Services Safe Access Zones (Scotland)" on 18 May 2023; with the final proposal lodged on 15 June 2023. The consultation for the Bill received 11,827 personal responses and 52 organisational responses.[10] The Bill subsequently received support from MSP's from all Parties in the Parliament and Mackay secured the right for the Bill to be introduced on 5 October 2023.[11] Formal introduction of the Bill to the Scottish Parliament was completed on 5 October 2023.[12] The Bill passed the Scottish Parliament with a near unanimous support, passing 118–1.[13] The Bill was signed into law on 22 July 2024[14]
In July 2025, Mackay announced her intention to run for election as co-leader of the Scottish Greens in theco-leadership election, a position which she won.[15]
Mackay will be a candidate in theCentral Scotland and Lothians West electoral region in the2026 Scottish Parliament election.[16]
In 2023, Mackay was said to be learningBritish Sign Language.[17] In October 2023, she married her husband Alex inPortobello, Edinburgh.[18][19] Mackay had their first child, Callan, on 30 June 2025.[20]