Maggie Chapman | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2021 | |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament forNorth East Scotland (1 of 7 Regional MSPs) | |
| Assumed office 6 May 2021 | |
| Co-Convenor of theScottish Greens | |
| In office November 2013 – 1 August 2019 Serving with Patrick Harvie | |
| Preceded by | Martha Wardrop |
| Succeeded by | Lorna Slater (as Co-leader of the Scottish Greens) |
| Councillor,City of Edinburgh Council | |
| In office 3 May 2007 – June 2015 | |
| Constituency | Leith Walk |
| Lord Rector of the University of Aberdeen | |
| In office April 2015 – 31 March 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Maitland Mackie |
| Succeeded by | Martina Chukwuma-Ezike |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1979-06-27)27 June 1979 (age 46) |
| Political party | Scottish Greens |
| Education | Dominican Convent School, Harare |
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh University of Stirling |
| Profession | Teacher |
| Website | www |
Maggie Chapman (born 27 June 1979) is a Scottish politician and lecturer[1] who is aScottish GreenMember of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) forNorth East Scotland. She was co-convenor of the Scottish Greens from November 2013 to August 2019, serving withPatrick Harvie, and was the party's lead candidate for the2019 European election.[2]
She was acouncillor for theLeith Walk ward ofThe City of Edinburgh Council from 2007 to 2015 and represented the Scottish Greens on theSmith Commission for further devolution of powers to theScottish Parliament.
Chapman was theRector of theUniversity of Aberdeen, having been elected in 2014, and again in 2018. Her term ended on 31 March 2021.
She was the lead Green candidate for the North East region at the2021 Scottish Parliament election, and was elected as one of eight Green MSPs.[3]
Since 1 August 2025, she has beenRector of theUniversity of Dundee.[4]
Chapman was born in 1979 inSalisbury,Zimbabwe Rhodesia.[5] Her family had moved fromSouth Africa in 1978 for her father to take up the post of director at the college of music.[5][6] She grew up there, educated at a mixed-race school, with the country having achieved independence from the United Kingdom as theRepublic of Zimbabwe whilst she was a baby.[5] Her mother was a nurse who worked as atheatre sister and midwife.[5]
Chapman moved toScotland to study Zoology at theUniversity of Edinburgh, graduating in 2001.[7] She went on to complete aMaster's degree in Environmental Management at theUniversity of Stirling in 2003, then returned to Edinburgh University to study for aPhD in Geography.[7][8] In 2015, she clarified that she had not completed her doctoral studies.[9] As a student, she had been an activist forEdinburgh University Students' Association.[10][11]
Chapman has worked in the west of Scotland in Environmental Management, and as a community carer throughout Edinburgh.[12][13]
Until June 2015 she was a lecturer in cultural geography,environmental ethics and social justice atEdinburgh Napier University.[6] She retains a role in teaching through her support for theEducational Institute of Scotland.[14]
In mid-2015 she took up a post at the Muslim Women's Resource Centre inDundee.[15]
Chapman was first elected as a councillor for theLeith Walk ward in the2007 City of Edinburgh Council election, becoming one of the three first Green councillors in Edinburgh. She was re-elected in2012.[16] Later that year she became the first ever convener of the council's Petitions Committee.[17] During her time as a councillor, Chapman has advocated for causes that include: theliving wage,participatory budgeting, better private tenancy rights,[18] and better support for non-profits.[19] She has also organised and voted against the privatisation of council services and cuts to services.[20] In June 2015, she announced she was standing down as a councillor, to concentrate on the Scottish Parliament election that was to be held in May 2016.[15] She was selected as the party's lead candidate for theNorth East region.[21]
In November 2013, she was elected unopposed as the Scottish Greens' female co-convenor, succeeding Glasgow councillorMartha Wardrop,[22] and was re-elected to the position in 2016.[21][23]
Chapman was the party's lead candidate in the2014 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom for theScotland constituency.[24][25] She was not elected.
Chapman is asocialist,environmentalist, anti-cuts activist, peace activist andfeminist. She has been active in a number of political campaigns, including theRadical Independence Campaign.[26][27]
In September 2014, Chapman became a member of theSmith Commission into further devolution for theScottish Parliament.[28]
In 2015, Chapman was challenged as co-convenor by activist Zara Kitson in the party's internal elections. Kitson was second on the party list forGlasgow in the2016 Scottish Parliament election and was nominated by former MSPMark Ruskell and endorsed by MSP and former convenorAlison Johnstone. The election was notable as it was the first time an incumbent co-convenor faced a serious challenge, all to date had been re-elected as the sole nominees.
She stood in the2016 Scottish Parliament election as the party's lead candidate for the North East region but despite the Greens increasing their number of MSPs from two to six, Chapman was not elected.[29]
In 2019, she was once again selected as the party's lead candidate for theEuropean Parliament election for theScotland constituency.[30] She was not elected.[31]
At the2019 Scottish Green leadership election, Chapman lost toLorna Slater.[32]
In the2021 Scottish Parliament election, Chapman lead the North East regional list for the Scottish Greens.[3] Her successful election to Holyrood was announced on 8 May 2021, two days after the election.[33] This made her the first Green MSP in the North East sinceShiona Baird lost her seat in 2007.[34] Upon being sworn in, Chapman repeated her affirmation inShona.[35]
In 2023, Chapman was criticised for comments she made during a discussion on gender recognition reform with broadcasterLBC. The MSP said she agreed with children as young as 8 being allowed to make their own decision about whether to legally change their gender.[36]
In July 2025, the Scottish Greens published their candidates for the regional lists at the2026 Scottish Parliament election.[37]For the North East Scotland region, Chapman was moved down to second place, effectively deselecting her.[38][39]Guy Ingerson was chosen to be the lead Green candidate for the region.[40]
In November 2014, she was elected as Rector of the University of Aberdeen after a vote by the student body of the University.[41] She was installed as rector at a ceremony in March 2015, having intimated that she would be active in the role.[42]
Chapman ran for a second term in November 2017, but the election was annulled after allegations that her supporters had torn down posters belonging to rival candidates, which Chapman and her campaign team denied. A document released by the University indicated that the election committee disagreed with the initial decision to annul the results as Chapman had not been given a right of reply to the allegations but did not overturn it. In the end, the election was re-run in February 2018. Chapman won re-election, defeating Aberdeen law student Israr Khan by a margin of 1,248 votes to 891.[43]
In March 2025, Chapman was elected to become rector of theUniversity of Dundee,[4] amidst a funding crisis for the university.[44]
On 10 May 2023, Chapman was sanctioned after the standards committee found she had failed to declare a financial interest during an evidence session on theGender Recognition Reform Bill.[45]
In October 2023, Chapman tweeted that theHamas attack on Israel, which killed 1,300 and took more hostage, was "decolonisation", not "terrorism". She deleted her post after facing criticism. The party's co-leaderLorna Slater said "she did not support the initial statement".[46]
In April 2025, in the aftermath of theSupreme Court's judgement in the case ofFor Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers, which stated that a woman is defined by biological sex under UK equality law, Chapman attended a transgender rights rally in Aberdeen where she was filmed condemning the ruling. Chapman denounced what she called "bigotry, prejudice and hatred coming from the Supreme Court". Chapman's comments were denounced by theFaculty of Advocates, which described them as failing to "respect the rule of law", and constituting "an egregious breach of Ms Chapman's duties to uphold the continued independence of the judiciary". In a letter to theEqualities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee - of which Chapman is deputy convener - Roddy Dunlop KC called her comments "outrageous" and said that they created a risk of danger to members of the Supreme Court, and called for an apology and for Chapman to consider her position. Chapman stood by her comments and refused to apologise, saying that institutions and laws reflect transphobia and prejudice in society.[47] On 29 April, a motion in the Committee to remove Chapman as deputy convener was rejected by four votes to three after SNP MSPs sided with Chapman. Two Conservatives and one Labour member voted in favour of removing her.[48]
In June 2025, Guy Ingerson, who had previously worked for Chapman, made a bullying complaint against her to the Scottish Greens.[49] She had reportedly contacted Ingerson's place of work to tell his new employer that he was "untrustworthy", and should be "watched".[50][51]
Her father, Neil Chapman, was a professional classical musician.[52] She has a sister, Catherine.[52] She plays the fiddle and enjoys exploring Scotland.[53]
Another new Green MSP is Maggie Chapman, who repeats her affirmation in Zimbabwean Shona.
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Co-Convener of theScottish Green Party 2013–2019 With:Patrick Harvie | Succeeded by |
| Academic offices | ||
| Preceded by | Rector of the University of Aberdeen 2014 – 2021 | Succeeded by |
