:Kirsty Blackman

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Kirsty Blackman

| image = Official portrait of Kirsty Blackman crop 2.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Official portrait, 2017

| office = Chief Whip of the Scottish National Party in the House of Commons

| leader = Stephen Flynn

| predecessor = Owen Thompson

| termstart = 5 July 2024

| office1 = SNP Spokesperson for the Cabinet Office in the House of Commons

| term_start1 = 10 December 2022

| term_end1 = 4 July 2024

| leader1 = Stephen Flynn

| predecessor1 = Stewart Hosie

| successor1 = Position Abolished

| office2 = SNP Spokesperson for Work and Pensions in the House of Commons

| leader2 = Ian Blackford

| term_start2 = 29 March 2022

| term_end2 = 10 December 2022

| predecessor2 = David Linden

| successor2 = David Linden

| office3 = SNP Spokesperson for the Constitution in the House of Commons

| leader3 = Ian Blackford

| term_start3 = 7 January 2019

| term_end3 = 10 December 2022

| predecessor3 = Office established

| successor3 =

| office4 = Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party in the House of Commons

| leader4 = Ian Blackford

| term_start4 = 14 June 2017

| term_end4 = 1 July 2020

| predecessor4 = Stewart Hosie

| successor4 = Kirsten Oswald

| office5 = SNP Spokesperson for the Treasury in the House of Commons

| leader5 = Ian Blackford

| term_start5 = 20 June 2017

| term_end5 = 7 January 2019

| predecessor5 = Stewart Hosie

| successor5 = Alison Thewliss

| office6 = Member of Parliament
for Aberdeen North

| term_start6 = 7 May 2015

| term_end6 =

| predecessor6 = Frank Doran

| successor6 =

| majority6 = 1,779 (4.2%)

| birth_name = Kirsty Ann West

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|3|20|df=y}}

| birth_place = Aberdeen, Scotland

| party = Scottish National Party

| spouse = Luke Blackman{{cite web |url=http://www.snp.org/people/kirsty-blackman |title=Cllr Kirsty Blackman |website=Scottish National Party |access-date=11 May 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150508203914/http://www.snp.org/people/kirsty-blackman |archive-date=8 May 2015}}

| children = 2

| website = {{URL|members.parliament.uk/member/4357/contact|Commons website}}

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MP}}

}}

Kirsty Blackman ({{née|West}}; born 20 March 1986){{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BVWqCQAAQBAJ&q=kirsty+blackman+20+march+1986|title=The Politicos Guide to the New House of Commons 2015: Profiles of the New MPs and Analysis of the 2015 General Election Results|last=Carr|first=Tim|date=18 May 2015|publisher=Biteback Publishing|isbn=9781849549240|language=en}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2007/jun/13/guardiansocietysupplement.politics|title=Fresh-faced challenge|first=Kirsty|last=Scott|work=The Guardian|date=13 June 2007|access-date=4 February 2015|location=UK}} is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Aberdeen North since 2015.

Blackman was re-elected in 2017, 2019 and 2024.{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/kirsty-blackman-mp|title=Krusty Blackman|website=Huffingtonpost.co.uk|access-date=20 August 2016}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/government-and-opposition1/scottish-national-party/|title=Scottish National Party Spokespersons|website=Parliament.uk|access-date=5 October 2017}} and currently serves as the SNP Chief Whip, previously serving as Spokesperson for the Cabinet Office, Spokesperson for the Treasury from 2017 to 2019,{{Cite web|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/4357/career|title=Kirsty Blackman, Parliamentary Career|website=Parliament.uk|access-date=25 September 2020}} the SNP Deputy Westminster Leader from 2017 to 2020, and the SNP Spokesperson for Work and Pensions from March to December 2022.{{Cite web |last=SNP |first=the |date=2022-12-10 |title=The real opposition: meet your new SNP Westminster Frontbench |url=https://www.snp.org/snp-westminster-frontbench-team/ |access-date=2022-12-11 |website=Scottish National Party |language=en-US}}

Early life

Blackman was educated at Robert Gordon's College after winning a scholarship.{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13410909.Analysis__SNP_bucks_trend_for_privately_educated_MPs/ |title=Analysis: SNP bucks trend for privately educated MPs (From Herald Scotland) |website=Heraldscotland.com |date=June 2015 |access-date=4 February 2016}} She matriculated at the University of Aberdeen to study medicine, but later dropped out.

She first entered politics when she was elected to Aberdeen City Council as an SNP councillor in the Hilton/Stockethill ward, in the Aberdeen North constituency in the 2007 Aberdeen City Council election topping the poll in her ward with 1,761 first preferences. Her brother, John West, was also elected for the Hazlehead/Ashley/Queens Cross ward in the same election. She was re-elected in 2012 Aberdeen City Council election with 823 first preferences taking the second seat in the ward. She then became the Convener of the SNP group in Aberdeen City Council.{{cite news|author=|title=Blackman wins Aberdeen North seat for SNP|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/S14000001|location=UK|date=8 May 2015|work=BBC News|access-date=27 October 2015}}

Parliamentary career

At the 2015 general election, she became the Member of Parliament for Aberdeen North. She succeeded Frank Doran, of the Labour Party, who had announced in October 2013 that he would stand down at the next general election.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-24592670|title=Labour MP Frank Doran to step down at 2015 general election|author=|location=UK|date=19 October 2013|work=BBC News}} She won the seat with 24,793 votes, 13,396 more than the Labour Party candidate Richard Baker, and became SNP Spokesperson on the House of Lords.{{cite news|url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/aberdeen/573130/snp-candidate-kirsty-blackman-wins-aberdeen-north-seat|last=Clark|first=Andrew|title=SNP candidate Kirsty Blackman wins Aberdeen North seat |date=8 May 2015|location=UK|work=The Press and Journal}} In April 2016, she drew attention to the plight of unaccompanied refugee children during a Commons debate.{{cite hansard |jurisdiction=United Kingdom |house=Westminster Hall | title = Unaccompanied Children | url = https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2016-04-19/debates/16041924000001/UnaccompaniedChildren#contribution-0161AC27-609D-40E1-9A72-FA234E0E4F54 |date= 19 April 2016 | volume = 608 |column_start= 276WH |column_end= 279WH }} She was elected to the Scottish Affairs Committee in 2015. In July 2016, she spoke out on the importance of making Parliament more family-friendly after being censured by clerks for holding her sleeping two-year-old daughter in a committee hearing.{{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jul/26/snp-mp-censured-for-bringing-her-children-to-commons-committee |title= SNP MP censured for bringing her children to Commons Committee |last=Brooks |first=Libby |date=26 July 2016 |location= UK |work= The Guardian}}

She retained her seat at the 2017 general election. Following the election, she became Deputy Leader of the SNP Westminster Group and SNP Westminster Spokesperson on the Economy. This made her the first woman to lead on the economy for a major party in the House of Commons.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jan/02/kirsty-blackman-excuse-me-id-rather-shake-hands-snp-deputy-leader-westminster |title=Interview. Kirsty Blackman: 'Excuse me, I'd rather shake hands' |first=Heather |last=Stewart |work=The Guardian|date=3 January 2018|access-date=29 September 2020}}

Blackman held the seat at the 2019 general election with a majority of 33.9%, the largest percentage majority in Scotland. In January 2019, she became the SNP Spokesperson for the Constitution at Westminster, a strategic role leading on the constitution in preparation for an independence referendum.{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18143315.snp-make-changes-frontbench-team-westminster/ |title=SNP make changes to frontbench team at Westminster (From Herald Scotland) |website=Heraldscotland.com |date=7 January 2020 |access-date=7 January 2020}}

In July 2020 Blackman announced that she would be stepping down as the deputy leader of the SNP Westminster Group, saying "Like many others, I've struggled with the impact that lockdown has had on my mental health. In order to prioritise my constituency and my family, I have made the difficult personal decision to step down from my Leadership role. I strongly believe that people must be able to talk openly about mental health issues, which affect so many of us".{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-53256571 |title=Kirsty Blackman steps down as SNP deputy at Westminster |work=BBC News|date=1 July 2020 |access-date=29 September 2020}} On 7 July it was announced that Kirsten Oswald was to be her successor.{{cite tweet|number=1280545052109012992|user=kirstenoswald|title=Delighted to be new deputy leader of @theSNP group at Westminster. I look forward to working with @Ianblackford_MP…|access-date=29 May 2021|language=en|date=7 July 2020}} On 24 September 2020 she spoke more about suffering with depression.{{cite news |url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/politics/scottish-politics/2518723/kirsty-blackman-aberdeen-mp-shares-mental-health-struggles-and-says-it-is-okay-not-to-be-okay/ |title=Kirsty Blackman: Aberdeen MP shares mental health struggles and says 'it is OK not to be OK' |work=Press & Journal |date=25 September 2020 |access-date=7 February 2021}}{{Cite tweet |user= KirstySNP |number= 1309250222900547590 |title= This is a long road for all of us. Please know that you are not alone. It is okay to not be okay.}}

In January 2021, Blackman publicly criticised former party leader Alex Salmond,{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/alex-salmond-scotland-independence-nationalist-feud-could-fatally-wound-hopes/|title=Nationalist feud could fatally wound Scottish independence hopes|date=12 January 2021|website=Politico.eu}} labelling him an "awful human".{{cite tweet|number=1347833796910002176|user=KirstySNP|title=Patriarchy and misogyny out in full force this morning. Man who has admitted acting inappropriately and abusing his…|access-date=29 May 2021|language=en|date=9 January 2021}}

In February 2021, Blackman clashed on Twitter with fellow MP Joanna Cherry about transgender rights.{{Cite news|date=1 February 2021|title=Joanna Cherry sacked from SNP frontbench at Westminster|url=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/feb/01/joanna-cherry-sacked-snp-frontbench-westminster|access-date=5 February 2021|newspaper=The Guardian|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Joanna Cherry 'blocks' SNP colleague Kirsty Blackman on Twitter amid LGBT row|url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/joanna-cherry-blocks-snp-colleague-kirsty-blackman-twitter-amid-lgbt-row-3116605|access-date=5 February 2021|website=Scotsman.com|date=30 January 2021 |language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2 February 2021|title=Joanna Cherry accuses SNP colleagues of spreading 'lies and smears'|url=https://inews.co.uk/news/scotland/joanna-cherry-accuses-snp-colleagues-spreading-lies-smears-854700|access-date=5 February 2021|website=Inews.co.uk|language=en}}

In November 2021, Blackman wrote a tweet on benefit sanctions that was thought to make a political point while referencing the suicide of the wife of the Conservative MP Owen Paterson. Rose Paterson committed suicide by hanging in June 2020.{{Cite news|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/snp-mp-apologises-appalling-suicide-25385606|title=SNP MP apologises for "appalling" suicide tweet on Tory sleaze row|first=Paul|last=Hutcheon|date=5 November 2021|newspaper=Daily Record}} She later tweeted "After some reflection, I have deleted a tweet I made earlier. I offer my unreserved apologies for tweeting it, particularly to anyone who may have been upset or offended. I'm sorry".{{cite tweet|number=1456388413448499210|user=KirstySNP|title=After some reflection, I have deleted a tweet I made earlier. I offer my unreserved apologies for tweeting it, part…|date=4 November 2021}}

In March 2022, she returned{{Cite news|url=https://www.aberdeenlive.news/news/aberdeen-news/aberdeen-mp-kirsty-blackman-takes-6880546|title=Aberdeen MP Kirsty Blackman takes on new frontbench role at Westminster

|first=Ciaran|last=Shanks|date=30 March 2022|newspaper=Press and Journal|access-date=10 July 2023}} to the SNP frontbench on the Department for Work and Pensions portfolio. In September 2022, she spoke out against cuts to Universal credit as a result of Liz Truss's controversial budget warning the UK Government was "threatening to cut their family budgets further, with a new regime of benefit sanctions".{{Cite news|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/snp-mp-kirsty-blackman-claims-27095077|title=How Universal Credit changes announced today will affect you

|first=Hamish|last=Morrison|date=29 September 2022|newspaper=The National|access-date=10 July 2023}}

In May 2022, Chancellor Rishi Sunak introduced a windfall tax on the soaring profits of energy companies to pay for a series of measures that would help people with the cost of living crisis.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/cost-of-living-support|title=Cost of Living Support|website=Gov.uk|date=26 May 2022 |access-date=7 June 2022}} Blackman complained to the BBC that, "It feels very unfair that Scotland is having to pay for the entirety of the UK" as most of the tax revenue came from oil and gas "income made in Scotland".{{Cite news|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/snp-mp-kirsty-blackman-claims-27095077|title=SNP MP claims Scotland paying for the UK through oil and gas windfall tax|first=Paul|last=Hutcheon|date=29 May 2022|newspaper=Daily Record|access-date=7 June 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/BBCPolitics/status/1530891468147138560|title="It feels very unfair that Scotland is having to pay for the entirety of the UK". SNP's Kirsty Blackman says 90% of the money raised by the energy profits levy will come from oil and gas "income made in Scotland" |website=Twitter.com|access-date=7 June 2022}} The remarks led to some debate about the nature of pooling and sharing of resources and Alistair Carmichael opined in The Scotsman that, "There is nothing progressive about saying that families in England, Wales and Northern Ireland must go cold and hungry because nationalism says that we should keep oil money here in Scotland."{{Cite web|url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/snps-selfishness-over-energy-windfall-tax-shows-they-are-not-a-progressive-centre-left-party-alistair-carmichael-mp-3718492|title=How the SNP has revealed it's not really a progressive, centre-left party – Alistair Carmichael|website=Scotsman.com|date=3 June 2022 |access-date=7 June 2022}}

In December 2022, under the new leadership of Stephen Flynn she became the SNP lead on the Cabinet Office, as well as deputy whip. In January 2023, she called for an Independent Inquiry into claims of BBC chair Richard Sharp providing Boris Johnson with a loan to fund his lifestyle while Prime Minister.{{cite news |url=https://news.sky.com/story/labour-reports-boris-johnson-to-standards-watchdog-over-quagmire-of-sleaze-engulfing-former-pm-12792440 |title=Labour reports Boris Johnson to standards watchdog over 'quagmire of sleaze' engulfing former PM |work=Sky News |date=22 January 2023 |access-date=10 July 2023}}

In April 2023, she ran for chair of the Energy Security and Net Zero Select Committee, a chair which had been allocated to an SNP politicians, against Stewart Malcolm McDonald and Angus MacNeil.{{Cite web |date=29 March 2023 |title=Chair Nominations Open for Energy Security Net Zero |url=https://www.parliament.uk/external/committees/news/2023/march/chair-nominations-energy-security-net-zero/ |website=UK Parliament}} She came second, in the election, open to all MPs to vote in, by 14 votes.{{Cite web |date=26 April 2023 |title= Energy Security and Net Zero Chair Election Results |url=https://www.parliament.uk/contentassets/6507268b854642e2ab95d8bfd4210dfd/final-results-sheet-esnz.pdf |website=UK Parliament}}

In the 2024 general election, she was re-elected with a much reduced majority against the Labour swing.{{Cite web |last=Gossip |first=Alastair |date=2024-07-05 |title=Aberdeen North: SNP's Kirsty Blackman retains seat at 2024 general election |url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/aberdeen-aberdeenshire/6526081/aberdeen-north-2024-result/ |access-date=2024-11-09 |website=Press and Journal |language=en-GB}} She is now the only female SNP MP.

Personal life

Blackman is married to Luke Blackman, with whom she has two children. In 2023, she tweeted that she was "not straight",{{Cite tweet |user=KirstySNP |number=1668923027151618049 |date=14 June 2023 |title=You are right – people have been making assumptions. I am not straight and I would appreciate it if people would stop saying I am. I have now made this clear and public and it would be courteous for people to respect this request.}} and identified herself as openly queer the following in an interview with Diva magazine.{{Cite web |last=EDITOR |date=2024-09-09 |title=Politically Queer: In conversation with Kirsty Blackman |url=https://diva-magazine.com/2024/09/09/in-conversation-with-kirsty-blackman/ |access-date=2024-11-09 |website=diva-magazine.com |language=en-GB}}