Callum McCaig

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Callum McCaig

| image = Callum McCaig (SNP).jpg

| office = SNP Spokesperson for Energy

| term_start = 20 May 2015

| term_end = 3 May 2017

| predecessor = Position established

| successor = Alan Brown

| office1 = Member of Parliament
for Aberdeen South

| term_start1 = 8 May 2015

| term_end1 = 3 May 2017

| predecessor1 = Anne Begg

| successor1 = Ross Thomson

|office2 = Leader of Aberdeen City Council

|term_start2 = 2011

|term_end2 = 2012

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|1|6|df=y}}

| birth_place = Aberdeen, Scotland, UK

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Scottish National Party

| alma_mater = University of Edinburgh

| caption = McCaig in 2015

}}

Callum McCaig (born 6 January 1985) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who was Member of Parliament for Aberdeen South from May 2015 until 2017. During his period in the Westminster parliament, he was the SNP's Energy and Climate Change spokesperson in the House of Commons. McCaig was elected as a councillor on Aberdeen City Council in 2007, and was the Leader of Aberdeen City Council from 2011 until 2012.

Early life

Born in Aberdeen, he was educated at Cults Academy, before studying at the University of Edinburgh, where he graduated with an MA (Hons) in Politics.{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/scottish-politics/analysis-snp-bucks-trend-for-privately-educated-mps.126940798 | title=Analysis: SNP bucks trend for privately educated MPs | work=The Herald | first=David |last=Leask | date=1 June 2015 | accessdate=1 June 2015}}{{cite news|last=Scott|first=Kirsty|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2007/jun/13/guardiansocietysupplement.politics|title=Fresh-faced challenge|work=The Guardian|date=13 June 2007|accessdate=7 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171006062005/https://www.theguardian.com/society/2007/jun/13/guardiansocietysupplement.politics|archive-date=6 October 2017|url-status=live}} He then worked for the SNP MSP Maureen Watt as a Parliamentary Assistant.

Political career

McCaig was first elected to Aberdeen City Council in 2007, topping the polling in the Kincorth/Loirston ward with 1,883 first preferences and taking the first seat exceeding the quota.{{cite news |url=http://news.stv.tv/north/97446-aberdeen-city-council-elections-2012-kincorthloirston/ |title=Aberdeen City Council Elections 2012: Kincorth/Loirston |first=Danny |last=Law |work=STV News |publisher=STV Group |date=2 May 2012 |accessdate=4 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204222226/http://news.stv.tv/north/97446-aberdeen-city-council-elections-2012-kincorthloirston/ |archive-date=4 February 2015 |url-status=live }} Following the election, the Scottish Liberal Democrats formed a coalition with the SNP to run the Council. On 23 May 2011, McCaig took over as leader of the SNP group on the council.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-13506266 |title=SNP councillor, 26, takes on Aberdeen leader role |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=23 May 2011 |access-date=23 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190422011701/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-13506266 |archive-date=22 April 2019 |url-status=live }} After two by-election victories during 2011, the SNP became the largest party on the council, and in June 2011, their then Council leader stepped down to become Deputy Council leader.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-13919953 |title=Talks open over Aberdeen City Council leadership |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=27 June 2011 |access-date=23 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413123739/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-13919953 |archive-date=13 April 2019 |url-status=live }} As a result, McCaig, who had been acting as Deputy Council leader, became leader of Aberdeen City Council on 28 June 2011. At the time, aged 26, he was one of the youngest council leaders in the United Kingdom.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-13943621 |title=Aberdeen council head Callum McCaig among UK's youngest |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=28 June 2011 |access-date=23 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190422060707/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-13943621 |archive-date=22 April 2019 |url-status=live }}

He was re-elected as a councillor in 2012. After the elections, he remained the group leader of an enlarged SNP delegation, but was no longer the council leader, after the Scottish Labour group formed an administration with the support of the Conservatives and independents.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-18003121 |title=Labour-Conservative administration to run Aberdeen City Council |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=9 May 2012 |access-date=23 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190803035501/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-18003121 |archive-date=3 August 2019 |url-status=live }}

McCaig was elected as the Member of Parliament for Aberdeen South at the 2015 general election, where he won the seat from Labour's Anne Begg with a 20% swing.{{cite news|last=Walsh|first=Stephen|url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/politics/westminster/general-election/573171/callum-mccaig-wins-aberdeen-south-seat-for-snp/|title=Callum McCaig wins Aberdeen South seat for SNP|work=The Press and Journal|location=Aberdeen|date=8 May 2015|accessdate=8 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518073755/https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/politics/westminster/general-election/573171/callum-mccaig-wins-aberdeen-south-seat-for-snp/|archive-date=18 May 2015|url-status=live}} However, at the 2017 general election, he lost to Conservative candidate Ross Thomson.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/S14000002 |title=Election 2017:Aberdeen South |work=BBC News |date=9 June 2017 |accessdate=1 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170627010045/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/S14000002 |archive-date=27 June 2017 |url-status=live }} McCaig was subsequently appointed as a special adviser to SNP leader and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.{{cite news|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15444934.nicola-sturgeon-criticised-hiring-callum-mccaig-special-adviser/|title=Nicola Sturgeon criticised after hiring failed SNP MP as special adviser|last=Gordon|first=Tom|work=The Herald|date=31 July 2017|access-date=23 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616053458/http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15444934.Nicola_Sturgeon_criticised_after_hiring_failed_SNP_MP_as_special_adviser/|archive-date=16 June 2018|url-status=live}}