Martin Docherty-Hughes

{{distinguish|Martin Doherty (disambiguation){{!}}Martin Doherty}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Martin Docherty-Hughes

| honorific-suffix =

| image = File:Official portrait of Martin Docherty-Hughes crop 2.jpg

| office1 = Chief Whip of the Scottish National Party in the House of Commons

| leader1 = Stephen Flynn

| term_start1 = 7 December 2022

| term_end1 = 17 January 2023

| successor1 = Brendan O'Hara

| predecessor1 = Owen Thompson

| office2 = Member of Parliament
for West Dunbartonshire

| term_start2 = 7 May 2015

| term_end2 = 30 May 2024

| predecessor2 = Gemma Doyle

| successor2 = Douglas McAllister

| birth_name = Martin John Docherty

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|1|21|df=y}}

| birth_place = Clydebank, Scotland

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Scottish National Party

| alma_mater = Glasgow Metropolitan College
University of Essex
Glasgow School of Art

| website = {{URL|http://martindocherty.scot}}

| caption = Official portrait, 2017

| office = SNP Defence Spokesperson in the House of Commons

| term_start = 4 September 2023

| term_end = 5 July 2024

| predecessor = Dave Doogan

| successor = Position Abolished

| leader = Stephen Flynn

}}

Martin John Docherty-Hughes (born 21 January 1971){{Cite book|last=Brunskill|first=Ian|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1129682574|title=The Times guide to the House of Commons 2019 : the definitive record of Britain's historic 2019 General Election|date=19 March 2020|isbn=978-0-00-839258-1|pages=179|publisher=HarperCollins Publishers Limited |oclc=1129682574}} is a Scottish National Party politician. He was previously the Member of Parliament (MP) for West Dunbartonshire from 2015 until his defeat in 2024.{{Cite web |title=Douglas McAllister wins the West Dunbartonshire seat. |url=https://www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/council/voting-and-elections/election-results/uk-parliament-election-results/uk-parliamentary-election-results-2024/}} He has also served as SNP Defence Spokesperson from 2023 to 2024.

Early life and education

Docherty-Hughes was raised by his parents in Clydebank, and began working from the age of 16.{{cite news |url=http://www.thenational.scot/politics/meet-your-new-scottish-mps-19-martin-docherty-west-dunbartonshire.3698 |title=Meet your new Scottish MPs: #19 Martin Docherty West Dunbartonshire |first=Martin |last=Hannah |work=The National |date=4 June 2015 |access-date=25 September 2015}} He studied at the Glasgow College of Food Technology, now City of Glasgow College, graduating with an HND in Business Administration in 1997. He subsequently obtained a degree in Politics from the University of Essex and attended the Glasgow School of Art for his master's degree. On finishing his studies Martin returned to Clydebank and worked for a decade for the West Dunbartonshire Community and Volunteering Services (WDCVS).

Political career

He joined the Scottish National Party in 1991, and was elected the following year as Scotland's youngest councillor to the-then Clydebank District Council in May 1992, at the age of 21, until 31 March 1996.[http://www.snp.org/martin_docherty Profile], snp.org; accessed 23 June 2016. He was elected to the third seat of the Anderston/City ward of the Glasgow City Council on 3 May 2012 polling 1,057 votes and 19.9% and exceeding the quota on the second count, becoming a Bailie until 14 May 2015.

In February 2015, he was selected as the SNP candidate for the West Dunbartonshire constituency in the 2015 UK general election.{{cite news |url=http://www.dumbartonreporter.co.uk/news/13961997.SNP_candidate_ready_for_election__battle_/ |title=SNP candidate ready for election 'battle' |work=Dumbarton Reporter |date=10 February 2015 |access-date=23 June 2016}} He defeated incumbent Gemma Doyle, winning 30,198 votes and 59% of the vote.{{cite news|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/2334493|title=List of Members returned to Parliament at the General Election 2015 Scotland|work=The Edinburgh Gazette|date=15 May 2015|access-date=3 June 2015}}[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/S14000059 SNP wins West Dunbartonshire], bbc.co.uk; accessed 8 May 2015. As a consequence of his election to Parliament, he stepped down from his position on Glasgow City Council.

He changed his name from Docherty to Docherty-Hughes after marrying his husband John Hughes in January 2016.{{cite web|url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-sunday-post-dundee/20160313/282522952573113 |title=Connecting People Through News |via=PressReader |access-date=2018-10-07}}

The descendant of a woman from Ballinglen, County Mayo and a man from Stralongford in County Donegal, he is also a relative of Ian McGarvey and has many relatives scattered around Philadelphia and New York.{{cite news|title=MPs lay claim to deep Donegal roots in House of Commons debate|work=Donegal News|date=24 March 2022|page=13|first=Paddy|last=Walsh|quote=Next to his feet was Martin Docherty-Hughes (Dunbartonshire West) of the Scottish National Party. As someone with probably one of the longest Irish names in history – Máirtín Seán Ó Dochartaigh-Aodha – it would, he insisted, have been remiss of him not to have participated in the debate... 'I was delighted to be there to welcome the then Mayor of Letterkenny' – Councillor Ian McGarvey – 'who was related which was great'.}} Speaking during the House of Commons debate on the Irish Diaspora in Britain, promoted by Rochdale Labour MP Tony Lloyd, on 17 March 2022.

He was appointed as Chief Whip following the 2022 SNP Westminster Group Leadership contest by new leader, Stephen Flynn.{{cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/new-snp-leader-at-westminster-stephen-flynn-sacks-chief-whip-rhg3jkhhc|title=New SNP leader at Westminster Stephen Flynn sacks chief whip

|publisher=The Times |access-date=2022-12-07}}

Docherty-Hughes was unseated at the 2024 general election, losing his seat to Douglas McAllister of Scottish Labour.