Peter Grant (politician)
{{Short description|Scottish politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Peter Grant
| honorific-suffix =
| image = Official portrait of Peter Grant MP crop 2.jpg
| office = Member of Parliament
for Glenrothes
| parliament =
| term_start = 7 May 2015
| term_end = 30 May 2024
| predecessor = Lindsay Roy
| successor = Richard Baker
| majority =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|10|12|df=y}}
| birth_place = Coatbridge, Scotland
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Scottish National Party (since 1987)
| spouse = Fiona Grant {{small|(1985–present)}}
}}
Peter Grant (born 12 October 1960) is a Scottish politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Glenrothes from 2015 to 2024. He is a member of the Scottish National Party (SNP).
Early life
Peter Grant was raised in Lanarkshire and moved to Glenrothes in 1983. He married Fiona who later served as a Scottish National Party councillor. He joined the Scottish National Party in 1987.{{Cite news |date=29 October 2008 |title=Glenrothes: Candidate profiles |work=BBC |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7641675.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210719234823/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7641675.stm |archive-date=19 July 2021 |access-date=19 July 2021 }}{{Cite news |title=Peter Grant Glenrothes |work=Scottish National Party |url=https://www.snp.org/your-team/peter-grant/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210719235027/https://www.snp.org/your-team/peter-grant/ |archive-date=19 July 2021 |access-date=19 July 2021 }}{{Cite news |title=About Me |work=Peter Grant |url=https://www.petergrant.scot/about-me |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210719235517/https://www.petergrant.scot/about-me |archive-date=19 July 2021 |access-date=19 November 2017 }}
Political career
=Early politics=
Grant served on the council in Fife from the Glenrothes and Kinglassie ward from 1992 to 2015. During his tenure on the council he served as leader of the Fife Council from 2007 to 2012, with a coalition between the Scottish National Party and the Liberal Democrats. In 2015, he left the council so that he could focus on his campaign for a seat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.{{Cite news |date=11 July 2015 |title=Grant steps down from council to concentrate on MP role |work=Central Fife Times |url=https://www.centralfifetimes.com/news/13591340.grant-steps-down-from-council-to-concentrate-on-mp-role/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210719235223/https://www.centralfifetimes.com/news/13591340.grant-steps-down-from-council-to-concentrate-on-mp-role/ |archive-date=19 July 2021 |access-date=19 July 2021 }}
=EU Referendum=
During a speech in Parliament on Monday 5 September 2016, Peter Grant equated campaigners for leaving the European Union, to the extreme right, when he said "The referendum was provoked by the desire of the then Prime Minister to fend off a challenge from the extreme right—not only the extreme right in the Conservative party, but those who were too extreme for his party—rather than facing down the xenophobes who wanted to demonise immigration and hold immigrants responsible for all the ills in our society."{{Cite news |title=EU Referendum Rules |work=Parliament of the United Kingdom |url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2016-09-05/debates/D2FA95BF-6E07-497D-83A4-0B7341384289/details }}
=House of Commons=
==Elections==
Member of Parliament John MacDougall died in 2008, causing a by-election to be held in the Glenrothes constituency. Grant was selected to serve as the Scottish National Party's candidate, being the first candidate nominated by a party in the by-election, and was defeated by Labour nominee Lindsay Roy.{{Cite news |date=22 August 2008 |title=SNP reveals by-election candidate |work=BBC |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7577955.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210719230246/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7577955.stm |archive-date=19 July 2021 |access-date=19 July 2021 }}{{Cite news |date=17 November 2009 |title=Glenrothes - 6 November 2008 |page=14 |work=House of Commons Library |url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN03726/SN03726.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161025124739/http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN03726/SN03726.pdf |archive-date=25 October 2016}} Alex Salmond, the leader of the Scottish National Party, stated that he was at fault for the party's defeat in the by-election.{{Cite news |date=7 November 2008 |title=Glenrothes: Alex Salmond admits blame for SNP failure |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2008/nov/07/glenrothes-byelection-alex-salmond-snp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210719230604/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2008/nov/07/glenrothes-byelection-alex-salmond-snp |archive-date=19 July 2021 |access-date=19 July 2021 }}
Grant was the Scottish National Party's candidate in the 2015 general election and defeated Labour nominee Melanie Ward, and Conservative nominee Alex Stewart-Clark.{{Cite news |title=2015 General Election |work=Parliament of the United Kingdom |url=https://members.parliament.uk/constituency/1274/election/369 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210719231058/https://members.parliament.uk/constituency/1274/election/369 |archive-date=19 July 2021 |access-date=19 July 2021 }} He was re-elected in the 2017 general election against Labour nominee Altany Craik and Conservative nominee Andrew Brown.{{Cite news |title=2017 General Election |work=Parliament of the United Kingdom |url=https://members.parliament.uk/constituency/1274/election/377 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210719231850/https://members.parliament.uk/constituency/1274/election/377 |archive-date=19 July 2021 |access-date=19 July 2021 }} He was re-elected in the 2019 general election against Labour nominee Pat Egan, Conservative nominee Amy Thomson, and Liberal Democrats nominee Jane Ann Liston.{{Cite news |title=2019 General Election |work=Parliament of the United Kingdom |url=https://members.parliament.uk/constituency/1274/election/397 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210719232339/https://members.parliament.uk/constituency/1274/election/397 |archive-date=19 July 2021 |access-date=19 July 2021 }}
==Tenure==
Grant served as the Scottish National Party Spokesperson for Exiting the European Union from 20 June 2017 to 7 January 2020, until he was replaced by Philippa Whitford. He has served as the Assistant Spokesperson for the Treasury since 7 January 2020.{{Cite news |title=Parliamentary career |work=Parliament of the United Kingdom |url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/4466/career |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210719233136/https://members.parliament.uk/member/4466/career |archive-date=19 July 2021 |access-date=19 July 2021 }}
He announced in June 2023 that he would stand down at the 2024 general election.{{Cite news |date=21 June 2023 |title=Second SNP MP to stand down at next election |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/glenrothes-westminster-ian-blackford-parliament-twitter-b2361859.html |access-date=22 June 2023 |work=The Independent |language=en |author=Gilmour, Lauren}}
Political positions
In July 2021, Grant apologised for a post on Twitter he made stating that "You're more right than you care to admit. Murdering babies wasn't on the Nazi manifesto." Marie van der Zyl, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, stated that "We are disturbed by the suggestion from some MPs that Nazism only gradually revealed its true aims."{{Cite news |date=16 July 2021 |title='Murdering babies wasn't on the Nazi manifesto': SNP MP apologises over bizarre twitter rant |work=The Press and Journal |url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/politics/scottish-politics/3317884/murdering-babies-wasnt-on-the-nazi-manifesto-snp-mp-apologises-over-bizarre-twitter-rant/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210720001830/https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/politics/scottish-politics/3317884/murdering-babies-wasnt-on-the-nazi-manifesto-snp-mp-apologises-over-bizarre-twitter-rant/ |archive-date=20 July 2021 |access-date=20 July 2021 }}
Grant supported Nicola Sturgeon's condemnation of transphobia.{{Cite news |date=28 January 2021 |title=SNP MPs are falling over themselves to back trans rights and praise Nicola Sturgeon |work=PinkNews |url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/01/28/snp-trans-transphobia-nicola-sturgeon-mps/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210719235837/https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/01/28/snp-trans-transphobia-nicola-sturgeon-mps/ |archive-date=19 July 2021 |access-date=20 July 2021 }}{{Cite news |date=27 January 2021 |title=SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon condemns transphobia in 'message from the heart': 'No debate can be a cover for transphobia' |work=PinkNews |url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/01/27/snp-transphobia-nicola-sturgeon-transphobia-gender-recognition-act/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210720000204/https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/01/27/snp-transphobia-nicola-sturgeon-transphobia-gender-recognition-act/ |archive-date=20 July 2021 |access-date=20 July 2021 }}
Electoral history
{{Election box begin|title = 2008 Glenrothes by-election}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link
|party = Scottish Labour
|candidate = Lindsay Roy
|votes = 19,946
|percentage = 55.11%
|change = +3.20%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Scottish National Party
|candidate = Peter Grant
|votes = 13,209
|percentage = 36.49%
|change = +13.12%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Scottish Conservatives
|candidate = Maurice Golden
|votes = 1,381
|percentage = 3.82%
|change = -3.27%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Scottish Liberal Democrats
|candidate = Harry Wills
|votes = 947
|percentage = 2.62%
|change = -10.03%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party
|candidate = Jim Parker
|votes = 296
|percentage = 0.82%
|change = +0.82%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Scottish Socialist Party
|candidate = Morag Balfour
|votes = 212
|percentage = 0.59%
|change = -1.30%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = UK Independence Party
|candidate = Kris Seunarine
|votes = 117
|percentage = 0.32%
|change = -0.86%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Solidarity (Scotland)
|candidate = Louise McLeary
|votes = 87
|percentage = 0.24%
|change = +0.24%
}}
{{Election box total|
|votes = 36,195
|percentage = 100.00%
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin|title = 2015 general election in Glenrothes election}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link
|party = Scottish National Party
|candidate = Peter Grant
|votes = 28,459
|percentage = 59.79%
|change = +38.06%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Scottish Labour
|candidate = Melanie Ward
|votes = 14,562
|percentage = 30.59%
|change = -31.75%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Scottish Conservatives
|candidate = Alex Stewart-Clark
|votes = 3,685
|percentage = 7.74%
|change = +0.53%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Scottish Liberal Democrats
|candidate = Jane Ann Liston
|votes = 892
|percentage = 1.87%
|change = -5.80%
}}
{{Election box total|
|votes = 47,598
|percentage = 100.00%
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin|title = 2017 general election in Glenrothes election}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link
|party = Scottish National Party
|candidate = Peter Grant (incumbent)
|votes = 17,291
|percentage = 42.80%
|change = -16.99%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Scottish Labour
|candidate = Altany Craik
|votes = 14,024
|percentage = 34.71%
|change = +4.12%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Scottish Conservatives
|candidate = Andrew Brown
|votes = 7,876
|percentage = 19.50%
|change = +11.76%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Scottish Liberal Democrats
|candidate = Rebecca Bell
|votes = 1,208
|percentage = 2.99%
|change = +1.12%
}}
{{Election box total|
|votes = 40,399
|percentage = 100.00%
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin|title = 2019 general election in Glenrothes election}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link
|party = Scottish National Party
|candidate = Peter Grant (incumbent)
|votes = 21,234
|percentage = 51.11%
|change = +8.31%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Scottish Labour
|candidate = Pat Egan
|votes = 9,477
|percentage = 22.81%
|change = -10.90%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Scottish Conservatives
|candidate = Amy Thomson
|votes = 6,920
|percentage = 16.66%
|change = -2.84%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Scottish Liberal Democrats
|candidate = Jane Ann Liston
|votes = 2,639
|percentage = 6.35%
|change = +3.36%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Brexit Party
|candidate = Victor Farrell
|votes = 1,276
|percentage = 3.07%
|change = +3.07%
}}
{{Election box total|
|votes = 41,546
|percentage = 100.00%
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
{{UK MP links |parliament= peter-grant/4466 |hansard= |hansardcurr= |guardian= |publicwhip= Peter_Grant&mpc=Glenrothes&house=commons |theywork= 25273/peter_grant/glenrothes |record= |bbc= 74701.stm |journalisted =}}
- {{Twitter}}
- [https://www.snp.org/your-team/peter-grant/ Profile] on SNP website
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|uk}}
{{s-bef|before=Lindsay Roy}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament
for Glenrothes|years=2015–2024}}
{{s-aft|after=Richard Baker}}
{{s-end}}
{{Former SNP MPs|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grant, Peter}}
Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Fife constituencies
Category:People from Coatbridge
Category:Scottish National Party councillors