Tess White
{{Short description|Scottish Conservative politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Tess White
| office2 =
| party = Scottish Conservatives
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| honorific-suffix = MSP
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| predecessor =
| term_start = 8 May 2021
| office = Member of the Scottish Parliament
for North East Scotland
{{nobold|(1 of 7 Regional MSPs)}}
| caption = Swearing in, 2021
| image = Tess White 2021.jpg
| alma_mater =
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Tess White is a Scottish Conservative politician, serving as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the North East Scotland Region since being elected in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.{{cite news |last1=Gossip |first1=Alastair |title=Aberdeen city council co-leader to step down as Tories dominate list vote and Alba miss out |url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/politics/scottish-politics/3123949/aberdeen-city-council-co-leader-to-step-down-as-tories-dominate-list-vote-and-alba-miss-out/ |access-date=9 May 2021 |work=Press and Journal |agency=DC Thomson Media |publisher=Aberdeen Journals Ltd |date=8 May 2021}}
Career
White worked in the oil and gas industry and served as a board director at Shell Renewables, vice president of Shell International and HR director at Centrica.{{cite news |last1=Penman |first1=Hamish |title=Scottish Election: North-east MSPs set out vision for energy transition |url=https://www.energyvoice.com/oilandgas/321244/scottish-election-north-east-msps-set-out-vision-for-energy-transition/ |access-date=23 May 2021 |work=Energy Voice |agency=DC Thomson Media |date=9 May 2021}}
Political career
White unsuccessfully stood as the Conservative candidate for Dundee West at the 2019 United Kingdom general election,{{cite news|last1=Bell|first1=Matteo|date=11 December 2019|title=General Election 2019 - who are the candidates vying for the Dundee West seat?|work=Evening Telegraph|agency=DC Thomson Media|url=https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/general-election-2019-who-are-the-candidates-vying-for-the-dundee-west-seat/|access-date=23 May 2021}} where she came in third.{{cite news|date=13 December 2019|title=Dundee West parliamentary constituency - Election 2019 - BBC News|work=BBC|agency=BBC|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/politics/constituencies/S14000016|access-date=23 May 2021}} She unsuccessfully stood as the Conservative candidate for the Holyrood equivalent Dundee City West in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, coming third, but she was elected on the regional list in North East Scotland.{{cite news |last1=Finnis |first1=Alexander |date=6 May 2021 |title=The full list of candidates standing in the 2021 Scottish election |language=en |work=inews.co.uk |publisher=Associated Newspaper Ltd |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/scotland/scottish-election-candidates-2021-full-list-who-standing-my-area-msps-holyrood-vote-985944 |access-date=9 May 2021}}
During a session of First Ministers' Questions on 2 September 2021, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was answering a question about anti-Irish and anti-Catholic discrimination in Scotland. As Sturgeon said "...anybody who chooses to live in Scotland [...] this is their home", White interrupted and shouted across the chamber, "unless you're English".{{cite news|last=Andrews|first=Kieran|title=Nicola Sturgeon 'deeply offended' over anti-English accusation by Tess White|language=en|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/nicola-sturgeon-deeply-offended-over-anti-english-accusation-by-tess-white-lchgzhb50|date=2 September 2021|work=The Times|access-date=2 September 2021|issn=0140-0460}} She later apologised and withdrew her remark in the parliamentary chamber.{{cite news|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/19554463.tory-msp-tess-white-apologises-anti-english-slur-nicola-sturgeon/|title=Tory MSP apologises after 'anti-English' slur against Sturgeon|date=2 September 2021|website=The Herald|access-date=2 September 2021|language=en}}
On 12 January 2022, White called for Boris Johnson to resign as Conservative party leader and Prime Minister over the Westminster lockdown parties controversy along with a majority of Scottish Conservative MSPs.{{cite tweet|last=Green|first=Chris|title=Majority of Scottish Tories' 31 MSPs at Holyrood now openly calling for the Prime Minister to resign.|user=ChrisGreenNews|number=1481315803106533376|access-date=12 January 2022|language=en}}
Personal life
White is a lesbian{{cite tweet|user=TessWhite4NE|last=White|first=Tess|number=1788544075886453066|title=After the way gender-critical lesbians have been treated in recent years, Patrick Harvie had some nerve at #FMQs claiming to speak for the LGBT community.
As a gay woman, he will never speak for me.}}{{cite news|url=https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/sisters-ordeal-left-msp-open-to-considering-a-change-in-the-law-on-rights-to-assisted-dying/|title=Sister's ordeal left MSP 'open to considering a change in the law' on rights to assisted dying|last=Boyle|first=Janet|date=25 July 2023|work=The Sunday Post}} and has a wife.{{cite tweet|user=TessWhite4NE|last=White|first=Tess|number=1812022559707156748|title=My Scottish wife who was born in Wales will be supporting England tomorrow for what will be brilliant football!
This below is a shameful. Sad to see.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{SP-MSP}}
{{NorthEastScotland MSPs}}
{{Conservative MSPs}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:White, Tess}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:People_from_Hertfordshire
Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament 2021–2026
Category:Female members of the Scottish Parliament
Category:LGBTQ members of the Scottish Parliament
Category:Scottish lesbian politicians
Category:21st-century Scottish LGBTQ people
{{MSP-stub}}