Ian Hudghton
President of the Scottish National Party
In office
September 2005 – 30 November 2020
LeaderAlex Salmond
Nicola Sturgeon
Preceded byWinnie Ewing
Succeeded byMichael Russell
Member of the European Parliament
for Scotland
North East Scotland (1998–1999)
In office
26 November 1998 – 1 July 2019[1][2]
Preceded byAllan Macartney
Succeeded byChristian Allard
Personal details
Born (1951-09-19) 19 September 1951 (age 72)
Forfar, Scotland
Political partyScottish National Party

Ian Stewart Hudghton (born 19 September 1951) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who was President of the SNP from 2005 to 2020. He was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for North East Scotland (1998–1999) and its successor constituency; Scotland from 1999 to 2019.

Political career

Hudghton joined the SNP in 1967.[3] He was a District and Regional Councillor and the first elected leader of the unitary Angus Council after its foundation in 1995/6. He had some success as an election agent for John Swinney and Allan Macartney.[4]

He was first elected as a Member of the European Parliament in 1998,[5] when he won his seat in a rare European Parliamentary by-election, after the death of sitting SNP MEP Allan Macartney.[6]

Following the 2004 European elections, Hudgton became a member and Vice-President of the European Free Alliance Group in the Parliament, which retained its own identity within the joint Green-European Free Alliance Group.[7]

He was a member of the Fisheries, Internal Market and Consumer Protection, and Transport and Tourism committees.

In September 2005 Hudghton was elected as President of the SNP, following the retirement of Winnie Ewing.[8] He received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the inaugural SNP Annual Awards in November 2018.[4]

He stood down as an MEP at the 2019 elections.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Key dates ahead". European Parliament. 20 May 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  2. ^ "Key dates ahead". BBC News. BBC. 22 May 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  3. ^ a b Gordon, Tom (17 April 2019). "Brussels vacancy opens up as SNP MEP retires". The Herald. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  4. ^ a b Paterson, Kirsteen (17 November 2018). "Lifetime achievement award goes to MEP Ian Hudghton in SNP honours". The National. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  5. ^ "MEPs: Ian Hudghton: History of parliamentary service". European Parliament. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  6. ^ "UK Politics: Labour 'humiliated' as SNP holds Euro-seat". BBC News. 27 November 1998. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  7. ^ "Members of the European Parliament". European Free Alliance. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  8. ^ "SNP President re-elected". Arbroath Herald. 29 October 2009. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2014.

External links

Party political offices Preceded byWinnie Ewing President of the Scottish National Party 2005–present Incumbent


Former Scottish National Party MEPs
Scottish National Party
Categories