1. Derek Mackay was born on 1977 and is a former Scottish politician who served as Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work from 2016 to 2020.
19 Facts About Derek Mackay
1. 2.
Derek Mackay became Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution in 2016, succeeding Deputy First Minister John Swinney.
3.
In 2018, during a Cabinet reshuffle, Derek Mackay's post was enlarged, absorbing the responsibilities of the previous role of Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work to become Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work.
4.
Derek Mackay was suspended from the SNP and sat as an independent MSP for the remainder of the 2016 parliamentary term, which ended on 25 March 2021.
5.
Derek Mackay was born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, as the eldest of three children.
6.
Derek Mackay was educated at Kirklandneuk Primary School and Renfrew High School.
7.
Derek Mackay was first elected as a councillor in 1999, representing the Blythswood Ward on Renfrewshire Council.
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Derek Mackay was re-elected in 2003 and 2007 and became leader of Renfrewshire Council in May 2007, taking the SNP from opposition to lead the administration for the first time.
9.
Derek Mackay became a national figure in local government, leading the SNP group in the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities from 2009 to 2011.
10.
Derek Mackay coordinated the SNP campaign in the 2012 Scottish local government elections and the 2017 general election.
11.
At the 2011 election, Derek Mackay was adopted for the new constituency of Renfrewshire North and West while being placed third on the SNP regional list for West Scotland region.
12.
In June 2011, Derek Mackay was appointed as the SNP's Business Convener, succeeding Bruce Crawford.
13.
On 5 February 2020, the Scottish Sun alerted the office of Nicola Sturgeon about a story they were planning to run revealing Derek Mackay had sent a 16-year-old boy messages via Facebook and Instagram in which he described the boy as "cute" and offered to meet up with the boy in person.
14.
Scottish Conservative acting leader Jackson Carlaw suggested the messages could "constitute the grooming of a young individual" and called for Derek Mackay to resign from the Scottish Parliament.
15.
Derek Mackay came out as gay in 2013 and separated from his wife.
16.
Derek Mackay is involved with the Paisley Fairtrade Partnership, and is a member of CND and Amnesty International.
17.
Derek Mackay was the Honorary Vice President of the Battalion for Paisley and District Boys' Brigade, until being sacked from the position following his resignation scandal.
18.
In February 2020, it was reported by a former senior SNP staff member that Nicola Sturgeon had banned Derek Mackay from drinking at SNP conferences, because of reports around his behaviour.
19.
Derek Mackay joked to attendees at the 2017 party conference that they would not see him in the pub afterwards as, "Nicola won't let me".