20 Facts About Kenny MacAskill

Kenneth Wright MacAskill was born on 28 April 1958 and is a Scottish politician who has been Member of Parliament for East Lothian since 2019.

Kenny MacAskill previously served as Cabinet Secretary for Justice from 2007 to 2014 and was a Member of the Scottish Parliament from 1999 to 2016.

Kenny MacAskill was a long-standing member of the SNP's National Executive Committee and served as treasurer and vice convener of policy, before being elected at the 1999 Scottish Parliament election.

Kenny MacAskill was convener of the Scottish Parliament Subordinate Legislation Committee from 1999 to 2001.

Kenny MacAskill left office in November 2014 in the Cabinet reshuffle which followed the appointment of Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister of Scotland and stood down from the Scottish Parliament at the 2016 election.

In March 2021, Kenny MacAskill defected from the SNP to the Alba Party.

Kenny MacAskill was born in Edinburgh and was educated at Linlithgow Academy before studying law at the University of Edinburgh, gaining an LLB degree.

Kenny MacAskill came to prominence inside the SNP through his activities in the left wing 79 Group and became a party office bearer.

Kenny MacAskill was one of former SNP leader John Swinney's closest supporters.

In 1999 Kenny MacAskill was detained in London before the Euro 2000 second leg play-off match between Scotland and England on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly.

In 2004, after John Swinney stood down as SNP party leader, Kenny MacAskill backed the joint leadership ticket of Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon.

Kenny MacAskill initially intended to stand for deputy leader himself on a joint ticket with Nicola Sturgeon, who would have sought the leadership.

Kenny MacAskill gave way when Salmond reconsidered his earlier decision not to seek re-election to the leadership.

Kenny MacAskill served in the SNP Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning from 2001 to 2003, Shadow Minister for Transport and Telecommunications from 2003 to 2004 and Shadow Minister for Justice from 2004 to 2007.

Kenny MacAskill said that the 2007 terror attack on Glasgow Airport was not committed by 'home-grown' terrorists, in that the suspects were not "born or bred" in Scotland but had merely lived in the country for a "period of time".

Kenny MacAskill won election to a redrawn constituency of Edinburgh Eastern in the 2011 Scottish Parliament election.

The Justice Secretary has discretionary authority to order such a release, and Kenny MacAskill took sole responsibility for the decision.

Kenny MacAskill was chosen as the SNP candidate for East Lothian at the 2019 UK general election.

Kenny MacAskill was elected, overturning a 3,083 majority and defeating Labour's Martin Whitfield.

Kenny MacAskill was reported as planning to stand for election to Holyrood in a regional list seat.