Owen Thompson | |
---|---|
![]() Official portrait, 2020 | |
Chief Whip of the Scottish National Party in the House of Commons | |
Assumed office 4 September 2023 | |
Leader | Stephen Flynn |
Preceded by | Brendan O'Hara |
In office 9 March 2021 – 9 December 2022 | |
Leader | Ian Blackford |
Preceded by | Patrick Grady |
Succeeded by | Martin Docherty-Hughes |
Member of Parliament for Midlothian | |
Assumed office 12 December 2019 | |
Preceded by | Danielle Rowley |
Majority | 5,705 (11.8%) |
In office 7 May 2015 – 3 May 2017 | |
Preceded by | David Hamilton |
Succeeded by | Danielle Rowley |
Personal details | |
Born | 17 March 1978 |
Political party | Scottish National Party |
Alma mater | Edinburgh Napier University |
Website | Official website |
Owen George Thompson (born 17 March 1978)[1] is a Scottish National Party politician currently serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Midlothian. He was elected in 2015, defeated at the 2017 general election, and regained the seat at the 2019 general election.
Thompson is the son of the late Robert Thompson and Margaret Thompson.[2] He was brought up in Loanhead after moving there when he was seven.[3] He studied accounting and finance at Edinburgh Napier University.[4]
Thompson had previously been the leader of Midlothian Council. He was first elected to the council at the Loanhead by-election in 2005.[5] At the age of 27, he was Scotland's youngest councillor at the time.[6] He was then re-elected in the 2007 council election and again in the 2012 council election.[3][7] He became deputy leader of the council in 2012, and leader in November 2013, succeeding his party colleague Bob Constable.[6] He remained on the council until 2015.[2]
In December 2014, the Bonnyrigg, Loanhead and District SNP branch nominated Thompson to be the party's official candidate at the 2015 general election.[8] He was elected as the MP for Midlothian with 24,453 votes, a 50.6% share of the votes cast.[9] He was sworn into office at Westminster on 20 May 2015, and on the same day was given a position in the SNP Whips' Office under the SNP's chief whip, Mike Weir.[10]
Thompson narrowly lost his seat at the 2017 general election to Danielle Rowley of the Labour Party by 885 votes, receiving 34.4% of the overall vote share, compared to 36.4% for Rowley.[11] However, two years later, at the 2019 election, he regained the seat, taking a 41.5% vote share and a majority of 5,705 (11.8%).
In March 2021, Thompson was appointed chief whip for the SNP in Westminster after the resignation of Patrick Grady.[12] He was dismissed by new leader Stephen Flynn in December 2022.[13] He returned to the position in September 2023.[14]
Thompson lists his recreations as football and computer games.[2]