John Swinney shortlisted for Holyrood’s MSP of the Year

First Minister John Swinney has been shortlisted for Holyrood’s MSP of the Year award, alongside Presiding Officer Kenneth Gibson and Lib Dem MSP Willie Rennie.

The SNP leader was returned to Bute House in May after winning the Scottish Parliament election, having successfully steadied the ship after a turbulent few years for the party.

Meanwhile Gibson was elected presiding officer, having received considerable praise for his convenorship of the finance committee in the last session, and has already started to make reforms to how the parliament works.

Rennie, a former party leader, has consistently held the Scottish Government to account over numerous policy areas and played a key role in shaping the latest budget deal. 

The winner will be announced at Holyrood’s annual Garden Party and Political Awards on 17 September, alongside the 12 other awards.

Gibson and Rennie have also been shortlisted for the new Parliamentary Patter Merchant of the Year award, which recognises memorable contributions in the chamber – whether witty, inspired, hilarious, or just gloriously offbeat – they manage to grab the attention and capture the mood. SNP MSP George Adam is also on the shortlist.

A number of former MSPs have also been shortlisted, as the nomination period covers the final eight months of session six, as well as the first few months of the new session.

Former SNP MSP Ruth Maguire is in the running for Backbencher of the Year, alongside SNP MSP Bob Doris and Reform MSP Graham Simpson.

Doris is on the shortlist for the Political Hero of the Year award, alongside former Conservative MSP Liz Smith and former SNP MSP Michelle Thomson.

And Smith is also up for Speech of the Year, as are new MSPs Duncan Dunlop (Lib Dem) and Donald Mackinnon (Labour).

The three new MSPs who made the One To Watch short list are Labour’s Joe Fagan and Jenny Young, and the SNP’s Hannah Mary Goodlad who enters Holyrood for the first time and immediately takes on a ministerial role.

Turning to the UK Parliament, Labour MPs Scott Arthur and Richard Baker and Lib Dem MP Wendy Chamberlain are up for Best Scot at Westminster.

Mandy Rhodes, the MD for Holyrood Communications and editor of Holyrood, chairs the panel of judges which this year included two former presiding officers, Sir John Curtice, representatives of the SPJA and MSPs from the four main parties in the last session of the parliament.

Rhodes said: “Judging the annual Garden Party award nominations is always a joyous event with lots of discussion to eventually reach a rare cross-party consensus. Judges were impressed by the spread of nominations and that with so many new faces in the parliament, some new MSPs are already making their mark.

“Congratulations to all the shortlisted politicians and look forward to seeing you on the night.”

The full shortlist is as follows:

MSP of the Year 

• Kenny Gibson  
• Willie Rennie  
• John Swinney  

Local Champion 

• Jackie Baillie
• Finlay Carson  
• Paul Sweeney  

Political Staffer of the Year 

• Bill Caven  
• Niamh Flanagan
• Max Sefton  

Backbencher of the Year 

• Bob Doris 
• Ruth Maguire 
• Graham Simpson 

One to Watch 

• Joe Fagan 
• Hannah Mary Goodlad 
• Jenny Young 

Political Hero of the Year 

• Bob Doris    
• Liz Smith 
• Michelle Thomson  

Parliamentary Patter Merchant of the Year 

• George Adam 
• Kenny Gibson 
• Willie Rennie 

The Powering Change Award 

• Cross-Committee on Tackling Drug Deaths and Drug Harm, Session 6 (conveners: Audrey Nicoll, Clare Haughey, Collette Stevenson)
• Education Committee, Session 6 (convenor Douglas Ross)
• SPCB Supported Bodies Landscape Review, Session 6 (convener Ben Macpherson)

Speech of the Year 

• Duncan Dunlop 
• Donald Mackinnon
• Liz Smith 

Best Scot at Westminster 

• Scott Arthur 
• Richard Baker 
• Wendy Chamberlain  

Open All Hours Award 

• Finlay Carson  
• Michael Marra 
• David Torrance         

The Business of Politics Award 

• Russell Findlay 
• Ivan McKee 
• Malcolm Offord 

Green Giant Award 

• Ariane Burgess 
• Hannah Mary Goodlad 
• Gillian Mackay