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Ian Blackford
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Ian Blackford
Ian Blackford (born 14 May 1961) is a Scottish politician and investment banker who served as leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) in the House of Commons from 2017 to 2022. He served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ross, Skye and Lochaber from 2015 to 2024.
Originally from Edinburgh, he previously worked as an investment banker and has been involved in various business ventures since. He was the national treasurer of the SNP from 1999 to 2000. Blackford became the SNP Westminster leader after Angus Robertson lost his seat at the 2017 snap general election. He stepped down from the role in December 2022 and was replaced by Stephen Flynn.
Blackford was born in Edinburgh and educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh.
Blackford worked as an analyst with NatWest Securities, before moving to a managerial role. The company was bought by BT Alex. Brown, and Blackford was a managing director. After further integration into Deutsche Bank AG in 1999, Blackford ran Deutsche Bank's equity operations in Scotland and the Netherlands. Following 20 years in the financial industry, he left to do independent consultancy work, forming an investor relations company called First Seer in 2002.
In 2005, Blackford joined the Dutch food and biochemicals company CSM as an investor relations manager. He was appointed non-executive chairman of the Edinburgh-based telecommunications firm Commsworld in 2006, having joined the board as a non-executive director in 2005. He is a trustee at the Golden Charter Trust. In 2013, he helped explain the business case for not closing a primary school in Milngavie when East Dunbartonshire Council had proposed closure. Blackford was the chairman of Commsworld plc, a telecoms company, until 2019. The sale of the business to Lloyds Development Capital at this time is reported to have made Blackford a seven-figure sum.
He was previously the chairman of the Glendale Trust, an organisation responsible for a community-owned estate on Skye, which made an approach to Highland Council to bring a historic pier under community control. Under his chairmanship, support was secured for establishing a heritage centre in 2010. He had also been a member of the FlySkye group, campaigning to bring commercial air services back to Skye.
Blackford stood as the SNP candidate for the Ayr constituency at the 1997 general election, but finished in third place behind Sandra Osborne of the Labour Party.
Later during the same year, he stood as the Scottish National Party (SNP) candidate in the Paisley 1997 by-election but again he was unsuccessful; the contest had the lowest turnout at a by-election in Scotland for thirty years.
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Ian Blackford
Ian Blackford (born 14 May 1961) is a Scottish politician and investment banker who served as leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) in the House of Commons from 2017 to 2022. He served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ross, Skye and Lochaber from 2015 to 2024.
Originally from Edinburgh, he previously worked as an investment banker and has been involved in various business ventures since. He was the national treasurer of the SNP from 1999 to 2000. Blackford became the SNP Westminster leader after Angus Robertson lost his seat at the 2017 snap general election. He stepped down from the role in December 2022 and was replaced by Stephen Flynn.
Blackford was born in Edinburgh and educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh.
Blackford worked as an analyst with NatWest Securities, before moving to a managerial role. The company was bought by BT Alex. Brown, and Blackford was a managing director. After further integration into Deutsche Bank AG in 1999, Blackford ran Deutsche Bank's equity operations in Scotland and the Netherlands. Following 20 years in the financial industry, he left to do independent consultancy work, forming an investor relations company called First Seer in 2002.
In 2005, Blackford joined the Dutch food and biochemicals company CSM as an investor relations manager. He was appointed non-executive chairman of the Edinburgh-based telecommunications firm Commsworld in 2006, having joined the board as a non-executive director in 2005. He is a trustee at the Golden Charter Trust. In 2013, he helped explain the business case for not closing a primary school in Milngavie when East Dunbartonshire Council had proposed closure. Blackford was the chairman of Commsworld plc, a telecoms company, until 2019. The sale of the business to Lloyds Development Capital at this time is reported to have made Blackford a seven-figure sum.
He was previously the chairman of the Glendale Trust, an organisation responsible for a community-owned estate on Skye, which made an approach to Highland Council to bring a historic pier under community control. Under his chairmanship, support was secured for establishing a heritage centre in 2010. He had also been a member of the FlySkye group, campaigning to bring commercial air services back to Skye.
Blackford stood as the SNP candidate for the Ayr constituency at the 1997 general election, but finished in third place behind Sandra Osborne of the Labour Party.
Later during the same year, he stood as the Scottish National Party (SNP) candidate in the Paisley 1997 by-election but again he was unsuccessful; the contest had the lowest turnout at a by-election in Scotland for thirty years.
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