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Kenny MacAskill
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Kenneth Wright MacAskill (born 28 April 1958) is a Scottish politician who served as Cabinet Secretary for Justice from 2007 to 2014 and was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) from 1999 to 2016. He later served as Member of Parliament (MP) for East Lothian from 2019 to 2024. A former member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), he defected to the Alba Party in 2021 and currently serves as the party's leader, after winning a 2025 leadership election.

Key Information

Born in Edinburgh and educated at Linlithgow Academy, MacAskill studied law at the University of Edinburgh and was a senior partner in a law firm in Glasgow. He 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. He was convener of the Scottish Parliament Subordinate Legislation Committee from 1999 to 2001.

Following the SNP's victory in 2007, MacAskill was appointed as Cabinet Secretary for Justice in the Scottish Government. In this role, he oversaw the controversial transfer of convicted terrorist Abdelbaset al-Megrahi to his native Libya. 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.

After standing down from the Scottish Parliament, MacAskill was elected to the House of Commons as MP for East Lothian at the 2019 general election, gaining the previously Labour-held seat from Martin Whitfield. In March 2021, MacAskill defected from the SNP to the Alba Party. At the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, he stood on the Alba Party's Lothian regional list but neither he nor his party succeeded in gaining a seat.

At the 2024 general election MacAskill stood in the Alloa and Grangemouth seat. He received 1.5% of the vote share with 638 votes. After the death of Alba Party leader Alex Salmond in 2024, MacAskill in 2025 was elected leader.

Background, early life and career

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MacAskill was born in Edinburgh and was educated at Linlithgow Academy before studying law at the University of Edinburgh, gaining an LLB (Hons) degree.[2] After completing his training at a firm in Glasgow, he set up Erskine MacAskill.

He came to prominence within the SNP through his activities in the left-wing 79 Group and became a party office bearer. In the 1980s he led the "Can't Pay, Won't Pay" campaign in opposition to the Poll Tax. It was widely known that he often disagreed politically with Alex Salmond, leader of the SNP through the 1990s, and he was at one stage viewed as belonging to the SNP Fundamentalist camp, being perceived to be allied to figures such as Jim Sillars and Alex Neil within the party.

Member of the Scottish Parliament (1999–2016)

[edit]

After MacAskill became an MSP in 1999 upon the establishment of the Scottish Parliament as a regional list member for the Lothians he moderated his political position, seeing the development of the Scottish Parliament as the most achievable route for Scotland to become an independent nation state. In this respect he was regarded as having adopted a gradualist approach to Scottish independence in place of his previous fundamentalist position. He was one of former SNP leader John Swinney's closest supporters.

In 1999 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.[3] As he was not charged with any crime the incident did not affect his position within the SNP and he won re-election at the 2003 election.

In 2004, after John Swinney stood down as SNP party leader, Kenny MacAskill backed the joint leadership ticket of Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon. He had initially intended to stand for deputy leader himself on a joint ticket with Nicola Sturgeon, who would have sought the leadership. He gave way when Salmond reconsidered his earlier decision not to seek re-election to the leadership. Upon their election as leader and deputy leader respectively, MacAskill was selected to be Deputy Leader of the SNP in the Scottish Parliament. He 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.

MacAskill authored a book, Building a Nation – Post Devolution Nationalism in Scotland, which was launched at the SNP's 2004 annual conference in Inverness. He has since edited another book Agenda for a New Scotland – Visions of Scotland 2020, and has co-authored Global Scots – Voices From Afar with former First Minister Henry McLeish.

Cabinet Secretary for Justice (2007–2014)

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For the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, MacAskill was top of the SNP's party list for the Lothians region. He stood in the Edinburgh East and Musselburgh constituency, winning that seat from Scottish Labour with a 13.3% swing to give a majority of 1,382. This was the first time the SNP had ever won a parliamentary seat in Edinburgh. After the SNP's victory at the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, MacAskill became the Cabinet Secretary for Justice.

One of MacAskill's first acts as a cabinet secretary was to lift the ban on alcohol sales at international rugby union games held at Murrayfield Stadium.[4]

MacAskill also 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".[5]

MacAskill won election to a redrawn constituency of Edinburgh Eastern in the 2011 Scottish Parliament election.[6] Despite notionally facing a deficit of 550 votes,[7] MacAskill won by over 2,000 votes.[6]

Pan Am Flight 103

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Main article: Release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi

On 19 August 2009, MacAskill rejected an application by Libya to transfer to their custody Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, convicted of the Pan Am Flight 103 bomb that killed 270 people, acknowledging that "the American families and Government had an expectation or were led to believe that there would be no prisoner transfer."[8] The following day, on 20 August, MacAskill authorised al-Megrahi's release on compassionate grounds. Megrahi had served 8½ years of a life sentence, but had developed terminal prostate cancer.[9][10] The Justice Secretary has discretionary authority to order such a release, and MacAskill took sole responsibility for the decision.[11][12] Megrahi died on 20 May 2012.

In the United States, where 180 of the 270 victims came from, the decision met with broad hostility. Political figures including President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke out against it,[13][14] and families of the victims expressed indignation over the decision.[15][16][17][18] FBI director Robert Mueller, who had been a lead investigator in the 1988 bombing, wrote a highly critical open letter to MacAskill.[19] Former Labour First Minister Henry McLeish was critical of Mueller's attack on the decision.[20]

In Britain, reaction was divided. Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray, former First Minister Jack McConnell, and former Scottish Office minister Brian Wilson criticised the decision,[21][22][23][24][25] while Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, former Labour MP Tam Dalyell and former British ambassador to Libya Richard Dalton publicly supported it.[26][27] Ian Galloway and Mario Conti, representatives of the Church of Scotland and the Roman Catholic Church respectively, also spoke in favour of the release.[28]

John Mosey, a priest who lost a daughter on Pan Am Flight 103, expressed his disappointment that halting Megrahi's appeal before it went to court meant that the public would never hear "this important evidence — the six separate grounds for appeal that the SCCRC felt were important enough to put forward, that could show that there's been a miscarriage of justice."[29] Saif al-Islam Gaddafi reiterated his belief in Megrahi's innocence commenting that the Justice Secretary had "made the right decision" and that history would prove this to be the case.[30] A letter in support of MacAskill's decision was sent to the Scottish Government on behalf of former South African President Nelson Mandela.[31]

The Scottish Parliament was recalled from its summer break, for the third time since its creation, to receive a statement from and question MacAskill.[32] The opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament passed amendments criticising the decision and the way it was made, but no motions of confidence in MacAskill or the Scottish Government were tabled.[33]

After MacAskill won re-election to the Scottish Parliament in 2011, an SNP supporter said that the decision had been mentioned by very few voters during the election campaign.[34]

MacAskill stood down from the Scottish Parliament at the 2016 election.[35]

Member of Parliament (2019–2024)

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MacAskill was chosen as the SNP candidate for East Lothian at the 2019 UK general election.[36] He was subsequently elected, overturning a 3,083 majority and defeating Labour's Martin Whitfield.[37]

In April 2020, MacAskill called for the office of Lord Advocate to be split – similarly to the English and Welsh system of Attorney General for England and Wales and Director of Public Prosecutions – in a response to the trial of former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond, to avoid potential conflicts of interest.[38]

In February 2020, MacAskill authored Radical Scotland – Uncovering Scotland's radical history – from the French Revolutionary era to the 1820 Rising, published by Biteback.

Following the launch of the Alba Party in March 2021, in advance of the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, MacAskill announced that he was leaving the SNP to join Alba,[why?] making him their first sitting representative. He was reported as planning to stand for election to Holyrood in a regional list seat.[1] The SNP called on him to resign and trigger a by-election, describing his defection as "somewhat of a relief".[39] In the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, he stood on Alba's Lothian regional list, as their lead candidate, but neither he nor his party succeeded in gaining any seats.[40] Later that year, at the party's inaugural conference, he was elected as depute leader.[41]

On 13 July 2022, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle ejected MacAskill and his Alba colleague Neale Hanvey (Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath) from the House of Commons for disrupting the start of Prime Minister's Questions. The two had been protesting about the refusal to grant consent for a second referendum on Scottish independence.[42] As both Members were named by the Speaker, by convention MacAskill and Hanvey were handed five-day suspensions from the House of Commons.

At the 2024 general election, MacAskill switched constituencies to instead stand for the new Alloa and Grangemouth seat, which was won by Brian Leishman of the Labour Party, amidst a large swing towards Labour across Scotland. MacAskill received 638 votes, (1.5%), finishing second-to-last.[43]

Post-parliamentary career (2024–present)

[edit]

Following Alex Salmond's death on 12 October 2024, MacAskill, as the depute leader,[44] became acting leader of the Alba Party.[45][46] He announced his candidacy for the 2025 Alba Party leadership election on 20 January 2025.[47] On 26 March 2025, he was elected at the party conference defeating Ash Regan 52.3% to 47.7%.[48]

On 21 February 2026, MacAskill announced the Alba Party would be "unlikely" to stand in the upcoming 2026 Scottish Parliament election, due to its "perilous financial position", adding the situation "brings into question the viability of a party that neither has financial resource nor the ability to contest elections".[49]

Personal life

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MacAskill lives in Moray, where he has a house, and he also maintains a flat in East Lothian.[50] He has two sons.[2]

See also

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Notes

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Kenny MacAskill

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![Kenny MacAskill as Cabinet Secretary for Justice](./assets/Kenny_MacAskill%252C_Cabinet_Secretary_for_Justice_(2) Kenneth Wright MacAskill (born 28 April 1958) is a Scottish politician known for his long career in devolved and national politics, including serving as from 2007 to 2014. As Secretary, he authorized the compassionate release of , the Libyan national convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, a decision based on Megrahi's terminal cancer diagnosis that drew international criticism particularly from the . MacAskill represented the (SNP) as a for Edinburgh constituencies from 1999 to 2016 and as for from 2019 until losing his seat in 2024. Disillusioned with the SNP's direction on independence, he defected to the in 2021 and was elected its leader in 2025 following the death of founder . A solicitor by training and early advocate for through campaigns like resistance, MacAskill has emphasized pragmatic nationalism and critiqued establishment narratives on issues from reform to .

Early life and pre-political career

Upbringing and education

Kenny MacAskill was born on 28 April 1958 in , .<grok:render type="render_inline_citation"> 3 </grok:render> He grew up in the working-class port district of before the family relocated to , where he attended the state-funded Linlithgow Academy for .<grok:render type="render_inline_citation"> 20 </grok:render><grok:render type="render_inline_citation"> 40 </grok:render><grok:render type="render_inline_citation"> 6 </grok:render> The academy, established in 1410 but operating as a comprehensive during his attendance, provided a rigorous grounding in core subjects amid a community shaped by 's industrial heritage, including nearby influences on local identity.<grok:render type="render_inline_citation"> 17 </grok:render><grok:render type="render_inline_citation"> 45 </grok:render> MacAskill then studied law at the , earning a (LLB) degree.<grok:render type="render_inline_citation"> 20 </grok:render><grok:render type="render_inline_citation"> 21 </grok:render><grok:render type="render_inline_citation"> 27 </grok:render> The university's legal curriculum, rooted in traditions, emphasized analytical reasoning and practical application, aligning with the self-reliant ethos of his state-school background rather than broader ideological frameworks prevalent in some academic settings.<grok:render type="render_inline_citation"> 17 </grok:render> This education equipped him with foundational skills in , drawing from empirical case analysis over abstract theory.

Professional career as a solicitor

MacAskill trained as a solicitor after studying law at the University of Edinburgh and established the Edinburgh-based firm Erskine MacAskill, where he served as a partner. His practice emphasized defence work, including representation of clients in legal aid cases over roughly two decades before assuming public office. In this role, MacAskill handled civil matters for prisoners, providing pragmatic legal support in a client-oriented manner typical of private practice solicitors. This experience in contentious litigation and aid-funded proceedings built his professional foundation, distinct from subsequent governmental responsibilities in justice policy. Throughout his pre-parliamentary career, MacAskill maintained separation between his legal duties and emerging political engagements, prioritizing case-specific advocacy over ideological influences.

Scottish Parliament career (1999–2016)

Election to MSP and party roles

Kenny MacAskill was elected as a list (MSP) for the Lothians region representing the (SNP) in the 6 May , the inaugural poll following . The SNP secured 35 seats overall, with MacAskill entering via the regional list after topping the party ballot in Lothians. Prior to his election, he had served in senior SNP internal roles, including national treasurer and vice-convener for policy, contributing to the party's organizational and strategic development during its opposition phase. In the first parliamentary session, with Labour in government, MacAskill focused on opposition scrutiny, particularly of devolved legislative processes. He was appointed convener of the Subordinate Legislation Committee on 24 August 1999, a role he held until 6 September 2001, overseeing the examination of secondary legislation for compliance with principles of clarity, , and policy intent. This position provided foundational experience in and indirect oversight of justice-related instruments, while his interventions in debates on home affairs and regulatory issues further honed his profile in these areas. MacAskill was re-elected as a Lothians regional MSP in the 1 May 2003 election, as the SNP increased its seats to 27 amid growing support for . His consistent parliamentary contributions, including advocacy for party priorities, aligned with the SNP's rising momentum, which peaked in the 3 May 2007 election when the party won 47 seats to form a under , marking a shift from perennial opposition to executive power. This electoral breakthrough elevated veteran figures like MacAskill within the party structure.

Cabinet Secretary for Justice (2007–2014)

Kenny MacAskill held the position of Cabinet Secretary for Justice from 2007 to 2014 under First Minister Alex Salmond's Scottish National Party administrations. In this role, he oversaw the Scottish justice system, implementing policies aimed at reducing reoffending, reforming sentencing practices, and addressing public health issues linked to crime, such as alcohol misuse. His tenure included both legislative achievements and high-profile controversies, notably the release of the Lockerbie bomber.

Domestic justice reforms

MacAskill introduced reforms to shift away from short-term sentences, which he described as perpetuating a "hopeless cycle" of reoffending, proposing community-based alternatives like structured payback schemes in a March 2009 announcement. In , major legislative changes to and court procedures were enacted to streamline prosecutions and protect public interests more effectively. He also accepted recommendations from a 2009 Scottish Civil Courts Review report, leading to structural changes in court operations implemented post-. A cornerstone policy was minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol, initiated as a priority to curb cheap alcohol's role in and antisocial behavior; setting a 50p per unit minimum was passed in 2012 after overcoming industry opposition and legal hurdles. This measure, developed over a decade under MacAskill's advocacy, aimed to reduce without broadly increasing costs for moderate drinkers.

Handling of the Lockerbie bombing and Megrahi release

On 20 August 2009, MacAskill approved the of , the Libyan national convicted in 2001 for the 1988 bombing over , which killed 270 people. The decision followed Megrahi's diagnosis of terminal with a three-month , invoking provisions under for prisoner release on humanitarian grounds after review by the and medical assessment. The release provoked widespread criticism, especially from U.S. officials and Lockerbie victims' families, amid suspicions of linkage to a UK-Libya prisoner transfer agreement potentially tied to oil interests, though MacAskill insisted it was solely a matter of under Scottish and not discussed by the full cabinet. Megrahi, deported to Tripoli, received a public hero's welcome and survived over two years beyond the prognosis, fueling debates on the decision's merits. MacAskill defended the action in subsequent statements, emphasizing accountability to the .

Domestic justice reforms

During his tenure as for Justice from 2007 to 2014, Kenny MacAskill implemented reforms to address and promote alternatives to custody. He expanded community sentencing options, emphasizing rehabilitation over short-term , particularly for low-risk offenders. In 2008, the under MacAskill launched the "Protecting Scotland's Communities: Fair, Fast and Flexible Justice" strategy, which supported a framework of custodial and community sentences to manage offender populations while protecting the public. Community sentences proved more effective at reducing one-year proven reoffending rates by seven percentage points compared to equivalent short custodial terms. Despite these efforts, Scotland's population reached a record high of over 8,000 inmates by 2012, even as recorded crime fell to its lowest level since 1975. To tackle overcrowding, MacAskill oversaw contingency plans for early prisoner releases, including proposals for short-term release programs via secondary legislation when capacity pressures intensified, as seen in responses to HM Inspectorate reports on facilities like HMP Barlinnie. He advocated extending the presumption against sentences under three months, arguing that community-based interventions better addressed underlying social issues like and breakdown, with initiatives such as the Turnaround targeting young male offenders aged 16-30 for rehabilitation. For female offenders, MacAskill prioritized community alternatives to imprisonment, aligning with commitments to reduce women's incarceration rates, where two-thirds served sentences of six months or less. MacAskill drove the merger of Scotland's eight regional police forces into a single national body, , effective 1 April 2013, motivated by budget constraints rendering the fragmented model unsustainable. The reform aimed to achieve administrative efficiencies and standardize responses to issues like , with officer numbers maintained at levels 6.7% higher than in 2007 despite fluctuations. Subsequent critiques highlighted risks of over-centralization and diminished local accountability, though proponents noted improved resource allocation for priority crimes. In 2011, MacAskill introduced the Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) () Bill, establishing a minimum for alcohol to curb misuse and related harms, following evidence linking cheap alcohol to higher consumption rates. The policy faced industry opposition and legal delays but was enacted in 2012 at 50p per unit, with post-implementation data indicating a 9.6% rise in alcohol prices paid and associated declines in population-level consumption. This targeted complemented broader justice efforts by aiming to reduce alcohol-fueled offenses empirically linked to higher volumes.

Handling of the Lockerbie bombing and Megrahi release

Kenny MacAskill, as Cabinet Secretary for Justice, authorized the compassionate release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi on 20 August 2009, after serving approximately eight and a half years of a life sentence for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which killed 270 people. Megrahi's diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer, with a prognosis of three months or less, formed the basis for the decision under Scottish legal provisions allowing mercy for terminally ill prisoners. MacAskill declined Libya's request for a prisoner transfer under the UK-Libya agreement, citing Megrahi's refusal to consent and emphasizing direct compassionate release as aligning with Scotland's tradition of humanitarianism toward the dying, irrespective of their crimes. The release triggered widespread condemnation, especially from American victims' families and US officials, who highlighted the absence of remorse from Megrahi and argued that no compassion had been extended to the bombing victims. Megrahi's reception in Tripoli as a hero, including public celebrations and meetings with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, amplified perceptions of the decision rewarding terrorism and eroding international justice. UK politicians and the FBI director criticized it for potentially comforting global terrorists and damaging Scotland's credibility, with allegations—denied by MacAskill—of links to a BP-Libya oil deal influencing the outcome. Subsequent events further fueled about the medical grounds: Megrahi lived until 20 May 2012, nearly three years post-release, prompting questions over the reliability of the from Scottish prison medical staff and consulted specialists. This discrepancy led critics to contend that the terminal illness rationale masked other motivations, such as facilitating Libyan relations, though official accounts insisted on adherence to empirical health assessments at the time. Some supported the release by pointing to evidentiary weaknesses in Megrahi's 2001 conviction, including disputes over the bomb's MST-13 fragment, which linked the device to Libyan but faced claims of forensic inconsistencies and possible . In "You Are My Jury," published in 2012 with investigator John Ashton, Megrahi repudiated guilt, arguing the fragment did not match his and highlighting alternative theories involving other actors; he had dropped a pending to secure release, which proponents viewed as of a potential rather than admission of culpability. These doubts, while contested by prosecutors who upheld the court's findings based on circumstantial and identification , underscored debates over causal attribution in the bombing beyond Megrahi's sole involvement.

UK Parliament career (2019–2024)

Election as MP for East Lothian

In the 2019 United Kingdom general election held on 12 December, Kenny MacAskill was elected as the (SNP) Member of Parliament for , gaining the seat from Labour's incumbent Martin Whitfield. MacAskill secured 21,156 votes, representing 36.2% of the vote share—a 5.6 increase from the previous SNP performance—with a majority of 3,886 votes (6.6%). The result reflected the SNP's broader surge in , where the party won 48 seats amid heightened debates over and , capitalizing on voter dissatisfaction with the UK's departure from the despite Scotland's 2014 independence referendum outcome. Turnout in stood at 71.7% among an electorate of 81,600. Transitioning from his role as a former (MSP) for Edinburgh Eastern, MacAskill had been selected as the SNP candidate for earlier in 2019, leveraging his experience as a long-serving SNP politician. Upon entering Westminster as part of the enlarged SNP parliamentary group, he contributed to efforts aimed at scrutinizing the government, including on reserved matters impinging on devolved competencies such as the limits of and calls for expanded powers over justice-related issues. MacAskill's early parliamentary activities included tabling written questions probing the boundaries of , such as representations on further transfers of transport-related powers, and advocating for broader devolved authority in policy. He also directed inquiries toward UK foreign policy critiques, notably questioning the on US Air Force operations from in since October 2023 and flights to in 2024, amid concerns over military engagements. By 2020, amid internal SNP discussions following the acquittal of in his trial, MacAskill voiced criticisms, calling for unspecified resignations and warning that the party risked alienating its core working-class support by deprioritizing immediate strategies.

Defection to the Alba Party and subsequent activities

On 27 March 2021, MacAskill resigned the SNP whip and defected to the Alba Party, which had been launched earlier that month by former First Minister Alex Salmond, arguing that the new party was essential to consolidate pro-independence votes on the Holyrood regional lists and revive momentum for a second referendum, which he viewed as having stagnated under Nicola Sturgeon's SNP leadership. He simultaneously announced his candidacy for Alba on the Lothian regional list in the May 2021 Scottish Parliament election, where the party secured 1.66% of the constituency vote and 7.98% of the regional vote in Lothian but won no seats. The SNP responded by demanding a by-election in East Lothian and describing the defection as "somewhat of a relief," citing internal divergences on independence strategy. MacAskill retained his Westminster seat for as Alba's sole MP from 2021 to 2024, using the platform to advocate for enhanced and critique the SNP's electoral tactics, including its reluctance to coordinate list votes explicitly for independence gains. His parliamentary record included consistent support for measures expanding powers, such as fiscal and welfare , aligning with Alba's focus on constitutional advancement over broader policy concessions. In the 2024 UK general election, boundary changes renamed the constituency Lothian East, where MacAskill stood for Alba but lost to Labour's candidate amid a pro-independence vote split across SNP (23.5% in Scotland-wide terms), Alba, and , enabling Labour to capture 37 Scottish seats previously held by the SNP. Alba polled under 2% nationally, underscoring the party's limited traction in fragmenting the nationalist electorate and contributing to the SNP's reduction to nine MPs.

Political views, controversies, and break from the SNP

Advocacy for Scottish independence

MacAskill has maintained a steadfast commitment to since entering politics with the SNP, framing it as essential for economic self-determination and national sovereignty. During his time as an SNP MSP, he championed the 2014 independence referendum campaign, overseeing preparations in his role as Cabinet Secretary for Justice, including contingency planning for potential post-referendum governance structures. He argued that independence would enable to leverage its resources directly, citing rising prices in 2005 as evidence that fiscal autonomy could prevent economic dependency on the . After the 2014 referendum resulted in a 55% vote against on a turnout of 84.6%, MacAskill advocated for sustained momentum through building public support and exploring negotiated withdrawal mechanisms from the , rather than immediate repetition. He emphasized empirical economic arguments, such as retaining full control over oil and gas revenues—estimated at £9 billion to the in 2023—to fund domestic priorities like energy infrastructure, contrasting this with the limitations of devolved powers. In the Alba Party, MacAskill has prioritized electoral strategies to secure a mandate for , positioning the 2026 Scottish Parliament election as a decisive test of public will equivalent to a . He promotes dissolving the union through legal challenges and list-vote tactics to achieve a pro-independence parliamentary majority, avoiding reliance on government approval for referendums and focusing on gains post-Brexit, such as tailored trade policies unbound by Westminster. This approach underscores his view that requires grassroots mobilization and fiscal control over resources like renewables and hydrocarbons, rather than perpetual negotiation.

Criticisms of SNP leadership and policy shifts

MacAskill has accused the SNP leadership under of orchestrating a political conspiracy in its handling of complaints against between 2018 and 2020, demanding a into what he described as flawed government processes that damaged Salmond's reputation. In July 2025, he stated he would "never forgive" Sturgeon for her role, claiming senior party figures, including the former , conspired against Salmond despite his in court. MacAskill further criticized Sturgeon's style as an "authoritarian cult of the personality," alleging she sidelined competent ministers in favor of sycophants, which eroded party governance and contributed to internal divisions. He argued that Sturgeon's tenure shifted SNP priorities from Scottish independence to identity politics, diluting the party's core mission and alienating its working-class base. In a May 2024 opinion piece, MacAskill contended this obsession represented Sturgeon's enduring legacy, directly undermining electoral viability by diverting resources from independence preparations, such as lacking concrete plans for a second referendum despite repeated mandates. He linked this to broader leadership failures, including inadequate readiness for independence post-Brexit, which he deemed "criminal" neglect in 2020. MacAskill specifically faulted the 2021 , the power-sharing pact with the , for bypassing SNP members' input and entrenching divisive policies that stalled momentum. He viewed the deal as prioritizing Green-influenced agendas over grassroots priorities, fostering resentment and weakening party unity. The Gender Recognition Reform (GRR) Bill, advanced under this arrangement and passed in December 2022 despite a significant internal SNP rebellion, exemplified the cost: MacAskill warned it would haunt Sturgeon by exposing leadership overreach and distracting from substantive progress on . These policy shifts coincided with tangible electoral erosion, as the SNP's focus on cultural issues correlated with voter disillusionment. Following a strong 2021 Scottish Parliament performance where the party secured 64 seats with 47.7% of the constituency vote—falling just short of a —support waned amid scandals and perceived inaction on . By the July 2024 general election, the SNP's vote share plummeted to 29.9%, resulting in a collapse from 48 seats to 9, a wipeout MacAskill attributed to missteps that prioritized identity over the cause.

Positions on gender and women's rights

MacAskill opposed the Scottish National Party's Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, enacted on December 22, 2022, which would have enabled legal gender self-identification without medical diagnosis, warning that it undermined safeguards for women's single-sex spaces by prioritizing ideological self-declaration over biological sex. He aligned his stance with the Alba Party's manifesto, which rejects self-identification reforms that erode protections based on immutable sex, emphasizing empirical risks of exploitation over unsubstantiated claims of widespread harm from exclusion. In prison policy, MacAskill argued for strict single-sex segregation, rejecting self-identification as a basis for housing male-bodied offenders in female facilities, as it endangers vulnerable women inmates—many of whom are prior victims of male violence—and risks retraumatization. He cited the case of a 6-foot-5-inch convicted sex offender transferred to Scotland's Cornton Vale women's prison via self-ID, alongside data from England and Wales indicating 230 transgender prisoners as of March-April 2022, including 97 convicted of sex crimes and 44 for rape, which could incentivize predatory behavior under lax criteria. Scottish Prison Service research he referenced documented 11 transgender prisoners causing female inmates to report feeling threatened, degraded, and psychologically harmed, reinforcing his call to halt such placements regardless of individual sincerity. On sports, MacAskill contended that allowing biological males to compete in women's categories violates fairness and integrity, stating he would feel "cheated" by victories like that of weightlifter at the Olympics, due to inherent physiological advantages retained post-transition. He maintained that warrant but must not supersede women's sex-based entitlements to equitable competition and safety, diverging from SNP policies that accommodated inclusive participation at the expense of empirical equity data. This position echoes Alba's advocacy for single-sex sports to preserve competitive balance, grounded in biological differences rather than subjective identity.

Post-parliamentary career (2024–present)

Leadership of the Alba Party

Following the death of on 12 October 2024, Kenny MacAskill was elected leader of the on 26 March 2025, narrowly defeating with 52.3% of the vote (1,331 votes) to her 47.7% (1,212 votes). In his victory speech, MacAskill pledged to pursue Salmond's vision of , emphasizing a renewed focus on the independence cause amid the Scottish National Party's (SNP) electoral setbacks, including its reduction to nine MPs in the July 2024 UK general election. MacAskill positioned Alba as the authentic vehicle for consolidating the pro-independence vote, advocating for the 2026 Scottish Parliament election to function as a referendum on through targeted voting strategies to secure a pro-independence . He criticized the SNP's under as ineffective and "taking us nowhere," urging a pragmatic shift away from reliance on Westminster negotiations or challenges, which he argued had stalled progress. This approach aimed to exploit the SNP's internal divisions, including blocked debates on alternative routes and perceived disdain for grassroots members, positioning Alba to capture disillusioned supporters. Under MacAskill's leadership, Alba has critiqued SNP policy priorities, including reversals on fiscal and environmental measures, while advocating opposition to projects like high-voltage pylons that MacAskill described as destructive to Scotland's countryside in favor of English energy needs. At the party's October 2025 conference, he reflected on a "long, hard year" since Salmond's death, framing Alba's challenges as opportunities to refocus on core goals rather than what he and party allies have long viewed as the SNP's distractions on social issues. This repositioning seeks to differentiate Alba from the SNP's governance record, though the party continues to face organizational hurdles and limited electoral traction.

Public commentary and other engagements

In December 2024, MacAskill commented on the impending trial of Libyan national Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud, stating that he had "always believed" Mas'ud was the bomber, emphasizing the forensic and intelligence evidence linking him to construction. This remark reflected his ongoing scrutiny of the bombing's unresolved elements, consistent with prior analyses questioning aspects of the original conviction while upholding accountability for the act. MacAskill serves as an external contributor to the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, leveraging his background in Scottish to inform broader discussions on penal and sentencing practices. His involvement underscores a commitment to evidence-based critique of systems, prioritizing empirical review over institutional narratives.

Personal life

Family and relationships

MacAskill was first married to Alison MacAskill for 22 years, ending in separation in 2009 amid the strains of his ministerial responsibilities. He has two sons from this . MacAskill remarried in New York on an unspecified date in 2018, with photographer serving as best man; details on his second wife remain limited in . Despite his prominence in Scottish politics, MacAskill has kept his family life private, with no evidence of his children or spouses engaging directly in political matters. He owns a home in and maintains a flat in , aligning with his constituency representation while allowing separation from daily political demands.

Interests and writings

MacAskill has demonstrated a sustained interest in Scottish historical narratives, particularly those involving radicalism and social upheaval, as evidenced by his authorship of multiple non-fiction works exploring these themes. In Radical Scotland: Uncovering Scotland's Radical History – from the French Revolutionary Era to the Rising (2020), he examines periods of dissent and reform in , drawing on primary sources to highlight lesser-known episodes of resistance against established authority. Similarly, Glasgow 1919: The Rise of (2019) details the industrial strikes and revolutionary fervor in post-World War I , attributing the events to economic grievances and labor organization rather than imported ideology alone. His writings often prioritize evidence-based scrutiny of official accounts, notably in The Lockerbie Bombing: The Search for (2016), where he critiques aspects of the investigation into the 1988 disaster, advocating for transparency in judicial processes based on declassified documents and witness testimonies. This approach extends to biographical works like : A Scottish Political Journey (2011), which traces the evolution of the trade unionist's ideology through archival materials and personal interviews, emphasizing pragmatic shifts in response to socioeconomic realities. In Building a Nation: Post Devolution Nationalism in Scotland (2021), MacAskill argues for a social democratic framework tailored to Scotland's post-1999 devolution context, using economic data and policy analyses to support claims of viable grounded in fiscal prudence rather than unsubstantiated optimism. These publications reflect an intellectual engagement with legal and historical precedents that underscores evidence-driven reasoning over partisan expediency, though they have drawn criticism from outlets aligned with prevailing narratives for diverging from consensus views on events like .

References

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