Craig Hoy
Craig Hoy | |
|---|---|
 Swearing in, 2021 | |
| Chairman of the Scottish Conservative Party | |
| In office 20 May 2022 – 16 November 2024 | |
| Deputy | Pam Gosal |
| Leader | Douglas Ross Russell Findlay |
| Preceded by | Rab Forman and Rachael Hamilton |
| Succeeded by | Alasdair Locke |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament for South Scotland (1 of 7 regional MSPs) | |
| Assumed office 8 May 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Michelle Ballantyne |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Craig William Hoy 1975 (age 49–50) |
| Political party | Scottish Conservatives |
Craig William Hoy[1] (born 1975[2]) is a Scottish politician, former businessman and journalist. He is the Scottish Conservative candidate for the constituency of Dumfriesshire at the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.
He holds the post of Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government and serves in the Shadow Cabinet of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party under Russell Findlay at Holyrood.
He has served as Chairman of the Scottish Conservatives and was a member of the Shadow Cabinet under Douglas Ross.[3][4]
Hoy has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the South Scotland region since 2021.
Background
Hoy was educated at Lasswade High School Centre and grew up in Dalkeith, Midlothian.[5] He went to university in Edinburgh and graduated from City, University of London.[6] He has a brother and sister.[7]
Prior to becoming a politician, Hoy was a businessman in the conference and events arena in the UK, the EU and Asia Pacific. Prior to that served as a journalist,[8] having worked for the BBC, Parliamentary Communications and was a cofounder of Holyrood magazine.[9][10]
Political career
He was also a member of East Lothian Council, representing the Haddington and Lammermuir ward,[11] having been elected in a by-election in 2019.[8]
Hoy contested the East Lothian seat in the 2019 general election, where he finished third.[12]
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Hoy stood in East Lothian at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, coming third with 9,470 votes (20.6%).[13][14] Having been unsuccessful on the constituency vote, he was one of three Conservative candidates to be appointed as regional members on the South Scotland list.[15]
As an MSP, Hoy has served as the Scottish Conservatives' Shadow Minister for Social Care and was a member of the shadow health team.
Additionally, he has also served as a member of the Scottish Parliament's Public Audit Committee and now serves as a member of the Finance and Public Administration Committee.
Following the 2022 Scottish local elections, Hoy was appointed Chairman of the Scottish Conservatives and oversaw the party's General Election campaign where five of six seats were held.
In May 2025, he was announced as the Conservative candidate for Dumfriesshire at the 2026 Scottish Parliament election, succeeding Oliver Mundell who announced he was standing down.[16]
Personal life
Hoy is openly LGBT+ and lives in Moffat in Dumfriesshire within the South Scotland region he represents.[17]
References
- ^ "General election 2019: Who is standing in Scotland?". BBC News. 15 November 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
- ^ "Statutory registers - Births - Search results". ScotlandsPeople. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ Matchett, Conor (25 May 2021). "'Belated transparency victory' as Scottish Government agency to publish Covid-19 deaths by hospital figures". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ^ Keith, Jake; Amery, Rachel (2 June 2021). "'Crisis' as record number of children waiting more than a year for mental health treatment in Fife". The Courier. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ^ https://boundaries.scot/sites/default/files/Peebles_Inquiry_Transcript.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "About Craig Hoy". Craig Hoy. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
- ^ "Craig Hoy MSP: Getting to Know You". Holyrood Website. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
- ^ a b Sharp, Marie (10 May 2019). "UPDATED: Conservative candidate wins Haddington and Lammermuir by-election". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ^ "Craig Hoy". East Lothian Conservatives. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
- ^ Hoy, Craig (4 October 2019). "The question is not whether the UK needs a new constitutional framework, but what that framework should be". Holyrood Website. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
- ^ Ritchie, Cameron (4 May 2021). "Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar makes campaign visit to East Lothian". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ^ Swanson, Ian (2 April 2021). "Election 2021: Here are the candidates and the issues for East Lothian". www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ^ "Scottish Parliament Election 2021: Statement from East Lothian constituency Conservative candidate Craig Hoy". East Lothian Courier. 3 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
- ^ "Scottish Parliamentary Election Results - 6 May 2021 - East Lothian Constituency". East Lothian Council. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
- ^ "Results: South Scotland regional list dominated by Conservatives and Labour MSPs". ITV News. 9 May 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
- ^ "Craig Hoy selected by Tories". DnG Online. 20 May 2025. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
- ^ "Craig Hoy: I saw Mika at the Roundhouse and went home with Covid". 16 June 2023.
External links
- Scottish Parliament profiles of MSPs: Craig Hoy