Showcasing Scotland Summer Reception and MP Awards

Announcing the 2026 shortlist:

Scottish MP of the Year

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In a challenging political year, who has stood out from the crowd and achieved tangible benefits for their constituents and for Scotland?

Shortlist:

• Scott Arthur MP - for the introduction of the Rare Cancers Bill. A Private Members Bill, which is difficult enough to secure, which has now successfully passed into law and will literally save lives.
• Alistair Carmichael MP - for the vital work done as convenor of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee particularly around food security and raising that up the political agenda
• Wendy Chamberlain MP - for the vital work around the issue of VAWG and specifically for calling for the Scottish Government to implement fully the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Bill, and as co-chair of the APPG for survivors of Al Fayed and Harrods 

One to Watch

With such a large intake of newly elected Scottish MPs who has quietly, or not so quietly, made their mark over the last two years as a political star in the making?

Shortlist:

• John Cooper MP - for some of the more thoughtful interventions made on a variety of topics but particularly around a bid to ensure the splitting of the dual role held by Scotland’s top law officer
• Dave Doogan MP - for stepping into the big shoes left by Stephen Flynn and making his own distinctive mark on the role with speeches and interventions that have displayed humour, passion, and always putting Scotland first
• Gordon McKee MP - for proving to be an adept communicator and for harnessing social media and custard creams to explain politics and policies in an accessible way without talking down to audiences

Speech of the Year

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With so many new MPs making their first contributions, and joining more seasoned political speakers, whose oratory skills have really stood out?

Shortlist:

• Zubir Ahmed MP - for a moving contribution during the health debate in June but more generally being able to call on his own experiences as a surgeon to bring knowledge and informed practice into any discussion about the NHS
• Torcuil Crichton MP - for a contribution during the energy security debate which transported the Chamber to the Western Isles but more generally for his consistently elegant and witty interventions and words of wisdom, including the infamous ‘not now Andy’ impromptu call during the King’s speech
• Kirsteen Sullivan MP - for her contribution during the introduction of the PPE Bill which clearly set out the importance of the legislation in protecting workers and more generally for thoughtful interventions around matters such as menstrual leave and representation of young people in the democratic process.

The Business of Politics

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Which Scottish MP has really impressed with their energy and drive to listen to businesses and help grow the Scottish economy?

Shortlist:

• Kirsty Blackman MP - for enthusiastic engagement with the business community and being willing to listen and make thoughtful contributions to debates around energy, finance and skills in particular
• Andrew Bowie MP - for his prolific engagement with the energy sector and being willing to listen and make thoughtful contributions to debates around the future of oil and gas, energy security and energy costs
• Martin McCluskey MP - for how quickly he has got across the ministerial brief by working with the energy sector, consumers and other stakeholders to ensure that everything that is done by government around energy keeps a laser focus on bringing household energy bills down.

Scottish Peer of the Year

Which Scottish peer has impressed with their ability to thoughtfully contribute to political debate and use their unique platform to best effect for Scotland?

Shortlist:

• Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, Michael Forsyth – for securing the role of Lord Speaker, the second Scot in a row to take on the role, and was by no means an easy vote to secure
• Lord McFall of Alcluith, John McFall – for stepping down from his role as Lord Speaker. During his tenure in the role, he always worked to build bridges across parties and forged good relationships across the devolved parliaments
• Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, George Robertson – for continuing to push the case for increased spending on defence and being unafraid to criticise his own party in government for not fully implementing his recommendations within the 2025 Strategic Defence Review

Braveheart Award

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Which Scottish MP has shamelessly promoted the interests of Scotland above all others and pushed the country up the political agenda?

Shortlist:

• Patricia Ferguson MP - specifically for the courteous manner that she has taken on the chairing the Scottish Affairs Committee which can be a fractious role but one she has navigated with skill and diplomacy to advance Scottish issues at Westminster with great effect using skills and experience garnered from previous roles with Glasgow City Council and as a minister and MSP at Holyrood
• Tracy Gilbert MP - for the unflinching and high-profile campaign to push the Scottish Parliament into action to ban so-called pimping websites but more generally for the way she has been unafraid to stand up as a gay woman for issues around single sex spaces and the Supreme Court ruling which can often bring her into conflict with others within her own party and the wider LGBT community
• Brian Leishman MP - for the bravery in speaking out against his own party on issues where he feels it is not acting in the best interests of Scots and his constituents on winter fuel payments, welfare and the handling of the Grangemouth closure. This eventually led to him losing the whip and although that has now been returned, no one really expects Brian to not speak up for what he believes in