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Emma Roddick

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Emma Roddick
MSP
Emma Roddick in the Scottish Parliament on 13 May 2021
Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees
In office
29 March 2023 – 8 May 2024
First MinisterHumza Yousaf
Preceded byChristina McKelvie
Succeeded byKaukab Stewart
Member of the Scottish Parliament for Highlands and Islands
(1 of 7 Regional MSPs)
Incumbent
Assumed office
8 May 2021
Personal details
Born (1997-07-30) 30 July 1997 (age 27)
Political partyScottish National Party

Emma Roddick (born 30 July 1997) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. Emma served as the Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees between 2023 and 2024; stepping down when John Swinney was appointed first minister[1][2] [3] She has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Highlands and Islands since May 2021.

Early life

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Roddick was born to Sue, a social worker, and Davy Roddick and lived in Alness from an early age.[4] She moved to Inverness as a teenager to work in a temporary position at University of the Highlands and Islands, while also working on her bike for Deliveroo.[5] Both of her parents had died by the time she was elected in May 2021. She formerly worked for the Scottish Ambulance Service.[6]

Roddick, who has Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and PTSD,[7] started a petition in 2017 to improve the available services from Scotland's NHS24 helpline.[8] In 2020 the campaign proved successful, and NHS 24 added option 3 to their service.[9]

Political career

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In November 2019 she was elected in a by-election as a Councillor, representing the Inverness Central ward of the Highland Council.[10] Shortly after starting her campaign, she became the target of mostly anonymous online death and rape threats,[11] and had her home broken into twice.[12] The month before, she refused to sign a petition opposing the Gender Recognition Act reforms, claiming the petition had "transphobic undertones".[13][12]

On 8 May 2021 she was elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Highlands and Islands.[14] She was one of the youngest candidates seeking election, and the youngest MSP elected.[15][16]

After her election in 2021, Roddick, who had experienced homelessness as a teenager,[17] spoke about the financial burdens of running for office which provide barriers to young and working-class people running,[16] and highlighted the initial cost of being an MSP.[18]

In 2023, she was appointed to the Yousaf government as Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees, before stepping down in 2024[19][20]

In November 2024, Roddick criticised SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn for his decision to stand for a Holyrood seat at the next Scottish Parliament election while still holding his Westminster seat. Party rules introduced in 2020 require SNP MPs to resign their seat at Westminster before seeking selection to Holyrood. Roddick wrote in a tweet that she hoped Flynn "rethinks" his plans to stand in both houses. Roddick's unconventionally-worded tweet was interpreted as an acrostic referring to Flynn as a "prick". In return, Roddick was subjected to negative press briefing by an unnamed SNP source to the Daily Mail, accusing her of "rank hypocrisy" for previously "double-jobbing" as an MSP and councillor from 2021 until resigning her local authority seat in 2022, and describing her as "a rubbish MSP who has achieved nothing and has everything to lose from a more talented class of SNP politicians coming through to shake up Holyrood and inject a bit of imagination and life where lazy MSPs like her have so badly failed." The public dispute prompted an intervention by SNP Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville, who issued a warning against negative briefings to the press and asked members to "leave yer [sic] ego to the side for the benefit of a cause much bigger than any of us."[21]

Personal life

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Roddick plays the fiddle.[22] She lives in Merkinch in Inverness[23] and identifies as bisexual.[24][25]

References

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  1. ^ "Full ministerial team confirmed". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  2. ^ "Kate Forbes 'honoured' to become deputy first minister". BBC News. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  3. ^ "Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees: resignation letters". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  4. ^ Glen, Louise (27 January 2021). "'She touched the lives of so many' – tributes paid to Highland social worker". Inverness Courier. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees: Current role holder Emma Roddick MSP". Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  6. ^ Dixon, Andrew (14 October 2019). "SNP announce Inverness Central ward by-election candidate for Highland Council seat". The Inverness Courier. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  7. ^ Garavelli, Dani (12 May 2021). "Scotland will benefit from its newly diverse parliament". the Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  8. ^ Henderson, Michelle (27 October 2017). "Mental health campaign thrives into action". Press and Journal. Aberdeen Journals Ltd. DC Thomson Media. Archived from the original on 6 November 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  9. ^ "Inverness councillor Emma Roddick delighted with mental health campaign success". 5 February 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  10. ^ Macaulay, Susy (15 November 2019). "SNP take Inverness Central ward by massive margin". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  11. ^ Macaulay, Susy (20 December 2019). "Online bullying and abuse an everyday event for Highland councillors". Press and Journal. Aberdeen Journals Ltd. DC Thomson Media. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  12. ^ a b Rodger, Hannah (8 December 2019). "Police investigating fake Joanna Cherry violence threat posts". HeraldScotland. Herald and Times Group. Newsquest Media Group. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  13. ^ Rodger, Hannah (27 October 2019). "SNP women's officer who called trans woman "mental pervy git" and compared another to serial killer Ed Kemper reported to HQ". HeraldScotland. Herald and Times Group. Newsquest Media Group. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  14. ^ "Scotland Election 2021 > Highlands and Islands". BBC News. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  15. ^ Aitken, Mark. "The voice of young Scotland: Five of the election's youngest candidates on the issues that matter most to their generation". The Sunday Post. DC Thomson Media. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  16. ^ a b Roddick, Emma (11 May 2021). "We need to talk about the financial barriers to becoming an MSP". The National. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  17. ^ "EMMA RODDICK: Tackling Scotland's population challenges". Inverness Courier. 20 February 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  18. ^ Mac Dougall, David (11 May 2021). "'Aw, diddums': Scottish Conservative Annie Wells mocks new Highlands MSP over financial concerns". Press and Journal. Aberdeen Journals Ltd. DC Thomson Media. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  19. ^ Paton, Craig (29 March 2023). "Yousaf says SNP is 'united' as he appoints supporters to his first Cabinet". Evening Standard. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  20. ^ "Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees: resignation letters". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  21. ^ "Scottish minister issues warning after media reports on SNP infighting". The National. 17 November 2024. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
  22. ^ Roddick, Emma. "Twitter Profile". Twitter. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  23. ^ White, Gregor (3 November 2019). "LONGER READ: Inverness by-election candidates explain why they want your vote". Inverness Courier. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  24. ^ Roddick, Emma [@emma_roddick] (17 May 2020). "So, it's #IDAHOBIT2020
    Let's chat about bi erasure! Thread"     (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  25. ^ Brown, Hannah (4 July 2022). "Queer MSP Emma Roddick 'gutted' after Shetland Pride speech cancelled 'in favour' of older male MP Alistair Carmichael". The Scotsman. Edinburgh.
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