Angus MacNeil

Background

MacNeil was educated at Castlebay Secondary School, Barra, and the Nicolson Institute, Stornoway, before graduating from Strathclyde University with a degree in civil engineering in 1992. He played shinty whilst at university. He worked as an engineer and as a reporter for the Gaelic section of BBC Radio Scotland before qualifying as a teacher in 1996 at Jordanhill College. His first post as a primary teacher was at Salen and Acharacle Primary Schools where he taught the first Gaelic Medium Class.

House of Commons

Having been defeated by the Labour Party's David Stewart at Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber at the 2001 general election, he was elected in 2005 for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (the Western Isles), gaining the seat from Labour's Calum MacDonald.

In March 2006, MacNeil came to widespread public attention after lodging a formal complaint with the Metropolitan Police regarding the Labour Party Cash for Peerages scandal. In April 2006, he and former "anti-corruption" MP Martin Bell wrote to prime minister, Tony Blair calling for all appointments to the House of Lords to be suspended in the wake of the scandal. In November 2006 he won the Best Scot at Westminster section of the Scottish Politician of the Year awards for instigating the inquiry into possible abuse of the honours system. On 17 November 2006 MacNeil had the highest bill for travel in 2006–07. This is mainly due to the distance of his constituency from London as well as the disperse geographical layout of the constituency. He also received awards from The Spectator magazine and the Political Studies Society for setting the political agenda in Britain during 2006. He is a member of the editorial board for political monthly Total Politics. MacNeil was re-elected to Parliament in 2010.

Following the 2015 general election it was announced in June 2015 that he would chair the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee., and his appointment was formally announced on 18 June 2015. Since February 2016, MacNeil has also served as a member of the Advisory Board at Polar Research and Policy Initiative.

Personal life

In 2007, the Sunday Mail reported MacNeil had "kissed and fondled" two girls aged 17 and 18 in a hotel room while his pregnant wife was in hospital, in 2005. MacNeil said he bitterly regretted the incident and said he was angry it had diverted attention from the "substantial political issues" he had been pursuing. In a statement, MacNeil, then 36, apologised for the "embarrassment and hurt" caused to his family by his actions. In May 2016, MacNeil and his wife announced that they had separated; this followed reports that MacNeil had had an affair with a Westminster-based journalist, Serena Cowdy.