Michelle Thomson

Early life and career

Thomson graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 1985.

Thomson initially worked as a professional musician and then completed a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Information technology (IT). She worked in Financial Services for Standard Life and the Royal Bank of Scotland for over 23 years in a variety of senior roles delivering IT and business change. In 2009 she set up her own small business in property.

Political career

Thomson joined the SNP at 16 years old in 1981. She became prominent politically during the Scottish independence referendum campaign, with the Yes campaign spending two years as managing director of Business for Scotland. In this role, she spoke at over 90 events, took part in high-profile debates and undertook extensive media appearances. It was later revealed that under instruction from Peter Murrell, chief executive of the SNP and husband of First Minister (although deputy to Alex Salmond at the time) Nicola Sturgeon, Thomson had been stripped of her role as a paid consultant at Business for Scotland some months before the referendum. Business for Scotland refused to continue payments for 'consultancy' work, but came to a deal that allowed her to stay on unpaid as "Managing Director" for press purposes in order to avoid discrediting BfS before the referendum. As part of her role on the BEIS committee, Thomson was one of the members of the joint committee inquiry into the collapse of BHS.

The Sunday Post described her as one of the SNP MPs to watch in the new parliament. The National has also described Thomson as "a breath of fresh air" in light of her broad-based life experience.

In December 2016, in a House of Commons debate focused on UN International Day For The Elimination Of Violence Against Women, Thomson described the impact of having been raped at the age of 14, highlighting the conditions of silence and shame that prevent rape from being discussed or reported.

Thomson was sitting as an Independent MP when the 2017 general election was called on 18 April 2017. The SNP's national executive met four days later and ruled that they would not endorse her as an SNP candidate. She did not stand at the election.

Property allegations

In September 2015, Thomson was accused by an article in The Sunday Times of having built her buy-to-let property portfolio by buying homes from indebted families for below-market prices. It emerged that Thomson's solicitor for the deals, Christopher Hales, had later been struck off for professional misconduct over his role in the deals by a Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal. One couple, who had sold their home to the Thomsons, announced their intent to lodge a complaint with the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission.

In late September 2015, Police Scotland announced it had launched an inquiry into "alleged irregularities" related to the property transactions which had seen Hales struck off. The same day the SNP issued a statement on behalf of Thomson, announcing that she had decided to withdraw herself from the party whip whilst the investigation was ongoing. In resigning the whip, Thomson also gave up her SNP membership and her role as the SNP's business, innovation and skills spokesperson at Westminster.

Solicitor Aamer Anwar was instructed to act on her behalf and confirmed that he had contacted Police Scotland on Thomson's behalf advising them of her wish to assist with their investigation, if or when they wished to speak to her. Thomson was also referred to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards in relation to her property dealings but the commissioner decided not to proceed as the allegations related to before Thomson became an MP. In August 2017 the investigation was dropped and former Scottish Government Minister Kenny MacAskill said the SNP had lessons to learn over their handling of her case.