Fiona Hyslop

Fiona Jane Hyslop (born 1 August 1964) is a Scottish politician who is the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs and the Scottish National Party (SNP) Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Linlithgow constituency since 2011, having represented the Lothians Region 1999−2011.

Fiona Hyslop was born in Irvine, Ayrshire, in 1964. She was brought up in her early years in England, before returning to Ayrshire where she was educated at Alloway Primary School and Ayr Academy. She graduated from the University of Glasgow with an MA (Hons) in Economic History and Sociology. She completed a Post-graduate Diploma in Industrial Administration at the Scottish College of Textiles. From 1986 until her election in 1999 she worked as a Brand Development Manager for the Standard Life Assurance Company.

Hyslop joined the SNP 1986, and was active in the SNP's youth wing, Young Scots for Independence. She stood as an SNP candidate in the 1988 Edinburgh District Council elections, and in the 1990 and 1994 Lothian Regional Council elections. She also stood as candidate for Edinburgh Leith and Edinburgh Central in the 1992 and 1997 UK General Elections respectively. Hyslop was an SNP Vice Convener for Policy, and served on the SNP Executive Committee.

Hyslop stood for election to the Scottish Parliament in the 1999 Parliamentary Election as third on the SNP's list for the Lothians Region, and was elected as an SNP additional member. In the 2003, and 2007 elections, she stood for both the Linlithgow constituency. Although she failed to win this constituency on both occasions, she was re-elected from the regional list.

The SNP formed a minority government following the 2007 election, with Alex Salmond as First Minister. Salmond appointed Hyslop as the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, a portfolio she had previously shadowed. In December 2009, and facing a motion of no confidence, she was demoted from the cabinet to the junior Minister post of Minister for Culture and External Affairs.

She was promoted back into Cabinet following the SNP's historic landslide win in 2011 as Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs. She has remained in post since.

In the May 2011 Scottish Parliament election, she stood in the Linlithgow constituency, defeating three-term incumbent Mary Mulligan of the Labour party by 4,091 votes.

Hyslop lives in Linlithgow with her husband and their three children.