Scottish Conservative MSP Mary Scanlon to retire

Scottish Conservative MSP Mary Scanlon is to stand down at next year’s Holyrood election.

The Highlands and Islands MSP, who has served in all four sessions of the Scottish Parliament, said she was retiring to spend more time with her family.

Scanlon is the latest in a long list of MSPs to announce their intention not to stand in 2016.

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Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick will stand down and so too three of Scanlon’s Tory colleagues – Alex Fergusson, Gavin Brown and Nanette Milne.

In an interiew with Holyrood last year, Scanlon revealed how night school had given her a second chance at education.

Scanlon, the party’s education and lifelong learning spokeswoman, said it was a “great honour” to be one of the 1999 intake of MSPs. 

“I deeply believe that if I can be elected as a MSP from my background, having left school at 15, a mature university student, becoming a single parent with two children under three years old, then anyone in Scotland can do the same,” she said.   

“Watching my granddaughter's chemotherapy treatment for leukaemia over the last two years brought home the precious time we have with our families as they grow up. Alba is now eight and was diagnosed with leukaemia at six.

“I will miss the cut and thrust of politics and will also miss my colleagues but retirement will allow me the time to see more of my family.” 

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said: "Mary has been a fantastic servant to the Parliament and the wider Conservative party. She's a real grafter and a fearless champion of the Highlands and of her beliefs.

"Mary has been a great support to me and I will miss her in Holyrood. On behalf of the whole party, I'd like to thank her for her commitment and service."