Ben Macpherson

Political career In August 2015, Macpherson was selected from a field of ten contenders as the SNP candidate for the Edinburgh Northern and Leith constituency, having been supported by former SNP leader Alex Salmond and Edinburgh Southern MSP Jim Eadie.

As a backbencher, he served on the Justice Committee and the Social Security Committee, and was a Parliamentary Liaison Officer to the First Minister. On 27 June 2018, he was appointed as Minister for Europe, Migration and International Development in the Scottish Government. He served in this role until February 2020, when he became Minister for Public Finance and Migration. In December 2020, he was appointed Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment.

Macpherson was re-elected at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, when his constituency was the last to declare a result. In the subsequent ministerial reshuffle, Macpherson was appointed on 19 May as Minister for Social Security and Local Government. He left the role on 29 March 2023, after declining to serve in the Yousaf Government.

Macpherson was appointed minister for Higher and Further Education by John Swinney in September 2025. He was re-elected at the 2026 Scottish Parliament election in Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith. On 24 August 2026, he resigned from the cabinet. He cited personal reasons.