Maggie Chapman

Maggie Chapman
Co-convenor of the Scottish Green Party
Assumed office
November 2013
Serving with Patrick Harvie
Preceded by Martha Wardrop
Councillor, The City of Edinburgh Council
In office
3 May 2007 – June 2015
Constituency Leith Walk
Lord Rector of the University of Aberdeen
Assumed office
April 2015
Preceded by Maitland Mackie
Personal details
Born (1979-06-27) 27 June 1979
Salisbury, Zimbabwe Rhodesia
Political party Scottish Green Party
Alma mater University of Edinburgh
Stirling University
Profession Charity worker
Lecturer
Website maggiechapman.wordpress.com

Maggie Chapman (born 1979) is a Scottish politician who is the co-convenor of the Scottish Green Party (with Patrick Harvie).

She was a councillor for the Leith Walk ward of the City of Edinburgh Council from 2007–2015 and represented the Scottish Greens on the Smith Commission for further devolution of powers to the Scottish Parliament.

Chapman is the Rector of the University of Aberdeen, having been elected in 2014.

Early life and education

Chapman was born in 1979 in Rhodesia.[1] Her family had moved from South Africa to Rhodesia in 1978 for her father to take up the post of director at the college of music.[1][2] She grew up there, educated at a mixed-race school, with the country having achieved independence while she was an infant.[1] Her mother was a nurse who worked as a theatre sister and delivered babies.[1]

Chapman moved to Scotland to study Zoology at the University of Edinburgh, graduating in 2001.[3] She went on to complete a Master's degree in Environmental Management at the University of Stirling in 2003, then returned to Edinburgh University to study for a PhD in Geography.[3][4] As a student she had been an activist for Edinburgh University Students' Association.[5][6]

Professional life

Chapman has worked in the west of Scotland in Environmental Management, and as a community carer throughout Edinburgh.[7][8]

Until June 2015 she was a lecturer in cultural geography, environmental ethics and social justice at Edinburgh Napier University.[2] She retains a role in teaching through her support for the Educational Institute of Scotland.[9]

In mid-2015 she took up a post at the Muslim Women's Resource Centre in Dundee.[10]

Political career

Chapman was first elected as a councillor for the Leith Walk ward in the City of Edinburgh Council election, 2007, becoming one of the three first Green councillors in Edinburgh. She was re-elected in 2012.[11] Later that year she became the first ever convener of the council's Petitions Committee.[12] During her time as a councillor, Chapman has advocated for causes that include: the living wage, participatory budgeting, better private tenancy rights,[13] and better support for non-profits.[14] She has also organised and voted against the privatisation of council services and cuts to services.[15] In June 2015, she announced she was standing down as a councillor, to concentrate on the Scottish Parliament election that was to be held in May 2016.[10] She was selected as the party's lead candidate for the North East region.[16]

In November 2013, she was elected unopposed as the Scottish Greens' female co-convenor, succeeding Glasgow councillor Martha Wardrop.[17] Two years later she saw off a challenge by Zara Kitson and was re-elected to the position, after a monthlong ballot of the party's 9,000 members.[16][18]

Chapman was the party's lead candidate in the European Parliament election, 2014 for the Scotland constituency.[19][20]

Chapman is a socialist, environmentalist, anti-cuts activist, peace activist and feminist. She has been active in a number of political campaigns, including the Radical Independence Campaign.[21][22]

In September 2014, Chapman became a member of the Smith Commission into further devolution for the Scottish Parliament.[23]

She stood in the 2016 Scottish Parliament election as the party's lead candidate for the North East region but despite the Greens increasing their number of MSPs from two to six, Chapman was not elected.[24]

Rector

In November 2014, she was elected as Rector of the University of Aberdeen after a vote by the student body of the University.[25] She was installed as rector at a ceremony in March 2015, having intimated that she would be active in the role.[26]

Family

Her father, Neil Chapman, was a professional classical musician.[27] She is also a citizen of South Africa. She has a sister, Catherine.[27] She plays the fiddle and enjoys exploring Scotland.[28]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Alexander, Michael (28 April 2016). "Scottish Election 2016: Dundee-based Green Party candidate wants to give politics a good shake-up". The Courier. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Europe Calling". Holyrood. 5 October 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  3. 1 2 "More About Me". University of Edinburgh School of Geosciences. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  4. ↑ "About Maggie". maggiechapman.wordpress.com. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  5. ↑ Chapman, Maggie (11 November 2013). "Gender inequality in University Governance". maggiechapman.wordpress.com. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  6. ↑ "Student Representation". University of Edinburgh School of Geosciences. 11 September 2006. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  7. ↑ "Bid to rename Festival Square after Nelson Mandela". Edinburgh Evening News. 7 December 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  8. ↑ "Green Councillors". Scottish Green Party. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  9. ↑ "Edinburgh Napier University: branch executive". Educational Institute of Scotland. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  10. 1 2 Swanson, Ian (30 June 2015). "Maggie Chapman steps down as she bids to be MSP". The Scotsman. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  11. ↑ "Results for Edinburgh Elections 2012" (Press release). City of Edinburgh Council. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  12. ↑ "Edinburgh council introduces new petition scheme". The Journal. 24 October 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  13. ↑ "Edinburgh councillor back calls for better regulation of private landlords". STV News. 10 March 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  14. ↑ "Greens hail idea to give voters power over budget". The Scotsman. 21 March 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  15. ↑ MacLeod, Michael (11 February 2011). "Edinburgh council's £90m cuts budget passes by one vote". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  16. 1 2 "Maggie Chapman re-elected co-convener of Scottish Greens". BBC News. 27 November 2015.
  17. ↑ "Glasgow MSP retains Greens leader role". Evening Times. 25 November 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  18. ↑ Freeman, Tom (27 November 2015). "Maggie Chapman re-elected as Scottish Greens co-convener". Holyrood. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  19. ↑ "Elections: European". www.edinburghgreens.org.uk. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  20. ↑ Dunion, Gary (26 November 2012). "Maggie Chapman to run for Scotland's Euro seat". Bright Green. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  21. ↑ Gordon, Tom (24 November 2013). "'Independence is a class issue ... the rich are voting no'". Sunday Herald. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  22. ↑ Beaton, Connor (8 December 2013). "Scottish left talks independence in Edinburgh". The Targe. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  23. ↑ "Scottish referendum: Iain Gray to join powers commission". BBC News. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  24. ↑ Davidson, Jenni (6 May 2016). "Greens triple MSPs but fail to top best ever result". Holyrood. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  25. ↑ "Maggie Chapman named as new University of Aberdeen rector". BBC News. 14 November 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  26. ↑ "University of Aberdeen rector Maggie Chapman unveiled on bull". BBC News. 23 March 2015.
  27. 1 2 "Maggie Chapman's father dies" (Press release). Scottish Greens. 26 March 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  28. ↑ "Meet Maggie". www.votegreen2014.org. Scottish Green Party. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
Party political offices
Preceded by
Martha Wardrop		 Co-Convener of the Scottish Green Party
2013–present
With: Patrick Harvie		 Incumbent
Academic offices
Preceded by
Maitland Mackie		 Rector of the University of Aberdeen
2014 – present 		Incumbent
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