Scottish Equalities, Migration & Refugees Minister
Emma Roddick (born 30 July 1997) is a
Scottish National Party (SNP) politician serving as the
Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees since 2023.
[1] She has been a
Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for
Highlands and Islands since
May 2021 .
Early life
Roddick was born to Sue, a social worker, and Davy Roddick and lived in
Alness from an early age.
[2] Both of her parents had died by the time she was elected in May 2021. She formerly worked for the
Scottish Ambulance Service .
[3]
Roddick, who has
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and
PTSD ,
[4] started a petition in 2017 to improve the available services from Scotland's
NHS24 helpline .
[5] In 2020 the campaign proved successful, and NHS 24 added option 3 to their service.
[6]
Political career
In November 2019 she was elected in a
by-election as a
Councillor , representing the
Inverness Central ward of the
Highland Council .
[7] Shortly after starting her campaign, she became the target of mostly anonymous online death and rape threats,
[8] and had her home broken into twice.
[9] The month before, she refused to sign a petition opposing the
Gender Recognition Act reforms , claiming the petition had "transphobic undertones".
[10]
[9]
On 8 May 2021 she was elected as a
Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for
Highlands and Islands .
[11] She was one of the youngest candidates seeking election, and the youngest MSP elected.
[12]
[13]
After her election in 2021, Roddick, who had been homeless in the past, spoke about the financial burdens of running for office which provide barriers to young and working-class people running,
[13] and highlighted the initial cost of being an MSP.
[14]
In 2023, she was appointed to the
Yousaf government as
Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees .
[15]
Personal life
Roddick plays the fiddle.
[16] She lives in
Merkinch in
Inverness
[17] and identifies as
bisexual .
[18]
[19]
References
^
"Full ministerial team confirmed" . www.gov.scot . Retrieved 1 April 2023 .
^ Glen, Louise (27 January 2021).
" 'She touched the lives of so many' – tributes paid to Highland social worker" . Inverness Courier . Retrieved 22 May 2021 .
^ Dixon, Andrew (14 October 2019).
"SNP announce Inverness Central ward by-election candidate for Highland Council seat" .
The Inverness Courier . Retrieved 8 May 2021 .
^ Garavelli, Dani (12 May 2021).
"Scotland will benefit from its newly diverse parliament" . the Guardian . Retrieved 22 May 2021 .
^ Henderson, Michelle (27 October 2017).
"Mental health campaign thrives into action" . Press and Journal . Aberdeen Journals Ltd. DC Thomson Media. Archived from
the original on 6 November 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2021 .
^
"Inverness councillor Emma Roddick delighted with mental health campaign success" . 5 February 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2021 .
^ Macaulay, Susy (15 November 2019).
"SNP take Inverness Central ward by massive margin" .
The Press and Journal . Retrieved 8 May 2021 .
^ Macaulay, Susy (20 December 2019).
"Online bullying and abuse an everyday event for Highland councillors" . Press and Journal . Aberdeen Journals Ltd. DC Thomson Media. Retrieved 22 May 2021 .
^
a
b Rodger, Hannah (8 December 2019).
"Police investigating fake Joanna Cherry violence threat posts" . HeraldScotland . Herald and Times Group. Newsquest Media Group. Retrieved 22 May 2021 .
^ Rodger, Hannah (27 October 2019).
"SNP women's officer who called trans woman "mental pervy git" and compared another to serial killer Ed Kemper reported to HQ" . HeraldScotland . Herald and Times Group. Newsquest Media Group. Retrieved 22 May 2021 .
^
"Scotland Election 2021 > Highlands and Islands" .
BBC News . Retrieved 8 May 2021 .
^ Aitken, Mark.
"The voice of young Scotland: Five of the election's youngest candidates on the issues that matter most to their generation" . The Sunday Post . DC Thomson Media. Retrieved 22 May 2021 .
^
a
b Roddick, Emma (11 May 2021).
"We need to talk about the financial barriers to becoming an MSP" . The National . Retrieved 15 May 2021 .
^ Mac Dougall, David (11 May 2021).
" 'Aw, diddums': Scottish Conservative Annie Wells mocks new Highlands MSP over financial concerns" . Press and Journal . Aberdeen Journals Ltd. DC Thomson Media. Retrieved 22 May 2021 .
^ Paton, Craig (29 March 2023).
"Yousaf says SNP is 'united' as he appoints supporters to his first Cabinet" . Evening Standard . Retrieved 30 March 2023 .
^ Roddick, Emma.
"Twitter Profile" . Twitter . Retrieved 9 May 2021 .
^ White, Gregor (3 November 2019).
"LONGER READ: Inverness by-election candidates explain why they want your vote" . Inverness Courier . Retrieved 22 May 2021 .
^ Roddick, Emma [@emma_roddick] (17 May 2020).
"So, it's #IDAHOBIT2020 Let's chat about bi erasure! Thread" (
Tweet ) – via
Twitter .
^ Brown, Hannah (4 July 2022).
"Queer MSP Emma Roddick 'gutted' after Shetland Pride speech cancelled 'in favour' of older male MP Alistair Carmichael" .
The Scotsman . Edinburgh.
External links
Constituency MSPs
Jenni Minto (SNP,
Argyll and Bute )
Maree Todd (SNP,
Caithness, Sutherland and Ross )
Fergus Ewing (SNP,
Inverness and Nairn )
Richard Lochhead (SNP,
Moray )
Liam McArthur (Lib Dem,
Orkney )
Kate Forbes (SNP,
Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch )
Beatrice Wishart (Lib Dem,
Shetland )
Alasdair Allan (SNP,
Western Isles )
Additional members