Owen Thompson was first elected as the SNP MP for Midlothian in 2015. After losing the seat in 2017, he was reelected in 2019 with a majority of 5,705.
The Midlothian constituency covers the whole of the Midlothian council area to the south east of Edinburgh. It includes the town of Dalkeith, which is the administrative centre of Midlothian, alongside the two former mining villages of Gorebridge and Newtongrange. Some people commute from this seat to work daily in Edinburgh. This area was once represented in Parliament by the 19th century Liberal Prime Minister, William Ewart Gladstone.
Since the Second World War, Midlothian had been Labour stronghold which was held by the party continuously between 1945 and 2015. The SNP gained the seat in 2015, only to lose it back to Labour by 885 votes in 2017. In 2019, the SNP gained it back comfortably from Labour, as Labour dropped back to holding just one seat in Scotland.
Owen Thompson has been the SNP Chief Whip at Westminster since 2021.
He previously held junior roles in the SNP whips office, including during this time at Westminster between 2015 and 2017
Born in 1978, Owen Thompson studied Accounting and Finance at Edinburgh Napier University. Thompson previously worked as a parliamentary assistant to two MSPs in the Scottish Parliament between 2007 and 2015.
Owen Thompson served on Midlothian council between 2005 and 2015. He was later of the Council between 2013 and 2015.
Owen Thompson is Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Cyber Security; Digital Identity; Events; the Football Club; Internet, Communications and Technology; Media; Terminal Illness; Hong Kong; and the Armed Forces Covenant.
Email: owen.thompson.mp@parliament.uk
Personal Website: http://www.owenthompson.scot/
Twitter: @owen_thompson
