Chris Stephens

Glasgow-born Chris Stephens worked on Glasgow City Council and was a senior Unison activist in the city, representing trade union members and acting as a lead negotiator, working on issues such as disability and discrimination, occupation pension protection and equal pay. His experience and expertise in trade union activism led him to become secretary of the SNP Trade Union Group. Although an SNP member since the age of 16, Stephens did not stand in an election until 2001, when he unsuccessfully ran as a candidate to represent Hamilton North and Bellshill in parliament. In 2007, he unsuccessfully contested Glasgow Pollok for the Scottish Parliament and stood for the seat again in 2011, but was beaten by Johann Lamont of the Labour Party by just 623 votes. Stephens’ failure turned into success in 2015, when he defeated Labour’s Ian Davidson to win the seat of Glasgow South West amid a wave of new SNP MPs elected throughout Scotland. It was reported one year later that he had signed the highest number of Early Day Motions of any MP. Stephens is chair of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) parliamentary caucus.