Education
Mackay was educated in Kirklandneuk Primary School and Renfrew High School. He attended the University of Glasgow for some time but dropped out to concentrate on local politics, first being elected at just 21 years old.
politician Member of the Scottish Parliament
Mackay was educated in Kirklandneuk Primary School and Renfrew High School. He attended the University of Glasgow for some time but dropped out to concentrate on local politics, first being elected at just 21 years old.
Mackay was elected to Renfrewshire Council in 1999 at the age of 21. From 2007 to 2011 he was Leader of the Council as part of an Scottish National Party-Liberal Democrat coalition administration and from 2009 to 2011 led the Scottish National Party group in the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA). He coordinated the Scottish National Party campaign in the 2012 Scottish local government elections.
Prior to his election as a Councillor Mackay was an active community Councillor and Vice Chair of a crime prevention panel.
Mackay joined the Scottish National Party at 16 and was involved in both the youth, where he served as National Convener from 1998-2002, and student movements. He was first elected as a councillor for Renfrewshire Council at the age of 21 in 1999, making him at the time the youngest male councillor in Scotland.
He became a national figure in local government, leading the Scottish National Party group at the COSLA from 2009 to 2011. Mackay was first elected as a councillor in 1999, representing the Blythswood Ward on Renfrewshire Council.
He was re-elected in 2003 for the same ward and in 2007 for the Renfrew North Ward following the introduction of the new voting system.
He has been the Scottish National Party group leader in Renfrewshire since 2004 and following the 2007 election, became the leader of Renfrewshire Council. He was also leader of the Scottish National Party at COSLA and Chair of Paisley Vision Board. Between 2003 and 2005 he served as a Parliamentary Assistant to former Scottish National Party Managing Successful Programmes for the West of Scotland Bruce McFee.
At the 2011, Mackay was adopted for the new constituency of Renfrewshire North and West while also being placed third on the Scottish National Party regional list for West Scotland region.
Upon his election as the constituency Managing Successful Programmes for Renfrewshire North and West, he was placed on the Finance Committee and also appointed as the Scottish National Party"s Business Convener and Parliamentary Liaison Officer to the Cabinet Secretary for Parliamentary Business and Government Strategy Bruce Crawford Managing Successful Programmes. Following a mini-reshuffle due to a newly created ministerial post, Mackay replaced Aileen Campbell as Minister for Local Government and Planning on 7 December 2011. When Nicola Sturgeon became First Minister he was appointed as Minister for Transport and Islands.
In June 2011, Mackay was appointed as the Scottish National Party"s Business Convener (party chair), succeeding Bruce Crawford. The Business Convener is responsible for chairing the Scottish National Party"s Party Conference, the National Council and the National Executive Committee.
Overseeing the party"s management, administration and operations, as well as the coordination of election campaigns.
Working with the Chief Executive of Headquarters in setting priorities.