Jenny Gilruth

Jennifer Madeleine Gilruth (born 1984) is a Scottish politician who has served as the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills since 2023. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Mid Fife and Glenrothes since 2016.

In the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, Gilruth was elected as a member of the Scottish Parliament for the Mid Fife and Glenrothes constituency. She sat on the SNP's backbenches and served successively in the parliament's education, health, justice and social security committees. On 17 February 2020, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon appointed Gilruth to the Scottish Government as the minister for culture, Europe and international development. She was later reshuffled as the transport minister and oversaw the transition of the public ownership of ScotRail. Following Humza Yousaf's appointment as first minister of Scotland, a campaign Gilruth endorsed, she was subsequently appointed to cabinet as the education secretary.

Early life and career
Gilruth was first raised in Banff, Aberdeenshire, before her family moved to Ceres, Fife. Her father was born and raised in Newport-on-Tay. She was educated at Madras College (St Andrews, Fife) and lives in Markinch. She graduated from the University of Glasgow with a degree in sociology and politics, and obtained her Professional Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of Strathclyde.

Before becoming an MSP, Gilruth was a Principal Teacher of Social Subjects at St. Columba's Roman Catholic High School, Dunfermline, she was previously a National Qualifications Development Officer at Education Scotland, and prior to that taught Modern Studies at the Royal High School, in Edinburgh. Gilruth also marked exams for the Scottish Qualifications Authority and is a published author.

Member of Scottish Parliament (2016-present)
In April 2016, Gilruth was nominated as the SNP’s candidate for Mid Fife and Glenrothes in the Scottish Parliament election on 5 May 2016. She won the seat with 15,555 votes (54.9% of the vote), with a majority of 8,236; more than double the votes cast for second-place candidate Kay Morrison of Scottish Labour. She succeeded Tricia Marwick, who had been the Presiding Officer in the 4th Scottish Parliament (2011–16).

Junior minister (2020-2023)
In February 2020, Gilruth joined the Scottish Government as Minister for Europe, Migration and International Development as part of the reshuffle following the resignation of Cabinet Secretary for Finance Derek Mackay.

In a ministerial reshuffle on 24 January 2022, Gilruth was appointed as Minister for Transport, following the resignation of Graeme Dey. She said: "The transport portfolio is an exciting opportunity to not just shape the infrastructure of our country but to also help Scotland become a world leader in achieving our goal to become net zero by 2045." Since becoming Transport Minister, she has been involved in managing issues related to ScotRail train services and a dispute with ASLEF, as well as responsibilities relating to the provision of Scottish ferries. In June 2022, she responded to questions in the Scottish Parliament about her accountability and responsibility in resolving the ScotRail/ASLEF pay dispute.

Education Secretary (2023-present)
On 29 March 2023, newly appointed First Minister Humza Yousaf promoted Gilruth to the Scottish Cabinet as the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, succeeding Shirley-Anne Somerville. Following Yousaf's resignation as First Minister and Leader of the Scottish National Party in May 2024, Gilruth retained the post of Cabinet Secretary for Education in the Swinney government.

Gilruth came under criticism in February 2024 as it became to light that she had not read a report into violence in schools in the Aberdeen City Council area. Scotland's largest union representing teachers, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) claimed that they found it "very difficult to understand why the cabinet secretary would not have read the Aberdeen report or at least have been briefed on it". Addressing the comments made by an EIS spokesperson, Gilruth said that the report would "be for Aberdeen City Council to respond to", and also highlighted her awareness around the "challenges on this matter". Gilruth highlighted the work that was underway within the Scottish Parliament at that point in order to draft a plan which would see the Scottish Government and Scotland's local authorities working together to the combat violence in Scottish schools.

In April 2024, Gilruth and the leader of the Highland Council, Raymond Bremner, met with parents of children attending rural schools in the Highland area of Scotland, following the establishment of the Save Our Rural Schools campaign. A letter was sent to parents by the campaign of children attending Ullapool, Gairloch High School, Kinlochbervie High School and Farr High, calling for a meeting to discuss the “dire state of the buildings". Following the meeting, Gilruth said that she would "promise future meetings to find solutions" to the issues identified by the campaign.

Personal life
On 15 July 2017, it was announced Gilruth was in a relationship with Kezia Dugdale, who was, at that time, leader of the Scottish Labour Party. In June 2022, Gilruth and Dugdale married in a private ceremony.