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Brendan O'Hara

Brendan O'Hara
MP
Official portrait, 2019
SNP Foreign Affairs Spokesperson in the House of Commons
In office
4 September 2023 – 5 July 2024
LeaderStephen Flynn
Preceded byDrew Hendry
Chief Whip of the Scottish National Party
in the House of Commons
In office
17 January 2023 – 4 September 2023
LeaderStephen Flynn
Preceded byMartin Docherty-Hughes
Succeeded byOwen Thompson
SNP Spokesperson for International Development in the House of Commons
In office
10 December 2022 – 17 January 2023
LeaderStephen Flynn
Preceded byChris Law
Succeeded byAnum Qaisar
SNP Spokesperson for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in the House of Commons
In office
20 June 2017 – 17 May 2018
LeaderIan Blackford
Preceded byJohn Nicolson
Succeeded byHannah Bardell
SNP Spokesperson for Defence in the House of Commons
In office
20 May 2015 – 20 June 2017
LeaderAngus Robertson
Preceded byAngus Robertson
Succeeded byStewart MacDonald
Member of Parliament
for Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber
Argyll and Bute (2015–2024)
Incumbent
Assumed office
7 May 2015
Preceded byAlan Reid
Majority6,232 (13.9%)
Personal details
Born (1963-04-27) 27 April 1963 (age 61)
Glasgow, Scotland
Political partyScottish National Party
Alma materUniversity of Strathclyde

Brendan O'Hara (born 27 April 1963)[1] is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. He serves as Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber since the 2024 election, having previously represented the Argyll and Bute constituency from 2015 to 2024. He has been the SNP spokesperson for Foreign Affairs since September 2023.[2][3] He served as the SNP Digital, Culture, Media and Sport spokesperson from 2017 to 2018, the SNP Defence spokesperson from 2015 to 2017, SNP International Development spokesperson from 2022 to 2023, and SNP Chief Whip in 2023.[4]

Early life and education

Born in Glasgow, O'Hara was educated at St Andrew's Secondary in Carntyne and attended Strathclyde University, from where he graduated with a 2:1 in Economic History and Modern History.[5]

Director and producer

He has had a successful career as a TV producer. He wrote, produced and directed the Road To Referendum documentary series,[6] which was broadcast on STV in 2013 and was subsequently nominated for a BAFTA Scotland award in the Current Affairs category.[7] He has worked for STV, Sky Sports and the BBC. His credits include Comedy Connections and Movie Connections (BBC1), The Football Years (STV), and Scotland's Greatest Album (STV). O'Hara also worked on David Hayman's second series, following in the footsteps of Tom Weir.[5]

Political career

O'Hara was an unsuccessful SNP candidate on two occasions. He contested Glasgow Springburn at the 1987 UK general election, receiving 3,554 votes (a 10.2% share). He also stood in Glasgow Central at the 1992 UK general election and gained 6,322 votes (a 20.8% share).

In 2015, he received 22,959 votes (44.3% share) in Argyll & Bute, and unseated the sitting Liberal Democrat MP Alan Reid by 8,473 votes.[8] On 20 May 2015, he was appointed the party's spokesman for defence.[9] He was the first of the 2015 intake to make his maiden speech.[10][11]

At the 2017 snap general election he successfully retained his seat; however, with a reduced majority of 1,328 votes to the Conservative party.[12][13] At the 2019 general election he retained his seat with a majority of 4,110.[14]

He was elected to the new seat in 2024.

References

  1. ^ Birth certificate of Brendan O'Hara, 27 April 1963, Glasgow District 4379/02 6840 – National Records of Scotland
  2. ^ SNP, the (10 December 2022). "The real opposition: meet your new SNP Westminster Frontbench". Scottish National Party. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  3. ^ "SNP announces frontbench reshuffle at Westminster". BBC News. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  4. ^ "SNP chief whip at Westminster quits after six weeks in the post". The Herald. 17 January 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Rothesay hustings preview: who are the Argyll and Bute candidates?". The Buteman. Johnston Press. 18 April 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  6. ^ Borland, Craig (4 February 2015). "O'Hara to fight Argyll and Bute for SNP". The Buteman. Archived from the original on 21 July 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  7. ^ "British Academy Scotland Awards: Winners in 2013". BAFTA Scotland. 17 November 2013. Archived from the original on 11 June 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  8. ^ "Election 2015: Argyll & Bute Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Archived from the original on 6 May 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  9. ^ Keith, Karen (24 May 2015). "Argyll and Bute's MP welcomes Trident safety debate". The Buteman. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  10. ^ "Parliamentary debates". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. 27 May 2015. col. 109–111. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  11. ^ "New SNP MPs make maiden House of Commons speeches". BBC News. BBC. 27 May 2015. Archived from the original on 31 May 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  12. ^ "Argyll & Bute parliamentary constituency – Election 2017". BBC News. Archived from the original on 29 November 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  13. ^ "SNP's Brendan O'Hara holds Argyll and Bute – but his majority plummets". Helensburgh Advertiser. 9 June 2017. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  14. ^ "Argyll & Bute parliamentary constituency – Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Argyll and Bute
2015–2024 		Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament
for Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber
2024–present 		Incumbent
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