Former MP and Aberdeen City Council leader Callum McCaig appointed SNP chief executive

The SNP has appointed former MP and council leader Callum McCaig as its new chief executive.

He takes over the role from Carol Beattie who is stepping down from the post with immediate effect, due to “personal health reasons”.

McCaig is a former leader of Aberdeen Council, a former MP for Aberdeen South and served as a special adviser to two SNP first ministers.

The SNP announced his appointment following a meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee on Sunday.

McCaig said: “It is a great privilege to be appointed as chief executive and I pay tribute to the work of my predecessor, Carol Beattie.

“The party is fighting-fit and election-ready.

“I look forward to working with John Swinney to secure that victory in 2026, and onward to independence.”

SNP business convener Angela Constance said McCaig will steer the party with ‘determination and focus’ (Jane Barlow/PA) PA Media

Beattie, a former boss of Stirling Council, was appointed SNP chief executive permanently in March, having taken on the role on an interim basis in October 2024 after former Daily Record editor Murray Foote quit.

She said: “It has been a privilege to serve as chief executive of the SNP and to have led the transformation of Headquarters ahead of the 2026 Holyrood election.

“I’d like to thank my colleagues in SNP HQ who have supported this work and thank them for their tireless efforts every day in the campaign to create a brighter future for Scotland with independence.

“While I am stepping down with immediate effect due to personal health reasons, I will continue to play my part in the campaign to deliver an SNP victory in 2026 and Scotland’s journey to independence.”

McCaig has worked in the private sector specialising in public affairs and campaigns.

SNP business convener Angela Constance welcomed him to the role.

She said: “Callum brings a wealth of experience from the public and private sector, and will steer the organisation with determination and focus as we head into the 2026 election campaign.

“I’d like to pay tribute to Carol Beattie, who has been a lynchpin in delivering a streamlined headquarters operation, ensuring fiscal stability and with an acute focus on election-winning strategy.

“I know this has not been an easy decision for her to make but I admire her courage to put her own health first.

“I thank Carol wholeheartedly for her service to the SNP and to the wider cause of independence, both of which I know she will continue to campaign for.”