About Me
The Head of Operations at the new (ish) Scottish Council on Global Affairs, John is a political and policy analyst and commentator with more than 25 years’ experience covering a wide range of policy fields in Brussels and Scotland and he has substantial experience in analysis and communication of EU, UK and devolved parliamentary systems and wider international affairs.
He served on the Scottish Parliament Presiding Officer’s Commission for Parliamentary Reform in 2017; on the Steel Commission on "Moving Towards Federalism"; and the Campbell "Home Rule and Community Rule" Commission. He was Chief Campaign Spokesman for Scotland Stronger in Europe in the 2016 EU referendum.
John was Parliamentary Manager for Scottish Enterprise from 2002-2003 and previously worked for eight years in Brussels - in Scotland Europa as Policy Manager and in the European Policy Centre as personal assistant to Max Kohnstamm (first Secretary of the Coal and Steel Authority). John was Director at Scottish Council of Independent Schools from 2010 to 2023.
He is a Trustee of the Scottish European Educational Trust and Board Member of AGBIS. He sits on the Scottish Commission on School Reform.