Shona McRory Robison (born 26 May 1966) is a Scottish politician serving as the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government since 2021. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Dundee City East since 2003 and was an additional member for the North East Scotland region from 1999 to 2003. Born in England, Robison studied at the University of Glasgow and Jordanhill College. She was an active member of the SNP's youth wing and worked in Glasgow City Council's Social Work Department, until her election to the Scottish Parliament in 1999. Robison served as Minister for Public Health and Sport from 2007 to 2011. She then served as Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport from 2011 to April 2014, when she was promoted to the Scottish Cabinet by Alex Salmond as Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games, Sport, Equalities and Pensioners' Rights by Alex Salmond. When Sturgeon succeeded Salmond as First Minister in November 2014, she appointed Robison the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport. In 2018, she resigned from government during a cabinet reshuffle and returned to the backbenches, where she served on the justice and health committees. In 2021, Robison returned to Sturgeon’s government as the Social Justice Secretary. Early life Shona McRory Robison was born on 26 May 1966 in Redcar, England. Robison attended Alva Academy in Clackmannanshire. She gained a Master of Arts in Social Science at the University of Glasgow in 1989. The following year, she gained a Postgraduate Cert in Community Education at Jordanhill College. Robison was an active member of the Scottish National Party's youth wing, where she met the likes of Nicola Sturgeon and Fiona Hyslop. Before being elected to the Scottish Parliament, she worked in Glasgow City Council's Social Work Department. Member of the Scottish Parliament Opposition Robison contested in the first election to the Scottish Parliament for the Dundee East constituency. Although she was unsuccessful, having came second to Scottish Labour's John McAllion, she was elected as an additional member for the North East Scotland region. In her first term, she was member of the Health and Community Care Committee and was the Deputy Convenor of the Equal Opportunities Committee. In the 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Robison successfully defeated McAllion by just 100 votes in Dundee East. She served as the Shadow Minister for Health and Social