John McLellan

John McLellan’s career spans 40 years, in which time he was an editor for 15 years and then Director of Communications for the Scottish Conservative Party during Ruth Davidson’s leadership.

He is currently the director of Newsbrands Scotland, the trade association for Scottish news publishers and writes weekly columns for The Scotsman and Edinburgh Evening News. He is a member of the Defence, Security and Media Advisory Committee, and the Advertising Standards Authority’s Code of Advertising Practice Committee. He also teaches journalism as an honorary professor at the University of Stirling, from where he graduated with a BA in English Studies in 1983.

John is a former Editor-in-Chief of Scotsman Publications, editing The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday, and twice serving as editor of the Edinburgh Evening News. He has also served as a City of Edinburgh councillor for the Scottish Conservatives, and as a member of the Press Complaints Commission. His main recreation is watching rugby and as a member of the Watsonian Football Club, hung up his boots at the ripe old age of 50.