Fraser McMillan

Dr. Fraser McMillan is a Career Launch Fellow in Territorial Politics at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Social and Political Science. He holds a PhD from the University of Strathclyde (2019) and has conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Glasgow before joining Edinburgh in January 2024. His research focuses on campaign pledges, Scottish voting behavior, and electoral dynamics, with a particular emphasis on the Scottish political landscape.

McMillan is a core member of the Scottish Election Study team, leading the development of the Scottish Opinion Monitor, a longitudinal polling initiative launched in 2021. His work bridges academic research and public engagement, with analyses featured in media discussions on Scottish electoral trends, political scandals, and national identity. He is affiliated with the Territorial Politics Research Group and contributes to the Governance & Democracy research theme.

Key research areas include:

• Campaign pledge fulfillment and its electoral consequences
• Scottish electoral behavior and voting patterns
• Comparative analysis of devolution in Scotland and Wales
• Institutional trust and political accountability

McMillan’s recent publications explore ministerial roles in pledge fulfillment, vertical contagion in multilevel governance, and trans-exclusionary feminist framing. He actively engages with public discourse via media commentary, addressing topics like the Scottish National Party’s strategy, Tory defectors, and the implications of political scandals.

He is contactable at fraser.mcmillan@ed.ac.uk and tweets at @frasmcm. His office is located in Room 4.13 of the Chrystal Macmillan Building, Edinburgh.