School of Social and Political Science

Dr Fraser McMillan

Job Title

Lecturer in Scottish Electoral Politics

Photo
beautiful AI-generated headshot of the very handsome Dr Fraser McMillan

Room number

2.14

Building (Address)

Chrystal Macmillan Building

Research interests

Research interests

My main research interests are devolved voting behaviour and comparative party politics, particularly the role of election pledges in representative democracy.

Since 2021 I have been a member of the ESRC-funded Scottish Election Study (SES) team and am currently a Co-Investigator on the 2026 SES.

Background

Originally from Aberdeen, I obtained my PhD from the University of Strathclyde in 2019. After working on a number of postdoctoral projects at the University of Glasgow, I joined Edinburgh PIR in January 2024 as a Fellow in Territorial Politics. In November 2025 I moved into the post of Lecturer in Scottish Electoral Politics. 

Staff Hours and Guidance

11:00 - 13:00 every Tuesday during term time

Publications by user content

Publication Research Explorer link
McMillan F. Why did Reform make a breakthrough? Evidence from the Scottish Election Study. In Langer AI, Carman C, Vromen A, Almeida-Amir M, editors, Scottish Election Analysis 2026: The Campaign, Voters and Policies. University of Glasgow. 2026. p. 60-61
Vampa D, Convery A, McMillan F. Symbiotic polarization as a barrier to populist radical right success: Scottish exceptionalism in comparative context. Political Studies. 2026 Jan 31;1-28. Epub 2026 Jan 31. doi: 10.1177/00323217251410750
Henderson A, McMillan F. Disentangling the relationship between age and support for independence in Scotland. In Gagnon AG, Turgeon L, editors, Generations and Nationalism: Comparing Catalonia, Quebec, and Scotland. 1st ed. Routledge. 2025. p. 162-186 doi: 10.4324/9781003602279-13
Vampa D, McMillan F. Hamilton Again? A By-Election and the Fragmenting Map of Scottish Politics. Centre on Constitutional Change Blog. 2025 Jun 6.
Matthieß T, Vodová P, McMillan F. Does it matter who is in charge? Ministerial characteristics and pledge fulfilment. Party Politics. 2025 May 7;1-12. 13540688251339622. Epub 2025 May 7. doi: 10.1177/13540688251339622
Larner J, Johns R, Henderson A, McMillan F, Carman C. Political scandals and vertical contagion in multilevel systems. British journal of political science. 2025;55:1-12. e154. Epub 2025 Nov 7. doi: 10.1017/S0007123425000043
Fraser Mcmillan's Research Explorer profile