Anthony Buchanan

Anthony Buchanan is a long-serving SNP councillor for East Renfrewshire, first elected in 2007 to represent the Neilston and Newton Mearns North ward. 

Over the years, he has held several senior roles, including Deputy Leader, Convener for Infrastructure & Sustainable Growth, and Leader of East Renfrewshire Council from 2017 to 2022. He has overseen key projects on housing, infrastructure, and regional development, including contributions to the Glasgow and Clyde Valley City Deal. In 2022, he was appointed COSLA’s Spokesperson for Children and Young People, giving him a national platform to advocate for policies affecting children and youth on behalf of Scottish local government. Professionally, Buchanan spent nearly four decades as a civil servant with the Department for Work and Pensions and its predecessors, working across welfare and benefits services.

Beyond Scotland, Buchanan has represented local government internationally. He served as a UK member of the EU’s Committee of the Regions until Brexit, where he was Vice President of the European Alliance Group and First Vice President of the Natural Resources Commission. He is currently a member of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, where he promotes transparency, citizen participation, and stronger local democracy.

Buchanan continues to serve his East Renfrewshire constituents through local surgeries while also contributing to national and European debates on governance and public services.