Bill Bowman (Scottish politician)
Bill Bowman is a Scottish Conservative politician who served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the North East Scotland region from December 2016 until he stepped down in 2021.
He was born William Archibald Bowman on 30 May 1950 in Glasgow. He attended the private High School of Glasgow and George Watson’s College, then studied at the University of Edinburgh, where he earned a Bachelor of Commerce in 1973. He became a chartered accountant in 1976.
Bowman spent much of his career with the accounting firm Peat Marwick, the predecessor of KPMG, working in Edinburgh and Aberdeen and becoming a partner in 1985. In 2002 he moved to Bucharest to lead KPMG’s Central and Eastern Europe operations, focusing on Romania and Moldova. He returned to the United Kingdom in 2013. During his time in Romania, he also served with several professional and business groups. After leaving KPMG, he held roles on boards such as UTI Holdings in Bucharest (2012–2013) and built a portfolio of investments in various UK and international firms. By 2018 his personal investments were reported to be worth more than £600,000.
In politics, Bowman moved to the UK, settling in Fife in 2013. He stood as the Conservative candidate for Dundee East in the 2015 general election and for Dundee City East in the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, but finished third in both contests. After the death of Conservative MSP Alex Johnstone in December 2016, Bowman was placed on the regional list and was elected as MSP for North East Scotland, taking his seat on 21 December 2016.
As an MSP, Bowman served as the Scottish Conservatives’ spokesperson for Taxation and sat on the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Committee. He drew attention for selling nearly £30,000 worth of British American Tobacco shares in January 2017, but defended the sale as fully disclosed in line with rules. He also faced questions about his expenses, including dining and hotel costs, and he did not claim public funds for a second home due to the proximity of the Parliament to his constituency.
Bowman chose not to contest the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, delivering his final speech on 18 March 2021 about the challenges of COVID-19 and urging new members to engage with the Parliament. He paid tribute to his late wife, Helen, who died in October 2020.
Beyond his time as an MSP, Bowman has been involved in various parliamentary groups and oversight roles, including the Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee and the Scottish Commission for Public Audit, and he has participated in cross-party groups on Building Bridges with Israel, Culture, and Scotch Whisky. He also stood as the Conservative candidate for North East Fife in the 2024 general election, finishing fifth and losing his deposit.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 23:23 (CET).