Elizabeth Quigley, wife of Scottish First Minister John Swinney and BBC Scotland journalist, has resigned from her position due to health reasons. Quigley, who has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) since 2000, has recently developed trigeminal neuralgia, a condition that causes excruciating pain. She has struggled with MS for many years, but was able to continue working until the new condition made it impossible. The BBC Scotland head of news, Howard Simpson, has paid tribute to Quigley's "fortitude" and expressed admiration for her resolve in continuing to work despite her health issues.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-28,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Elizabeth Quigley, the wife of John Swinney, a BBC journalist in Scotland, has resigned from her position on health grounds. She has been diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia, a condition that causes severe, shock-like pain on one side of the face and can interfere with speech, eating, and drinking. Quigley, who was the first female correspondent for BBC Scotland in 1999, had previously been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) at age 28. She has worked on various documentaries, including ones about MS, a Scottish MP, and a woman's sense of smell that could help diagnose Parkinson's disease. Quigley revealed her decision to leave the BBC due to her new diagnosis, citing difficulties in speaking as a broadcaster.
Written for “BBC Journalist Resignation” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
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No political leaning scored for article 2971 · logged 2026-08-28
Quigley joined BBC Scotland in 1999 as the first female correspondent in the new Scottish Parliament.
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Quigley → join → Parliament
She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a lifelong condition of the central nervous system that affects the brain and spinal cord, in 2000 aged just 28.
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that → diagnose → 2000
Quigley announced she has decided to leave the BBC as she revealed she has been diagnosed with pain condition trigeminal neuralgia.
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she → announce → condition
Writing for the BBC, she said: “I’ve been struggling with a condition called trigeminal neuralgia that causes excruciating pain like an electric shock across the side of my face, which can stop me from speaking, eating or drinking.
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which → write → me
“It’s not part of everyone’s life with MS but it has recently become part of mine – and being unable to speak is not great for a broadcaster.
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being → ’ → broadcaster
“So, unfortunately, I’ve had to make the very difficult decision to leave the BBC on health grounds.”
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I → have → grounds
As well as reporting from across Scotland, Quigley has made radio and television documentaries covering a variety of subjects including MS and its links to Scotland, the first female Scottish MP, and a film about a woman whose sense of smell could help diagnose Parkinson’s.
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sense → report → Parkinson
It was not until 2007 that she announced she had been diagnosed with MS seven years previously, with Quigley saying she “couldn’t keep covering up my stumbling with excuses”.
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she → announce → excuses
She said: “I was initially diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS.
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I → say → MS
Now, I have secondary progressive.
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I → have → progressive
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“The tingling in my face has largely disappeared, but my walking has become increasingly difficult over the years.
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walking → read → years
“I need crutches or a rollator – what I call my wheels – and sometimes I need a wheelchair.”
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I → need → wheelchair
Quigley had taken a step away from political reporting long before she announced her diagnosis, following her marriage to Mr Swinney.
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she → take → Swinney
The couple have been married since 2003 and have a son called Matthew who was born in 2010.
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who → marry → 2010
When Mr Swinney was sworn in as First Minister following May’s election this year, Quigley stood alongside him using a crutch for support.
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Quigley → swear → support
She said: “Far from trying to disguise my disability and cover it up, I chose to quite openly stand using a crutch on the steps of Bute House when my husband became First Minister.
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husband → say → House
“I’ve always maintained that you can live life well with MS – it might just have to be a bit differently.
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it → maintain → MS
And my career proves that.”
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career → prove → that
In a staff note issued on Friday, BBC Scotland head of news Howard Simpson said: “On behalf of BBC Scotland, I would like to pay tribute to Elizabeth’s fortitude throughout.
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I → issue → fortitude
I have known her since I started here in 2017 and have nothing but admiration for her resolve and willingness to keep going.
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I → know → resolve
“Thank-you so much Elizabeth as we wish you all our very best – we will miss a valued friend and colleague but we will always remember your warmth, humour, and positivity, even under the most trying of circumstances.”
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we → thank → circumstances
