John Swinney expresses disappointment over Stuart Hogg’s domestic abuse conviction and supports calls to revoke his MBE.
Hawick: So, John Swinney recently shared his thoughts on Stuart Hogg getting stripped of his MBE after the former rugby captain was found guilty of domestic abuse. He said it would be “reasonable and understandable.”
It’s pretty shocking, right? Swinney mentioned he felt really let down that someone who was seen as a national hero could do something like this. He didn’t want to dive into the criticism about Hogg’s sentence being too light, though.
Meanwhile, Hogg’s estranged wife, Gillian, expressed her frustration. She felt the punishment didn’t match the crime at all. She told the Scottish Sun that no sentence could ever make up for the pain he caused her over the years.
Gillian also pointed out that the judge seemed to downplay the situation by saying Hogg could skip a review of his sentence because it might interrupt his career. She thought that was totally inappropriate.
Hogg had admitted to some pretty controlling behavior, like tracking Gillian’s movements and sending her distressing messages. He even breached bail conditions by bombarding her with texts.
Once a celebrated player with a ton of caps for Scotland and a member of the British and Irish Lions, Hogg’s reputation has taken a massive hit. He was awarded an MBE in 2024 for his contributions to rugby but now faces calls to have it revoked.
Swinney echoed the sentiment that Hogg should lose his MBE, calling the whole situation “incredibly disappointing.” He emphasized that men should never behave badly, especially when it comes to domestic abuse.
As for Gillian, she’s relieved to be moving on with her life and not having to deal with Hogg anymore. She’s looking forward to a fresh start, which is great to hear.
