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Alex Fergusson (Scottish politician)
Encyclopedia
Alex Fergusson MSP is a Scottish Politician, Member of the Scottish Parliament
and served as the 3rd Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament
from 2007 till 2011.
He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament
(MSP) since 1999, first for the South of Scotland
region between 1999 and 2003, and since 2003 for the Galloway and Upper Nithsdale
constituency. Prior to his election as Presiding Officer he sat a a member of the Scottish Conservative Party; a position he has resumed since the 2011 election.
, in rural Wigtownshire
in the South of Scotland
, he was educated at Eton College
from 1962 to 1966. He spent two years in New Zealand
after leaving school, mainly involved in agricultural work and returned to complete an ONDA in Agriculture at the Scottish Agricultural College
at Auchincruive
before taking over the family farm in 1971, in the South Ayrshire village of Barr
, after a short spell as a Farm Management Consultant. He ran this hill farm, rearing cattle and sheep, until his election to the Scottish Parliament
in 1999. Until the advent of the Parliament, Fergusson says he was not involved in politics to any great extent.
. He was elected as a member for the South of Scotland
region of the Scottish Parliament 1999, and has been Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale
since 2003.
He says he entered politics mainly to champion rural causes in his own region: "I was particularly exercised by the fact that whenever anybody talked about rural Scotland, they seemed to talk about the Highlands and Islands. I come from the south of Scotland, and I was keen to provide a rural voice from the south of Scotland."
During this time, Fergusson was lead spokesman for Agriculture and Forestry for the Conservative party, and Convener of the Rural Development Committee, including during the passage of the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002
. As spokesman, he described laws banning entirely the docking of dogs' tails as "complete and utter folly", arguing that there was a significant difference between the cosmetic docking of entire tails and the shortening of the tails of working dogs. He gained a reputation as a passionate advocate on rural affairs, respected across parties for his political astuteness. He was also one of the biggest rebels from the Conservative whip in the second session of Parliament.
After retaining his marginal seat at the 2007 election
, with an increased majority of 3,333, on 14 May 2007 he was elected by his fellow MSPs to succeed George Reid
as Presiding Officer by a large majority, beating the other candidate Margo MacDonald
by 108 votes to 20.
Because the position of Presiding Officer is an impartial one, the officeholder is required to remove himself from all party politics. Consequently, Fergusson resigned from the Conservative party. He indicated his intention to resign as Presiding Officer at the conclusion of his term, and stand for the Conservative party in 2011. On his return to the Parliament after the 2011 Election, Fergusson stepped down as Presiding Officer and returned to the Conservative benches.
, which has similar functions to that of the House of Commons Commission
, and the Parliamentary Bureau, which sets the daily business in the chamber and timetable for progress of bills, subject to approval by the Parliament.
During the draw for the 2007-08
CIS Cup
semi-finals, Fergusson mixed up the numbers and miscalled the teams, a mistake that was rectified later that day.
. He is a member and former President of the Blackface Sheepbreeders Association, and a member of the Scottish Landowners Federation and the Game Conservancy Trust. He lists rugby, curling, Scottish country dancing, folk music and public speaking amongst his hobbies.
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
and served as the 3rd Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament
Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament
The Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament is the speaker of the Scottish Parliament, elected by the Members of the Scottish Parliament, by means of an exhaustive ballot. He or she also heads the Corporate Body of the Scottish Parliament and as such is viewed as a figurehead for the entire...
from 2007 till 2011.
He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
(MSP) since 1999, first for the South of Scotland
South of Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
South of Scotland is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament...
region between 1999 and 2003, and since 2003 for the Galloway and Upper Nithsdale
Galloway and Upper Nithsdale (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Galloway and Upper Nithsdale was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election....
constituency. Prior to his election as Presiding Officer he sat a a member of the Scottish Conservative Party; a position he has resumed since the 2011 election.
Life before politics
Born in LeswaltLeswalt
Leswalt is a name of unknown origins. Possible derivations for its name include llys gwellt meaning grass court or perhaps lios uillt meaning fort of the glen - referring to Lochnaw Castle.- Leswalt Parish :...
, in rural Wigtownshire
Wigtownshire
Wigtownshire or the County of Wigtown is a registration county in the Southern Uplands of south west Scotland. Until 1975, the county was one of the administrative counties used for local government purposes, and is now administered as part of the council area of Dumfries and Galloway...
in the South of Scotland
South of Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
South of Scotland is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament...
, he was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
from 1962 to 1966. He spent two years in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
after leaving school, mainly involved in agricultural work and returned to complete an ONDA in Agriculture at the Scottish Agricultural College
Scottish Agricultural College
The Scottish Agricultural College exists to support the development of land-based industries and communities through Higher Education and training, specialist research and development and advisory and consultancy services....
at Auchincruive
Auchincruive
Auchincruive is a former country house and estate in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is located east of Ayr, on the north bank of the River Ayr. Auchincruive House was built in the 18th century on the site of an earlier mansion. In 1927 the estate became the West of Scotland College of Agriculture,...
before taking over the family farm in 1971, in the South Ayrshire village of Barr
Barr, Ayrshire
Barr is a picturesque village in the South West of Ayrshire, Scotland, located approximately from the town of Girvan. There are various opinions as to the origins of the name. The most likely are either Gaelic meaning 'a meeting of water' or Brythonic meaning 'round'...
, after a short spell as a Farm Management Consultant. He ran this hill farm, rearing cattle and sheep, until his election to the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
in 1999. Until the advent of the Parliament, Fergusson says he was not involved in politics to any great extent.
Political career and Presiding Officer
Fergusson began holding office as a community councillorCommunity council
A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain.In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies...
. He was elected as a member for the South of Scotland
South of Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
South of Scotland is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament...
region of the Scottish Parliament 1999, and has been Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale
Galloway and Upper Nithsdale (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Galloway and Upper Nithsdale was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election....
since 2003.
He says he entered politics mainly to champion rural causes in his own region: "I was particularly exercised by the fact that whenever anybody talked about rural Scotland, they seemed to talk about the Highlands and Islands. I come from the south of Scotland, and I was keen to provide a rural voice from the south of Scotland."
During this time, Fergusson was lead spokesman for Agriculture and Forestry for the Conservative party, and Convener of the Rural Development Committee, including during the passage of the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002
Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002
The Protection of Wild Mammals Act was passed by the devolved Scottish parliament in February 2002, making Scotland the first part of the United Kingdom to ban traditional fox hunting and hare coursing.-Passage of the Act:...
. As spokesman, he described laws banning entirely the docking of dogs' tails as "complete and utter folly", arguing that there was a significant difference between the cosmetic docking of entire tails and the shortening of the tails of working dogs. He gained a reputation as a passionate advocate on rural affairs, respected across parties for his political astuteness. He was also one of the biggest rebels from the Conservative whip in the second session of Parliament.
After retaining his marginal seat at the 2007 election
Scottish Parliament election, 2007
The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999...
, with an increased majority of 3,333, on 14 May 2007 he was elected by his fellow MSPs to succeed George Reid
George Reid (Scottish politician)
George Newlands Reid, PC , is a Scottish politician. From February 1974 to 1979 he served as a Scottish National Party Member of Parliament for Clackmannan and East Stirlingshire. He was elected in 1999 as a Member of the newly established Scottish Parliament as a regional MSP for Mid Scotland and...
as Presiding Officer by a large majority, beating the other candidate Margo MacDonald
Margo MacDonald
Margo MacDonald MSP is a Scottish politician and former Scottish National Party MP and Deputy Leader...
by 108 votes to 20.
Because the position of Presiding Officer is an impartial one, the officeholder is required to remove himself from all party politics. Consequently, Fergusson resigned from the Conservative party. He indicated his intention to resign as Presiding Officer at the conclusion of his term, and stand for the Conservative party in 2011. On his return to the Parliament after the 2011 Election, Fergusson stepped down as Presiding Officer and returned to the Conservative benches.
Other duties
As Presiding Officer, he chairs the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate BodyScottish Parliamentary Corporate Body
The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body is a body of the Scottish Parliament responsible for the administration of the Parliament. It also has a role in provision of services to Commissioners and other statutory appointments made by the Parliament....
, which has similar functions to that of the House of Commons Commission
House of Commons Commission
The House of Commons Commission is the overall supervisory body of the House of Commons Administration in the United Kingdom. The Commission is a corporate body established by the House of Commons Act 1978...
, and the Parliamentary Bureau, which sets the daily business in the chamber and timetable for progress of bills, subject to approval by the Parliament.
During the draw for the 2007-08
2007-08 in Scottish football
The 2007-08 season was the 111th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Overview:* Gretna were competing in the Scottish Premier League for the first time, their first ever season in the top-flight, after being promoted as First Division champions the previous season.* Dunfermline Athletic...
CIS Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
semi-finals, Fergusson mixed up the numbers and miscalled the teams, a mistake that was rectified later that day.
Other interests
Fergusson is the Honorary President of English-Speaking Union ScotlandEnglish-Speaking Union Scotland
The English-Speaking Union Scotland is an educational Scottish charity whose purpose, shared with the English-Speaking Union internationally, is to promote international understanding and human achievements through the widening use of the English language throughout the world.ESU Scotland is based...
. He is a member and former President of the Blackface Sheepbreeders Association, and a member of the Scottish Landowners Federation and the Game Conservancy Trust. He lists rugby, curling, Scottish country dancing, folk music and public speaking amongst his hobbies.
External links
- Alex Fergusson MSP Official profile at Scottish Parliament site
- Alex Fergusson MSP Official profile at the site of the Conservative Party
- Alex Fergusson MSP Official profile at personal website
- Alex Fergusson, countryside man BBC profile