Fergus Ewing
Encyclopedia
Fergus Ewing is the Scottish Government's Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism and the Scottish National Party
(SNP) Member of the Scottish Parliament
(MSP) for Inverness and Nairn
.
(his father was also an SNP councillor) and has long been active in the SNP. Educated at Loretto
, in Musselburgh
, he studied law at the University of Glasgow
where he was a member of the Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association
. His late wife, Margaret Ewing
, was the MSP for the neighbouring constituency of Moray
until her death in March 2006. His sister, Annabelle Ewing
, was the MP
for Perth
until the 2005 election
.
in the Scottish Parliament
in 1999 and he held on to the seat in 2003 and 2007. He, with his mother Winnie Ewing
, abstained from the vote to abolish section 2A
via the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000
but otherwise is viewed as being among the more moderate of the Scottish National Party MSPs, while his opposition to an outright ban on fox hunting
also marked him out from many of his party colleagues. After the SNP's victory at the 2007 Scottish Parliament Election
, Ewing was appointed as the Minister for Community Safety
. After the SNP victory at the 2011 Scottish Parliament Election
, he was appointed as the Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism, succeeding Jim Mather
who had stood down as an MSP.
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
(SNP) Member of 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...
(MSP) for Inverness and Nairn
Inverness and Nairn (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Inverness and Nairn is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the first past the post method of election...
.
Background
He is the son of the veteran Scottish Nationalist Winnie EwingWinnie Ewing
Winifred Margaret 'Winnie' Ewing is a Scottish nationalist, lawyer and prominent SNP politician who was formerly a Member of Parliament , Member of the European Parliament and Member of the Scottish Parliament...
(his father was also an SNP councillor) and has long been active in the SNP. Educated at Loretto
Loretto School
Loretto School is an independent school in Scotland, founded in 1827. The campus occupies in Musselburgh, near Edinburgh.-History:Loretto was founded by the Reverend Thomas Langhorne in 1827. Langhorne came from Crosby Ravensworth, near Kirkby Stephen. The school was later taken over by his son,...
, in Musselburgh
Musselburgh
Musselburgh is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, six miles east of Edinburgh city centre.-History:...
, he studied law at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
where he was a member of the Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association
Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association
The Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association is a student organisation formed in 1927 at the University of Glasgow which supports Scottish independence....
. His late wife, Margaret Ewing
Margaret Ewing
Margaret Anne Ewing was a Scottish National Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament and as a Member of the Scottish Parliament...
, was the MSP for the neighbouring constituency of Moray
Moray
Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.- History :...
until her death in March 2006. His sister, Annabelle Ewing
Annabelle Ewing
Annabelle Janet Ewing is a Scottish politician, lawyer and currently a SNP Member of the Scottish Parliament for Mid Scotland and Fife...
, was the MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Perth
Perth (UK Parliament constituency)
Perth was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1918, 1918 to 1950, and 1997 to 2005. From 1832 to 1918 it was a burgh constituency. From 1918 to 1950, and 1997 to 2005, it was a county constituency...
until the 2005 election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
.
Member of the Scottish Parliament
He was elected to represent Inverness East, Nairn and LochaberInverness East, Nairn and Lochaber (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the first past the post method of election...
in 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 and he held on to the seat in 2003 and 2007. He, with his mother Winnie Ewing
Winnie Ewing
Winifred Margaret 'Winnie' Ewing is a Scottish nationalist, lawyer and prominent SNP politician who was formerly a Member of Parliament , Member of the European Parliament and Member of the Scottish Parliament...
, abstained from the vote to abolish section 2A
Section 28
Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 caused the controversial addition of Section 2A to the Local Government Act 1986 , enacted on 24 May 1988 and repealed on 21 June 2000 in Scotland, and on 18 November 2003 in the rest of Great Britain by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003...
via the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000
Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000
The Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. Act 2000 is an Act of the Scottish Parliament which established that the Scottish Ministers had to issue a code of conduct for councillors, and put in place mechanisms for dealing with councillors in contravention of the code...
but otherwise is viewed as being among the more moderate of the Scottish National Party MSPs, while his opposition to an outright ban on fox hunting
Fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in its current...
also marked him out from many of his party colleagues. After the SNP's victory at the 2007 Scottish Parliament 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...
, Ewing was appointed as the Minister for Community Safety
Minister for Community Safety
The Minister for Community Safety is a Junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. As a result, the minister does not attend the Scottish Cabinet...
. After the SNP victory at the 2011 Scottish Parliament Election
Scottish Parliament election, 2011
The 2011 Scottish Parliament general election was held on Thursday, 5 May 2011 to elect 129 members to the Scottish Parliament.The election delivered the first majority government since the opening of Holyrood, a remarkable feat as the mixed member proportional representation system is used to...
, he was appointed as the Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism, succeeding Jim Mather
Jim Mather
Jim Mather is a Scottish National Party politician, former Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism and until the 2011 election, Member of the Scottish Parliament for Argyll and Bute ....
who had stood down as an MSP.
External links
- Fergus Ewing MSP Biography at Scottish Parliament website
- Fergus Ewing MSP Biography at SNP website