Ross Finnie

Infobox MSP
honorific-prefix =
name = Ross Finnie
honorific-suffix =

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imagesize = 150px
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office = Minister for the Environment and Rural Development
term_start = 19 May 1999
term_end = 17 May 2007
firstminister = Jack McConnell
Henry McLeish
Donald Dewar
predecessor = "None"
successor = Richard Lochhead
constituency_MP2 = West of Scotland
parliament2 = Scottish
majority2 =
term_start2 = 6 May 1999
term_end2 =
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successor2 =
birth_date = Birth date and age|1947|02|11|df=yes
birth_place = Greenock
death_date =
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nationality =
party = Scottish Liberal Democrats
spouse =
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website =
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Ross Finnie (born 11 February 1947, Greenock) is a former Minister for Environment and Rural Development in the Scottish Executive, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for the West of Scotland region.

He became an MSP in the first elections to the Scottish Parliament in 1999, and held the same ministerial portfolio until May 2007.

Background

Previously a self-employed chartered accountant and financial adviser, he was a councillor in Inverclyde from 1977 to 1999. He also previously chaired the Scottish Liberals, before chairing the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

Member of the Scottish Parliament

He stood for election to the Scottish Parliament at the first elections in 1999. He came second in the Greenock and Inverclyde constituency, but was elected as an additional member for the West of Scotland region. He was re-elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2003 and 2007.

Following the 1999 election, the Scottish Liberal Democrats entered into a coalition agreement with the Scottish Labour Party, gaining 2 seats in the Scottish cabinet. Finnie was appointed Minister for Rural Development in the first Scottish cabinet by then First Minister, Donald Dewar [ [http://www.scotland.gov.uk/news/releas99_5/pr1039.htm Scottish Office press release- "DONALD DEWAR ANNOUNCES FIRST CABINET"] ] Finnie has retained his position in the Cabinet since 1999 until the Labour-Liberal Democrat government lost power in 2007, making him the longest serving member of the Scottish cabinet, other than Jack McConnell who was First Minister.

One of the main events in Finnie's time as Minister for Environment and Rural Affairs was the outbreak of foot and mouth in the UK during 2001. Scotland was praised for its response and handling of the crisis. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2144902.stm BBC News- "Disease handling praise for Scotland"] ]

In January 2004 Finnie took a three month from office to undergo heart bypass surgery and returned in April, after deputy minister Allan Wilson had fulfilled Finnie's ministerial duties. [ [http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2004/04/5392 Ross Finnie returns to work] , Scottish Executive, April 20 2004]

Leadership Campaign

On 7 July 2008, Ross Finnie announced his intention to stand in the election for leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, following the resignation of Nicol Stephen MSP.

Controversies

In September 2002, Finnie was forced to apologise for branding the director general of the Confederation of British Industry an "English prat" [ [http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=537&id=973622002 Scotland on Sunday- "Finnie says sorry for prat slur"] ]

Later that month, Finnie apologised for giving wrong information to the Scottish Parliament during a debate. He had told Parliament that that sheep were no longer grazing on the banks of Loch Katrine, which provides Glasgow with its drinking water (a previous outbreak of the cryptosporidium bug in the Loch was believed to have been caused by livestock grazing at the Loch's shores). However, Scottish Water later contacted him to say that the sheep were still there and would not be removed until September 2007. Both the SNP and the Scottish Conservatives made calls for Finnie to be sacked, although the First Minister, Jack McConnell gave him his support. [ [http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=537&id=984852002 Scotsman.com- "Finnie fights for survival after fresh gaffe"] ]

In June 2006, Finnie cancelled a tender for a new fishery protection vessel for the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency. The tender has been provisionally awarded to English firm Appledore, but Finnie claimed there was a "fatal flaw" in the tendering process which could have left the Executive liable for damages if the tender had proceeded. However, the "Scotland on Sunday" reported that a rival bidder, Port Glasgow based Ferguson's was both in Finnie's constituency, and that he was a lifelong friend of the chief executive. [ [http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=537&id=889052006- Scotland on Sunday- "Demands for investigation over Finnie contract row"] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/membersPages/ross_finnie/index.htm Ross Finnie MSP] official biography at the Scottish Parliament website
* [http://www.scotlibdems.org.uk/people/holyrood/ross-finnie Ross Finnie MSP] Biography at Scottish Liberal Democrats website