Ross Finnie

Ross Finnie (born 11 February 1947, Greenock) is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician and former Member of the Scottish Parliament. He is a former Minister for the 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 two seats in the Scottish Cabinet. Finnie was appointed Minister for Rural Development in the first Scottish cabinet by then First Minister, Donald Dewar Finnie 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.