14.05.2007
Alex Fergusson MSP was today elected as the Scottish Parliament's Presiding Officer following a secret ballot of newly elected Members.
George Reid handed over to Mr Fergusson this afternoon saying: "You have just elected a decent and honourable man to head this house.
"Alex Fergusson is experienced both as a regional and constituency member. He has the personal authority of having just been returned with a significantly increased majority. As a former committee convener, he knows what it is to seek consensus.”
Mr Fergusson, who is the Parliament's third Presiding Officer, gave the following acceptance speech from the chair: "Please believe me – a large part of me would give a lot to be walking off there instead of George. He has served this office with great dignity, but also with honesty, compassion, wit, intelligence, patience and statesmanship. He has been a great servant of Scotland.
"I do not see his act as one to try and somehow blindly follow, but he has set an impeccably high standard and has been a shining example for all who follow in his footsteps.
"Some of you will have read that I was initially very reluctant to do that, and I was.
"I had not pursued this position at all during the election and it has come as something of a shock to the electorate of Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, who returned me less than two weeks ago with such a resounding majority. My initial reluctance to put my name forward for this post was born out of a concern that I would not be able to fulfil my commitment to that electorate as their constituency MSP.
"And it was only at the end of last week that I fully persuaded myself that I would and indeed I could take this vitally important role and simultaneously support and promote my constituency. I know that I can and I will.
"It hasn’t been an easy decision and sleep was a stranger to me for much of last week. And I am told I will probably have to get used to that.
"But I am hugely bolstered and affected by the large number of MSPs who contacted me both last week and this to offer me their support.
"As I begin to take on this great responsibility, and the enormous honour that goes with it, of representing our Parliament, I thank you for that support wholeheartedly.
"Everyone I ask agrees that we are in for an ‘interesting time’. To make them slightly less interesting, for which I sometimes read contentious, at this stage, I will, like my predecessors, reluctantly suspend my party allegiance for as long as I serve in this office.
"Let us all remember that our electorate, the people of Scotland, want this new politics to work for them and that we have a duty to deliver what the electorate expects.
"I thank you for putting your faith in me and I look forward to working with each and every one of you as we seek to take this third session of the Scottish Parliament forward for the benefit of all our people.”
Jack McConnell MSP, First Minister and leader of the Scottish Labour Party said:
"We need someone to preside over the Parliament who embodies the words on the Mace ‘Justice, Wisdom, Compassion and Integrity'. Each of us here should embody those principles every day, but in your office it is important that you lead us with those principles to the fore. We wish you all the very best and will give you every support in the difficult judgements that lie ahead.”
Alex Salmond MSP, leader of the Scottish National Party, said:
"You come to the chair in interesting times, as you said, and bring with you an enormous fund of goodwill, which stretches across the political parties. People spoke to me of your integrity and judgement, so while you have a major task in hand, you bring with you formidable qualities and judgment.”
Annabel Goldie MSP, leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, said:
"We know you will bring to this job integrity, principles, wisdom, commitment and fortitude. We have been lucky in having two exceptional Presiding Officers in this Parliament and I am under no doubt what so ever that you will continue that succession. We wish you every good fortune in your new role and know our Parliament is in sure and steady hands.”
Nicol Stephen MSP, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said:
"You will do an outstanding job on behalf of the whole Parliament. I know that this is not always an easy job, but I hope that at most times you will enjoy the job and I know that it is a vitally important job not just for this the Parliament but for the whole of Scotland.”
Robin Harper MSP, leader of the Scottish Green Party, said:
"I know how dedicated you are to transparency and honesty in this Parliament and how good a job you are going to do as our Presiding Officer. I don’t think we could have trusted this job to a safer pair of hands.”
Mr Fergusson was elected to the post of Presiding Officer with 108 votes. Margo MacDonald, the other candidate for the office, received 20 votes.
Biography
- Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party MSP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, Alex Fergusson was born on 8 April 1949 in Leswalt, Wigtownshire.
- Educated at Eton College in Windsor from 1962-66, Alex spent two years in New Zealand after leaving school, before returning to complete an Ordinary National Diploma in Agriculture in 1970 at Scottish Agricultural College Auchinruive before taking over the family farm in 1971.
- Mr Fergusson farmed sheep and cattle in South Ayrshire from 1971-1999 and was a Councillor for Barr Community Council from 1974 to 1980.
- He was elected to the Scottish Parliament on the South of Scotland list in 1999 and in Galloway and Upper Nithsdale in 2003 and 2007.
- Married to Merryn and with three sons, Iain, Dougal and Christopher, he lives near St John’s Town of Dalry in Kirkcudbrightshire.
- Alex is a member and former President of the Blackface Sheepbreeders Association, and a member of the Scottish Landowners Federation and the Game Conservancy. Alex numbers rugby, curling, Scottish country dancing, folk music and public speaking amongst his hobbies.
Scottish Parliament Committee membership
- Member: Justice 2 Sub-Committee (Jun 2006 – Dec 2006)
- Member: Standards & Public Appointments Committee (Mar 2005 – Apr 2007) and Standards Committee (June 2003 – March 2005)
- Substitute member: Environmental & Rural Development Committee (Sep 2003 – Apr 2007)
- Convener: Rural Development Committee (Jun 2001 – Mar 2003)
- Member: Rural Affairs Committee (Jun 1999 – Jan 2001)
- He is also one of the team of advisors for pro-European think tank ThinkScotland.
Background
The elections of the Scottish Parliament's Presiding Officer and two Deputy Presiding Officers are the only secret ballots conducted in the Scottish Parliament. The Deputy Presiding Officers were elected subsequently.
In May 2003, George Reid became the Scottish Parliament’s second Presiding Officer and Murray Tosh and Trish Godman were elected as Deputy Presiding Officers.
In May 1999, Sir David Steel became the Scottish Parliament's first Presiding Officer, and Patricia Ferguson and George Reid were elected as Deputy Presiding Officers. Murray Tosh took over as Deputy Presiding Officer from Patricia Ferguson in November 2001.