Biography

About Fergus...

Fergus Ewing was born in Glasgow in 1957 and educated at Loretto School in Musselburgh and Glasgow University where he graduated with an LLB. Prior to being elected he was an apprentice solicitor from 1979 - 1981, a solicitor in a Glasgow law firm from 1981 - 1985 and a partner in Ewing & Co. from 1985 until 1999. He was also a member of the national executive of the SNP. He is the son of Winnie, formerly MEP & MSP for the Highlands & Islands, husband of the late Margaret MSP for Moray and brother of Annabelle the former MP for Perth. He is a member of the Church of Scotland and of the Law Society for Scotland.

As an MSP he has previously served on the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee, the Rural Development Committee and also on the Local Government & Transport Committee.

His constituency is geographically the second largest in Scotland with over 70,000 voters, and is about 5 times larger than greater London which has around 90 MPs.

Fergus was re-elected as the MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber in the 2007 Scottish Parliamentary elections increasing his majority from 1,046 to 5,471.

Fergus has campaigned on a wide variety of matters of vital importance to the area. He seeks to represent everyone , irrespective of their own political views, and is keen to try to offer help to all constituents when they seek it.

"The tradition of the SNP is one of democratic pursuit of our goals. The existence of the SNP in Scotland has been a force for good. Our party is wholly committed to the achievement of self government through the ballot box. I am pleased to have played a role when Vice convenor of the party in 1994 of having moved a resolution which called for the expulsion of any from my party who supported the anti-English groups such as Scottish Watch or Settler Watch. Even though such groups were no more than a few individuals, there is no place in our party for such views. At Scotland's ceilidh, everyone is welcome."

Prior to being elected as MSP Fergus stood for the Inverness seat in 1992 and 1997, bringing the SNP up from fourth to second. Running his own law practice, Fergus developed policy on small business and served on the national executive of the SNP.

A former member of the Lomond Mountain Rescue Team, he has climbed around two thirds of Scotland's Munros, but has temporarily abandoned the task of completing them through scarcity of time! Since 1995 he has in his spare time taken to running, often bringing up the rear in marathons from New York to Loch Ness!

Details of Fergus's Parliamentary activities can be accessed through the Parliament page.

Ministerial Posts:

May 2007 - Minister for Community Safety

Shadow Ministerial Posts:

September 2004 - Shadow Minister for Tourism, Transport & Telecommunications

May 2003 - September 2004 Shadow Minister for Finance & Public Services

September 2000 - May 2003 Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs

May 1999 - September 2000 Shadow Deputy Minister for Tourism, Small Business and Highlands & Islands

Recent electoral experience

2007 Scottish Parliament election, Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber, 16,443 votes (41.5%) (elected)

2003 Scottish Parliament election, Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber, 10,764 votes (30.94 %) (elected)

2003 Scottish Parliament election, second on SNP Highlands & Islands list, 8,085 votes (23.34 %)

1999 Scottish Parliament election, Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber, 13,825 votes (33.06 %) (elected)

1999 Scottish Parliament election, fourth on SNP Highlands & Islands list, 12,245 votes (29.30 %)