1. James Ross Finnie was born on 11 February 1947 and is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician and a former Member of the Scottish Parliament.
17 Facts About Ross Finnie
1. 2.
Ross Finnie 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.
3.
Ross Finnie became an MSP in the first elections to the Scottish Parliament in 1999, and held the same ministerial portfolio until May 2007.
4.
Ross Finnie previously chaired the Scottish Liberal Party, before chairing the Scottish Liberal Democrats.
5.
Ross Finnie stood for election to the Scottish Parliament at the first elections in 1999.
6.
Ross Finnie came second in the Greenock and Inverclyde constituency, but was elected as an additional member for the West of Scotland region.
7.
Ross Finnie was re-elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2003 and 2007.
8.
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.
9.
In January 2004, Ross Finnie took a three-month absence from office to undergo heart bypass surgery and returned in April, after deputy minister Allan Wilson had fulfilled Ross Finnie's ministerial duties.
10.
Ross Finnie was unsuccessful in his bid to be re-elected in the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, losing his seat after 12 years.
11.
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.
12.
In September 2002, Ross Finnie apologised to Digby Jones, the director general of the Confederation of British Industry, after branding him an "English prat" at a dinner following a controversial speech by Mr Jones.
13.
Later that month, Ross Finnie apologised for giving wrong information to the Scottish Parliament during a debate.
14.
Ross Finnie had told Parliament that sheep were no longer grazing on the banks of Loch Katrine, which provides Glasgow with its drinking water.
15.
In June 2006, Ross Finnie cancelled a tender for a new fishery protection vessel for the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency.
16.
The tender has been provisionally awarded to English firm Appledore, but Ross 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.
17.
However, the Scotland on Sunday reported that a rival bidder, Port Glasgow based Ferguson's was both in Ross Finnie's constituency, and that he was a lifelong friend of the chief executive.