Jim Fairlie (MSP)

James McGregor Fairlie is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who has been Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity since February 2024.^[1] Fairlie has also served as the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire since May 2021.

Jim Fairlie MSP
Official portrait, 2021
Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity
Incumbent
Assumed office 20 February 2024[1]
First Minister	Humza Yousaf John Swinney
Preceded by	Fiona Hyslop (Transport)
Member of the Scottish Parliament for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire
Incumbent
Assumed office 8 May 2021
Preceded by	Roseanna Cunningham
Majority	1,948 (4.5%)
Personal details
Born	James McGregor Fairlie
Political party	Scottish National Party

Early life

In 1996, as a sheep farmer, Fairlie launched Perth Farmers' Market.^[2] His father Jim Fairlie was a senior member of the SNP for several decades and stood as a candidate without success in several elections; his brother Andrew (died 2019) was a renowned chef.^[3]

Political career

Fairlie was a co-founder of Farmers4Yes, a pro-Scottish independence campaign group.^[4]

In September 2020, Fairlie announced his intention to seek election to the Scottish Parliament.^[3]

On 8 May 2021 he was elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire.^[5] In February 2023, he issued a statement explaining that he would continue to support Kate Forbes in her campaign to become leader of the SNP, despite disagreeing with her views on social political issues like marriage equality and abortion rights.^[6]

In February 2024, the First Minister announced that Fairlie would join the Scottish Government as Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity.^[7] The Scottish Parliament voted on 20 February to approve the appointment.^[1]

References

1. "Meeting of the Parliament, 20 February 2024". parliament.scot. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
2. O’Neil, Sean (31 May 2019). "Perth Farmer's Market celebrates 20th anniversary milestone". The Courier (Dundee). Retrieved 8 May 2021.
3. Richards, Xander (13 September 2020). "Jim Fairlie bids to become Perthshire South and Kinross-shire's next SNP MSP". The National. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
4. Paterson, Kirsteen (20 February 2022). "Jim Fairlie on Brexit, devolution and winning votes for independence". The National. Archived from the original on 20 February 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
5. "Elections 2021". BBC News. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
6. Fairlie, Jim [@JimFairlieLogie] (22 February 2023). "My statement on my support for Kate Forbes" (Tweet). Retrieved 22 February 2023 – via Twitter.
7. "First Minister confirms new Government appointments". Scottish Government. Retrieved 12 February 2024.

External links

• Scottish Parliament profiles of MSPs: Jim Fairlie

Political offices
New office	Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity 2024-	Succeeded by Incumbent