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 has 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.
One of the main events in Finnie's time as Minister for Environment and Rural Affairs was the outbreak of foot and mouth in the UK during 2001. Scotland was praised for its response and handling of the crisis.
In January 2004, Finnie took a three-month absence from office to undergo heart bypass surgery and returned in April, after deputy minister Allan Wilson had fulfilled Finnie's ministerial duties.
Finnie was unsuccessful in his bid to be re-elected in the 2011 Scottish Parliament elections, losing his seat after 12 years.
Read more about this topic: Ross Finnie
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