Alex Fergusson (politician)

The Right Honourable Sir Alex Fergusson DL
Official portrait, 2011
Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament
In office 14 May 2007 – 11 May 2011
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Deputy	Trish Godman Alasdair Morgan
Preceded by	George Reid
Succeeded by	Tricia Marwick
Parliamentary offices Member of the Scottish Parliament for Galloway and West Dumfries Galloway and Upper Nithsdale (2003–2011) In office 1 May 2003 – 24 March 2016 Preceded by Alasdair Morgan Succeeded by Finlay Carson Member of the Scottish Parliament for South of Scotland (1 of 7 Regional MSPs) In office 6 May 1999 – 1 May 2003
Personal details
Born	Alexander Charles Onslow Fergusson (1949-04-08)8 April 1949 Leswalt, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
Died	31 July 2018(2018-07-31) (aged 69) St John's Town of Dalry, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
Political party	Scottish Conservatives
Other political affiliations	Independent (2007-2011)
Spouse	Merryn Fergusson
Children	Iain Dougal Christopher
Parent(s)	Simon Fergusson Auriole Hughes-Onslow
Education	Eton College Scotland's Rural College
Profession	Farmer

Sir Alexander Charles Onslow Fergusson DL (8 April 1949 – 31 July 2018) was a Scottish politician and farmer who served as Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament from 2007 to 2011. A member of the Scottish Conservative Party, he was Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) from 1999 to 2016.

Born in rural Wigtownshire, Fergusson was educated at Eton College before attending the Scottish Agricultural College at Auchincruive. After completing an ONDA, he took over his family farm estate in 1971. As a farmer, Fergusson gained a considerable reputation, becoming President of the Blackface Sheepbreeders’ Association, Deputy Lieutenant of Ayrshire and Arran and a member of the Scottish Landowners Federation and the Game Conservancy Trust.

In 1999, Fergusson was elected to the Scottish Parliament, representing the South of Scotland region. As an MSP, he was a lead spokesman for Agriculture and Forestry for the Conservative party and Convener of the Rural Development Committee. In the 2003 election, he was elected as an MSP for the Galloway and Upper Nithsdale. After being re-elected in 2007, he was elected as the 3rd Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. Fergusson stepped down as presiding officer after the 2011 election and returned to backbench politics. He stood down as an MSP in the 2016 Scottish Parliament election.