Introduction
Fergus Stewart Ewing (born 23 September 1957) is a Scottish politician, serving as the Scottish Government's Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity and the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Inverness and Nairn.
Background
He is the son of the veteran Scottish Nationalist Winnie Ewing (his father was also an SNP councillor) and has long been active in the SNP. Educated at Loretto, in Musselburgh, he studied law at the University of Glasgow where he was a member of the Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association. His late wife, Margaret Ewing, was the MSP for the neighbouring constituency of Moray until her death in March 2006. His sister, Annabelle Ewing, was the MP for Perth until the 2005 election and is MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife (from 2011).
Member of the Scottish Parliament
He was elected to represent Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber in the Scottish Parliament in 1999 and he held on to the seat in 2003 and 2007. He, with his mother Winnie Ewing, abstained from the vote to abolish section 2A via the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000; he also opposed an outright ban on fox hunting. After the SNP's victory at the 2007 Scottish Parliament Election, Ewing was appointed as the Minister for Community Safety. After the SNP victory at the 2011 Scottish Parliament Election, he was appointed as the Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism, succeeding Jim Mather who stood down as an MSP. In February 2014 he voted against the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Scotland In November 2014 the portfolio became Business Energy & Tourism.