Tom Arthur (Scottish politician) explained

Tom Arthur
Honorific-Suffix:MSP
Office1:Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance
Term Start1:20 May 2021
Term End1:8 May 2024
Firstminister1:Nicola Sturgeon
Humza Yousaf
Predecessor1:Ben Macpherson
Successor1:Ivan McKee
Office2:Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Renfrewshire South
Term Start2:6 May 2016
Predecessor2:Hugh Henry
Majority2:7,106 (20.5%)
Birth Place:Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Nationality:Scottish
Party:Scottish National Party
Alma Mater:University of Glasgow
Website:http://www.tomarthur.scot/
Office:Minister for Employment and Investment
Term Start:8 May 2024
Firstminister:John Swinney
Predecessor:Richard Lochhead (2023)

Thomas Compton Arthur MSP (born 1985) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. He is the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the constituency of Renfrewshire South, having been first elected in 2016[1] and re-elected in 2021.[2] He has served as Minister for Employment and Investment since 2024.[3]

Background

Arthur was born in 1985 in Paisley, Renfrewshire and raised in Barrhead, East Renfrewshire, where he was educated at Cross Arthurlie Primary and Barrhead High School. He graduated with a Bachelor of Music then later Master of Music from the University of Glasgow. Before entering politics, he worked as a company director, freelance piano teacher and keyboardist.[4]

Political career

Arthur joined the Scottish National Party in 2009.[4] He was elected as the first SNP Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Renfrewshire South constituency at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election. He made his maiden speech in the Scottish Parliament on 26 May 2016.[5]

He was re-elected in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election with a 50.5% vote share in the constituency and gained an increased majority of 7,106 votes or 20.5% over the nearest challenger.[2] In May 2021 he was appointed Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth in the Scottish Government.[6] In March 2023, Humza Yousaf re-appointed him to his ministerial role as Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance.[7]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Election 2016: Renfrewshire South . BBC News . 6 May 2016 . 21 June 2018 . 10 June 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190610223708/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/scotland-constituencies/S16000140 . live .
  2. News: Renfrewshire South – Scottish Parliament constituency. BBC News. 8 May 2021. 8 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210508113553/https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2021/scotland/constituencies/S16000140. live.
  3. Web site: Full ministerial team confirmed . 2024-05-08 . www.gov.scot . en.
  4. News: SNP man has sights set on Holyrood glory . Graham . Mann . Greenock Telegraph . 15 January 2016 . 6 May 2016 . 29 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180729013042/http://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/news/14208188.SNP_man_has_sights_set_on_Holyrood_glory/ . live .
  5. bbcphilipsim. Sim. Philip. 735780753363992577. New SNP MSP Tom Arthur's first speech also going down well at Holyrood. The length of his tie less so.. 8 May 2021.
  6. Web site: Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth - gov.scot . www.gov.scot.
  7. Web site: Full ministerial team confirmed . 2023-03-30 . www.gov.scot . en.