Local Politicians have paid tribute to Sir Alex Fergusson, former MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, and Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, who passed away this morning.
His friend and colleague David Mundell, Scottish Secretary and MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, has made the following tribute:
Mr Mundell said: ”To me, Alex was foremost a great friend and I will miss him dearly. He is the most thoroughly decent person I have ever known.
“He was the absolute opposite of the career politician and was guided a sense of public duty and his core values of family, community and country, rather than party dogma.
“His legacy was to ensure our Scottish Parliament was a Parliament for the whole of Scotland and that rural issues were given their place, never more so than during the devastating Foot and Mouth outbreak of 2001, when he was farming communities’ voice.
“His election as Presiding Officer in 2007 was testament to the respect in which he was held across the chamber.
“Managing the first minority government was not without its challenges, but Alex approached the job with calm and dignity that was the hallmark of everything he did.
“But not for him, were the trappings of high office — he turned down the official car and drove himself back to Galloway every week so he could work for the constituents he always saw as his priority.
“They, like us all, will miss him, but we can take comfort from the positive mark his public service has left on Scotland
Local Labour Politicians have paid tribute to Sir Alex to
South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth said, “Alex was a real giant of a man in every way and will be very sorely missed by those who had the privilege of knowing him. He treated everyone, friend or political foe, with decency and good humour and was a real gentleman respected by everyone across the political divide. I can’t recall ever being in a room with him when he didn’t come across and shake my hand warmly. I had a huge amount of respect for Sir Alex as an MSP because he always believed his duty was to the people of Galloway and Upper Nithsdale and he was a passionate advocate for our region. Even after he stopped serving as an MSP, he worked tirelessly for his community, always championing causes for a part of the world he loved, such as the campaign for Galloway National Park and the Galloway Glens Partnership. Alex will be a huge loss to the community and my thoughts are very much with his family and friends at this deeply sad time.”
Leader of Dumfries and Galloway Council and former MSP, Councillor Elaine Murray said, “Alex and I both served in the Scottish Parliament between 1999 and 2016 and both of us felt very privileged to represent constituencies in Dumfries and Galloway. Alex was very committed to representing his constituents, which he did with grace and dignity. He was a good and honourable man, highly respected across political parties and will be greatly missed.”
