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John Finnie
John Bradford Finnie (born 31 December 1956) is a Scottish Greens politician. He was the Green Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Highlands and Islands region from 2016 up until 2021, having previously sat as a Scottish National Party (SNP) member from 2011 to 2012 then as an independent from 2012 to 2016. He was formerly a police officer and then a councillor. Early lifeFinnie was born in Clunes, and was educated at Achnacarry Primary and Lochaber High School.[1] PoliceFinnie became a police officer in 1976[2] and served with the Lothian and Borders Police and then as a uniformed Constable, latterly a Constable Dog Handler within the Northern Constabulary.[3] He was a full-time elected official – Constable Secretary, local branch of the Scottish Police Federation (SPF).[4] Political careerFinnie developed political awareness while still at High School and joined the SNP at 16 years old.[2] He first stood as a candidate in a 2006 by-election for a Highland Council seat.[2] In 2007 he was elected to representing the Inverness Ness-side ward on Highland Council.[5] He was SNP group leader and an SNP-Independent administration was formed.[6] In June 2008 the coalition split.[7] In November 2010, Finnie wrote to the Lord Advocate, urging her to reinvestigate the case of Willie McRae, who died in 1985.[8] Finnie was elected to the Scottish Parliament in the 2011 election.[9] He was parliamentary liaison officer to the Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.[4] Finnie resigned from the SNP on 23 October 2012 over the party's decision to support NATO membership for an independent Scotland,[10] attending Holyrood as an independent member. In November of that year, he denied rumours that he was planning to join the Scottish Socialist Party.[11] Eventually, in October 2014, he joined the Scottish Green Party[12] although continued as an Independent MSP until the end of that session of parliament.[13] In November 2013, Finnie submitted a Private Member's Bill proposal seeking to abolish the requirement for mandatory involvement of religious representatives on local authorities’ education committees.[14] In March 2015, the Scottish Greens balloted their members to select candidates for the 2016 election, Finnie was placed top on their Highlands and Islands regional list.[15] He was re-elected in the 2016 election and was joined in the Scottish Parliament by his daughter, Ruth Maguire, who represents Cunninghame South for the SNP.[16] In November 2016 he was announced as a member of the Commission on Parliamentary Reform, having been nominated to represent the Scottish Greens.[17] In May 2017, Finnie introduced a Private Member's Bill proposal seeking equal protection from assault for children by prohibiting their physical punishment by parents and others in charge of them. On 5 September 2017, the Scottish Government included support for his proposal in its Programme for Government for 2017–18.[18] The proposed measures became law on 7 November 2019 (Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Act 2019).[19] He announced in 2019 that he would not stand for re-election in 2021.[20] References
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