George James Adam (born 8 June 1969) is a Scottish politician who has served as the
Minister for Parliamentary Business
The Minister for Parliamentary Business is a junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. As a result, the minister does not attend the Scottish Cabinet but supports the Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery, who is a member of the cabin ...
since 2021. A member of the
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...
(SNP), he has been the
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP; gd, Ball Pàrlamaid na h-Alba, BPA; sco, Memmer o the Scots Pairliament, MSP) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.
Electoral system
The ad ...
(MSP) for
Paisley since
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
.
Adam ran unsuccessfully as the SNP's candidate for
Paisley North in the
2003 Scottish Parliament election
The 2003 Scottish Parliament election was the second election of members to the Scottish Parliament. It was held on 1 May 2003 and it brought no change in terms of control of the Scottish Executive. Jack McConnell, the Labour Party MSP, rema ...
. In
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
, he was elected to the
Renfrewshire Council
Renfrewshire () ( sco, Renfrewshire; gd, Siorrachd Rinn Friù) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland.
Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfr ...
, representing the
Paisley South ward until 2012. Adam ran for the newly drawn
Paisley constituency in the
2011 election and this time was elected to the
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...
. He was re-elected in the
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
and
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
election, serving three terms. Adam was appointed as Minister for Parliamentary Business by
Nicola Sturgeon
Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon (born 19 July 1970) is a Scottish politician serving as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) since 2014. She is the first woman to hold either position. She has been a member of ...
, in her
third government.
Early life
Early years
George James Adam was born on 8 June 1969 in
Elderslie Elderslie may refer to one of the following locations:
* Elderslie, Scotland
Elderslie ( gd, Ach na Feàrna) is a village in the council area and historic county of Renfrewshire in west central Scotland. It chiefly serves as a commuter village, ...
,
Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire () ( sco, Renfrewshire; gd, Siorrachd Rinn Friù) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland.
Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfr ...
, in western Scotland. When Adam was nine, his father's business went into
receivership
In law, receivership is a situation in which an institution or enterprise is held by a receiver—a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights"—especially in ca ...
which resulted in a complete change in his family’s lifestyle with Adam moving out of his family home to share a home in Glenburn, Paisley with his fathers cousin and finally the family living in a caravan. Adam's father left the family home twice, with George being told by his mother that he was "the man of the house". .
In the 1980s, Adam's family moved to
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
for a "fresh start"; he was angered by the decision due to his success in the youth team at
St Mirren F.C.
St Mirren Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire, that competes in the Scottish Premiership after winning the 2017–18 Scottish Championship. Founded in 1877, the team has two nicknames, ''the ...
His father's business "turned sour" and the family returned to Scotland two years later. They lived in Adam's grandfather's home, where he slept on the sofa.
In his late teens, Adam worked for his father's business before working in the motor industry as a Corporate Sales Manager.
Early political years
Adam joined the
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...
at the age of 17 and has been an active member in Paisley since the late 1980s. In the
2003 Scottish Parliament election
The 2003 Scottish Parliament election was the second election of members to the Scottish Parliament. It was held on 1 May 2003 and it brought no change in terms of control of the Scottish Executive. Jack McConnell, the Labour Party MSP, rema ...
, he stood as the SNP candidate in
Paisley North but was not successful, with Labour holding the seat.
Adam was elected to the
Paisley South ward of
Renfrewshire Council
Renfrewshire () ( sco, Renfrewshire; gd, Siorrachd Rinn Friù) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland.
Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfr ...
in the
2007 Scottish local elections.
Member of the Scottish Parliament
![GeorgeAdamMSP20110511](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/GeorgeAdamMSP20110511.jpg)
He won the newly drawn
Paisley constituency in the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, with a majority of 248. He served on the Scottish Parliament's Public Audit Committee, the Health and Sport Committee, the Education and Culture Committee and on the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee. On 1 October 2012 he was appointed as Parliamentary Liaison Officer to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning,
Angela Constance
Angela Constance (born 15 July 1970) is a Scottish politician serving as Minister for Drug Policy since 2020, having previously served in the Scottish Cabinet from 2014 to 2018. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has been the M ...
.
Adam was re-elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2016 with an increased majority of 5,199. He was Senior Whip for the Parliamentary Group of SNP MSPs but was promoted to Chief Whip in June 2018. He held the position of Parliamentary Liaison Officer (PLO) to the Cabinet Secretary Communities, Social Security and Equalities. As he was a member of the Social Security Committee, in September 2016 a decision was taken for him not to also act as an aide, to avoid potential conflict of interest.
Adam was the Convenor of the Cross Party Group on Multiple Sclerosis (MS), was the Co-Convenor of the Cross Party Group (CPG) on Fair Trade and was a member of the following CPGs – Adult Learning, Aviation, Carers and Epilepsy. He is also the patron for Disability Equality Scotland, a charity based in
Alloa
Alloa (Received Pronunciation ; educated Scottish pronunciation /ˈaloʊa/; gd, Alamhagh, possibly meaning "rock plain") is a town in Clackmannanshire in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It is on the north bank of the Forth at the spot where ...
, that promotes full access and inclusion for disabled people in Scotland.
Adam was re-elected in the
2021 Scottish Parliament election
The 2021 Scottish Parliament election took place on 6 May 2021, under the provisions of the Scotland Act 1998. All 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament were elected in the sixth election since the parliament was re-established in 1999. The ele ...
with an increased majority of 6,075. He was appointed by
First Minister
A first minister is any of a variety of leaders of government cabinets. The term literally has the same meaning as "prime minister" but is typically chosen to distinguish the office-holder from a superior prime minister. Currently the title of ' ...
Nicola Sturgeon
Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon (born 19 July 1970) is a Scottish politician serving as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) since 2014. She is the first woman to hold either position. She has been a member of ...
as junior
Minister for Parliamentary Business
The Minister for Parliamentary Business is a junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. As a result, the minister does not attend the Scottish Cabinet but supports the Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery, who is a member of the cabin ...
.
Personal life
Adam lives in Paisley town centre with his wife Stacey. Due to his wife Stacey having
multiple sclerosis
Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...
(MS), they are both members of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Scotland.
Adam is a passionate supporter of
St Mirren F.C.
St Mirren Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire, that competes in the Scottish Premiership after winning the 2017–18 Scottish Championship. Founded in 1877, the team has two nicknames, ''the ...
In 2016, together with Gordon Scott, he led a fan takeover of the club. Adam chaired the St Mirren Independent Supporters Association (SMISA) which had signed up one thousand members by June, in order to bid for control of the club.
He follows the Scotland national football team when he can.
References
External links
*
*
Personal Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adam, George
1969 births
Living people
Ministers of the Scottish Government
Members of the Scottish Parliament 2011–2016
Members of the Scottish Parliament 2016–2021
Members of the Scottish Parliament 2021–2026
Scottish National Party MSPs
People from Renfrewshire
Scottish National Party councillors
Councillors in Renfrewshire