Mark Christopher Ruskell (born 14 May 1972) is a Scottish Green Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP). He was elected to represent Mid Scotland and Fife from 2003−2007, then elected again in

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 of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

and re-elected in

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 coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...

. In the Scottish Parliament, Ruskell is the Greens' spokesperson on Climate, Energy, Environment, Food and Farming.

Early life

Mark Ruskell was born on 14 May 1972. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy and at

Stevenson College, Edinburgh Stevenson College Edinburgh, was a further education college in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 1970, and was named after famous Scottish engineer, Robert Stevenson. In 2012 it merged with Telford College and Jewel & Esk College to form ...

, a

further education college Further education (often abbreviated FE) in the United Kingdom and Ireland is education in addition to that received at secondary school, that is distinct from the higher education (HE) offered in universities and other academic institutions. It ...

in the city. He studied environmental science and biology at the

University of Stirling The University of Stirling (, gd, Oilthigh Shruighlea (abbreviated as Stir or Shruiglea, in post-nominals) is a public university in Stirling, Scotland, founded by royal charter in 1967. It is located in the Central Belt of Scotland, built ...

, graduating with a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

(BSc) degree, and

sustainable agriculture Sustainable agriculture is farming in sustainable ways meeting society's present food and textile needs, without compromising the ability for current or future generations to meet their needs. It can be based on an understanding of ecosystem ser ...

at the

Scottish Agricultural College Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) is a public land based research institution focused on agriculture and life sciences. Its history stretches back to 1899 with the establishment of the West of Scotland Agricultural College and its current organis ...

and

University of Aberdeen , mottoeng = The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom , established = , type = Public research universityAncient university , endowment = £58.4 million (2021) , budget ...

, graduating with a

Master of Science A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast t ...

(MSc) degree.

Political career

In 2003 he was elected to represent Mid Scotland and Fife. He sat on the Scottish Parliament ''Environment and Rural Development Committee'' and served as its Deputy Convenor. He lost his seat in the 2007 elections. In May 2012 he was elected to represent the Dunblane and Bridge of Allan ward of

Stirling Council Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, ...

in the Scottish local elections, the first time the Scottish Green Party has had a representative on the council. He stepped down at the 2017 elections to concentrate on his role as a MSP. His party colleague Alasdair Tollemache replaced him as Councillor for Dunblane and Bridge of Allan at the 2017 poll. His political career has involved fighting numerous campaigns for the Greens including standing in the 2001, 2010 and 2015 UK Westminster General Elections for

Stirling Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...

and in every Scottish Parliament election since 1999. In March 2015, the Scottish Greens announced that Ruskell had been selected as the lead candidate for their Mid Scotland and Fife regional list, following a ballot of their members. and was subsequently elected. On 23 May he was announced as the Scottish Greens spokesperson on Climate, Energy, Environment, Food and Farming. He currently sits as a Member of the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee.

References

External links

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Councillor Mark Ruskell
at Stirling Council {{DEFAULTSORT:Ruskell, Mark 1972 births Living people Scottish Green councillors Green MSPs Members of the Scottish Parliament 2003–2007 Members of the Scottish Parliament 2016–2021 People educated at Edinburgh Academy Alumni of the University of Stirling Alumni of the University of Aberdeen Alumni of Scotland's Rural College Members of the Scottish Parliament 2021–2026