Finlay Carson

Carson was born in Twynholm on 18 October 1967.[2] He attended Twynholm Primary School and later Kirkcudbright Academy. Carson then went to study at the University of Aberdeen where he graduated with a BSc Agriculture. Carson and his brother ran an IT business together. Carson lives with wife Jackie and has 4 children, Hugh, Vicky, Rowan and Leo.

Carson, from 2012, was a councillor for Castle Douglas and Glenkens. He succeeded Peter Duncan who was the former MP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale.[3]

In 2015 he stood for the UK Parliament as the Conservative candidate for the Dumfries and Galloway constituency where he was unsuccessful and came second to the SNP's Richard Arkless by 11.5% of the vote.[4]

In 2016 he stood for the Scottish Parliament in Galloway and West Dumfries, in place of the retiring Conservative MSP Alex Fergusson.[2] He successfully held the seat for the Conservatives and had a majority of 1,514 votes (4.5%) over his SNP rival Aileen McLeod with a swing of 0.8% from the SNP to the Conservatives.[5]

Carson is the Scottish Conservative spokesperson for Digital Economy, Animal Welfare and Biodiversity.[6] He also sits on the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee of the Scottish Parliament[7]

In October 2017, Carson caused controversy after it emerged he hired his own IT firm to design his website and claimed the costs back on parliamentary expenses. He claimed £1,200 in March for the web design work carried out by CMS Broadband. Holyrood's expenses rules state that "a member shall ensure that any claim is submitted solely in respect of the performance of parliamentary duties and is not submitted in order to gain financial or other benefit for the member or any other person".[8]