Vice Presidential posts go to Duncan Macalister and Robert Neill after vote
Andrew Connon has been elected to the position of President of NFU Scotland following a vote at the Union’s council meeting being held in Glasgow today (7 February).
The unsuccessful Presidential candidate was Alasdair Macnab.
Andrew will now hold office for two years. Under the terms of NFU Scotland’s constitution, the maximum period any President is allowed to serve is two two-year terms.
After a keenly fought election, the vote for the two Vice Presidential posts saw Duncan Macalister elected to serve alongside Robert Neill. The unsuccessful Vice-Presidential candidate was Mike Davis.
Under the terms of the constitution, with Duncan and Robert both being elected to the position of Vice President for the first time, they will initially serve for two years before the post reverts to an annual election.
That means for the next 24 months, Andrew, Duncan and Robert will make up NFU Scotland’s Presidential team.
After the election, NFU Scotland’s President Andrew Connon commented: “It is an incredible honour to have been elected and I promise that I will do my utmost to serve Scotland’s farmers and crofters to the best of my ability, striving to meet the incredible high standards of those who have held this post before me.
“There are difficult and challenging times ahead but Duncan, Robert and I have been given a clear mandate by members to represent them, and we are honoured to carry their message forward.
“I believe we have a top table team, who, backed by the members, staff and secretaries have the vision to deliver a sustainable and profitable future for Scotland’s farmers and crofters and the generations to come.
“My predecessor Martin Kennedy has been an incredible servant for Scottish agriculture and his passion and commitment make him an incredibly tough act to follow.
“Although missing out, I also congratulate my fellow Vice President Alasdair for the part he played in a hard-fought campaign and the outstanding shift he has put in as a Vice President representing our members. While unsuccessful, I also congratulate Mike Davis for the courage and commitment to put his name in the hat for the Vice-Presidential role and I hope NFU Scotland con continue to rely on his enthusiasm, support and advice for years to come.”
Notes for Editors
- The elections took place at the Union’s council meeting at the Radisson Blu Hotel today (Friday 7 February). The Union’s AGM, conference and annual dinner was staged at the same venue the day before (Thursday 6 February).
- Andrew Connon (President) Andrew farms in partnership near Ellon in Aberdeenshire on 370 acres where the main enterprises involve finishing cattle, breeding and finishing sheep, and spring barley. He is married to, and ably assisted by, Pauline, whilst son Andrew and daughter Sarah in addition to helping at home, work on neighbouring farms. He is a long-standing member of NFU Scotland New Deer Branch and a former Branch Chair. He represented the North East Regional Board for several years, elected Vice-Chair (2017) and Chair (2020). In February 2021, Andrew was elected NFU Scotland Vice-President. He was re-elected in February 2023 and was unchallenged in February 2024.
- Duncan Macalister (Vice President) Duncan farms a 2000-acre mixed LFA livestock coastal farm in Glenbarr on the west coast of the Kintyre peninsula. He is supported by his wife, Fiona, their four children Eilidh, Neil, Cameron and Robbie and their grandson, Finlay. The family farm 160 native cross suckler cows and 600 Lleyn cross breeding ewes. The farm has a self-contained flock and herd, buying only bulls and tups. Ninety per cent of the stock is sold deadweight, with lambs fattened on brassicas and cattle finished on silage and barley. They grow 125 acres of barley for their own consumption. The farm has a 7.5-megawatt Community Wind Farm as well as 600 acres of forestry. Duncan is the former QMS Kintyre Monitor Farmer. Within NFUS he has served two years on the Livestock Committee, eight years as Kintyre Branch chair and for the last five years as Argyll and the Isles Regional Chair with a place on the NFUS Board
- Robert Neill (Vice President) Robert is a tenant farmer on Lothian Estate in the Scottish Borders and farms with his wife, Jacqueline, and two sons Andrew and Harry. Upper Nisbet Farm along with the neighbouring farms of Ploughlands and Ormiston Mains, covers an area of 1,700 acres growing 1,000 acres of cereals. They also run 350 suckler cows and are finishing all progeny on home-grown forage and cereals. He has experience working with several organisations including Chair of the South of Scotland and Border Valuers’ Association; Chair of the Borders Crop and Grassland Competition; Board member of RHET Scottish Borders Countryside Initiative; Chair of the Kelso & St Boswells branch of NFU Scotland. He is in his second term representing the Lothians and Borders on the NFU Scotland National Livestock Committee and is Vice-Chair of the Lothian and Borders Region of NFU Scotland. Robert has also been a Director of AgriScot for the past 10 years and is the current Chair, a position he has held for seven years.
- A photograph of the new officeholder team at NFU Scotland will be available from media@nfus.org.uk this afternoon.
Ends
Contact Bob Carruth on 0131 472 4006