George Lyon

George Lyon was brought up in a 7th generation tenant farming family on the Isle of Bute. He attended Rothesay Academy before coming home to the family business at the age of 16 in 1972. In 1986 George Lyon became a Nuffield Scholar and travelled to New Zealand and Australia to study Farming without Subsidies. It is widely acknowledged he left a farmer and returned a politician.

He has a strong track record of campaigning on rural issues and land reform. As the local MSP he was instrumental in the Isle of Gigha community buyout. After narrowly losing his seat to the SNP in 2007 he returned to the family farming business.

In June 2009 George was elected as Scotland's Liberal democrat MEP, the only new face in a team of six standing up for Scotland's interests. He was appointed to the Parliament's Agriculture Committee as lead spokesperson for the third biggest political group Alliance of Liberal Democrats in Europe (ALDE). Since his election he has played a prominent role in the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. George has also been heavily involved in the EU budget debate, trade issues, food labelling, consumer issues and the safety of offshore drilling. He is also the Vice-Chair of the powerful Budget Committee of the Parliament.