Lyon elected president of the Scottish NFU

06 March 1998

Lyon elected president of the Scottish NFU

By FWi staff

GEORGE Lyon has been elected president of the Scottish National Farmers Union today after initially opting out of the presidential race to stand for the Scottish Parliament.

Peter Chapman, 47, and Jim Walker, 37, were elected joint vice presidents of the SNFU, at the organisations first council meeting of 1998/99 held in Aberdeen.

In December last year, Mr Lyon was appointed acting president along with Stewart Whiteford following the resignation of Sandy Mole.

Mr Mole and Tom Brady, the unions chief executive resigned amid complaints from grass roots members that the Union had been too soft during its dealings with government over the beef crisis.

Mr Lyon, 41, a tenant farmer from Rothesay, Isle of Bute, said at the start of the year that he wouldnt run for the top job because wanted to gain pre-selection for the Scottish Parliament which starts in 1999. He later changed his mind causing some SNFU members to question his commitment to the union.

Mr Lyon said he was determined to unite all sectors of the union under his leadership

“I am determined……to tackle the major issues facing the union itself – the very structure of the organisation and how its democracy works. The challenge of communicating more effectively with members and to the wider world is a vital role the union has to deliver and one we will seek to improve,” he said.