Alister Jack


Alister William Jack is a Scottish politician currently serving as Secretary of State for Scotland since 2019. A member of the Scottish Conservative Party, he has been the Member of Parliament for Dumfries and Galloway since 2017.

Early life

Jack was born on 7 July 1963 in Dumfries, Dumfriesshire in Scotland to David and Jean Jack. He was raised in Dalbeattie and Kippford. He was educated at Dalbeattie Primary School, at Crawfordton House – a private prep school near Moniaive, Dumfriesshire – and then at Glenalmond College, at that time an all-boys independent boarding school.

Business career

Alister Jack is a businessman, having founded tent-hire and self-storage companies, the latter building his fortune of £20 million. He currently owns a farm of 1,200 acres in Courance, near Lockerbie. He formerly chaired the River Annan Fishery Board and Trust, Fisheries Management Scotland and Galloway Woodlands.

Political career

In the 1997 general election, Jack stood in Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale, but came third, being defeated by the Liberal Democrat future Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore.
Jack was elected to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in the 2017 general election. He stood in the rural Scottish constituency of Dumfries and Galloway and defeated incumbent Scottish National Party MP Richard Arkless. Jack was one of the 13 Scottish Conservative MPs elected to the UK Parliament; the highest number since Margaret Thatcher's landslide victory in 1983.
He was a member of the Treasury Select Committee in the 57th Parliament. He signed a letter to the Prime Minister, Theresa May, on 16 February 2018, making suggestions about the way the United Kingdom should leave the European Union.
Jack was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Leader of the House of Lords on 31 August 2018, a position he held until he was appointed an Assistant Government Whip on 20 February 2019. On 23 April 2019 he was appointed Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, a role in the Government Whips Office.
He was appointed as Secretary of State for Scotland by Boris Johnson on 24 July 2019. Jack was the first MP of the 2017 intake to join the Cabinet.
Jack retained his seat at the 2019 general election with an increased share of the vote but much reduced majority.

Personal life

Jack is married to Ann and has three grown-up children. On 28 March 2020 he developed COVID-19 symptoms and became the third cabinet minister to begin self-isolating.

Electoral history

2019 general election

2017 general election

1997 general election