Mairi_Evans
Mairi Gougeon
Scottish Rural Affairs, Land Reform & Islands Secretary
Mairi Angela Gougeon (née Evans; born 23 April 1985)[1][2] is a Scottish politician who has served as Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands since 2021[lower-alpha 1]. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Angus North and Mearns since 2016.
A graduate of the University of Aberdeen, Gougeon was elected to the Angus Council in the 2007 Scottish local elections. She represented the Brechin and Edzell ward and was the council's spokesperson on economic development. She stood down in the 2017 election, following her election to the Scottish Parliament the previous year.
In 2018, she was appointed Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment, before being appointed Minister for Public Health and Sport in 2020. Gougeon was re-elected in 2021 and was promoted by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to the Scottish Cabinet as Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands; she was re-appointed by new First Minister Humza Yousaf in 2023, while also gaining the land reform portfolio.