Minister for Employment and Investment

Responsibilities

Supports the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic.

Specific responsibilities are:

Fair Work

• effective worker voice, including trade unions
• employability programmes
• four day working week
• Living Wage and Living Hours
• Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE)
• workplace employment and equalities incl. gender, disability and race employment, addressing the pay gap

Investment and regeneration

• cities investment and strategy
• City Centre Recovery Taskforce
• regeneration policy and the place based investment programme
• retail policy, recovery and strategy
• town centre regeneration including business improvement districts

 

Biography

Born in Paisley in 1985, he was first elected to the Scottish Parliament for the seat of Renfrewshire South at the 2016 election, holding the seat in 2021. He joined the Scottish Government as Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth in May 2021.

Mr Arthur was raised in Barrhead, East Renfrewshire, where he was educated at Cross Arthurlie Primary and Barrhead High School. He graduated with a Bachelor of Music then later Master of Music from the University of Glasgow. Before entering politics, he worked as a company director, freelance piano teacher and keyboardist. He was appointed as for Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance in March 2023.

• read more about Tom Arthur on the Scottish Parliament website