In Conversation With... Jim Sillars

Born and raised in Ayr, after various early jobs Sillars joined the Royal Navy, serving in Hong Kong. Afterwards he joined the Fire Brigade, becoming a trade union and Labour Party activist. Later, following years as a Westminster Labour MP, he split to form the Scottish Labour Party before joining the SNP, becoming MP for Govan in 1988. Latterly he became Assistant to the Secretary General of the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce and served six years on the Scottish Enterprise board. His book A Difference of Opinion: My Political Journey was published in September 2021.