Minister for Business and Fair Work
Tom Arthur was appointed as Minister for Business and Fair Work in May 2026.
Responsibilities
Supports the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport.
- Living Wage and Living Hours
- employability programmes
- effective worker voice, including trade unions
- workplace employment and equalities, including gender, disability and race employment, addressing the pay gap
- Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE)
- population and migration
- business support, policy and promotion
- digital economy, strategy, participation, connectivity
- Green Freeports and investment zones
- subsidy control regime
- trade policy and strategy
- just transition planning, delivery and monitoring, including JustTransition Commission
- social enterprise
- towns, cities and communities strategy, investment, regeneration and development
Biography
Born in Paisley in 1985, Tom Arthur 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, and Minister for Employment and Investment in May 2024. In June 2025, he was appointed as Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing.
- Read more about Tom Arthur on the Scottish Parliament website.