Background

After studying politics and modern history at Edinburgh University, Michael spent a year working as a researcher for Liberal Democrat MP Archy Kirkwood before joining Coopers and Lybrand in Edinburgh in 1988.  He qualified as a Scottish Chartered Accountant, before specialising in corporate finance, and left the firm in 1997.

That year Michael successfully stood as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale following the retirement of Sir David Steel, increasing his majority in the 2001 general election. Following boundary changes, he successfully contested Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk in 2005, which he held at the 2010 general election.

Before the 2010 Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government, Michael held a number of roles in his party, including Deputy Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, as well as the spokesman at various times for the economy, transport, and foreign affairs, and Shadow Secretary of State for International Development. Following the 2010 general election he joined the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Scotland, a post which he held until October 2013, when he returned to the backbenches until the 2015 election. In government he negotiated the terms of the independence referendum with the Scottish Government and oversaw legislation which extended the tax (and other) powers of the Scottish Parliament. As a backbencher he secured backing to enshrine the UN “0.7%” aid target in law. 

He returned to PwC in 2015, where he worked in Deals and also supported the firm’s Regional leadership. Michael left the firm in 2019 to become Chief Executive of the BVCA (the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association). He is also Chairman of the Borders Book Festival.