Alf Young

Alf Young has written, broadcast and commented on a range of issues affecting Scotland and the wider world for the past thirty-five years. He retired in 2009 from the Herald, after 22 years in a variety of executive roles, including deputy editor. Throughout he wrote his own regular columns on business, economic and political issues. His work has also appeared in the Sunday Herald, the Scotsman and the Scottish Review. He currently writes a weekly business column for the Scottish edition of The Times. He is also a visiting professor at the University of Strathclyde, working with the Fraser of Allander Institute and the Centre for Energy Policy.

Born and raised in Greenock, the son of a shipyard craftsman, he holds degrees in natural philosophy and education. He has also been awarded honorary degrees by four Scottish universities. Alf started out as a teacher of maths and physics and later as a lecturer at Jordanhill College of Education.

Alf was a member of the group which helped devise the financial arrangements for Scotland’s devolved government. He served on BP’s Scottish advisory board for three years, and, from 2000 to 2007, chaired the Glasgow advisory board of Common Purpose. He was chairman for seven years of Riverside Inverclyde, the pathfinder urban regeneration company bringing life back to the waterfront of the communities centred on Greenock on the Lower Clyde. Alf has also chaired Social Investment Scotland which provides loan finance for the third sector. He has also been an economic advisor to the Scottish Council, a member of the Scottish Government’s inquiry into teacher employment, and was a member of the independent commission set up by Cosla to explore new ways of strengthening local democracy.