Senior Scottish civil servant and policy expert
Born: November 6, 1957;
Died: December 2, 2017
COLIN Imrie, who has died aged 60, was a senior Scottish civil servant, diplomat, policy expert and passionate European.
A convinced Scottish nationalist, he was a key part of a generation of Scottish civil servants who helped make devolution tangible. They imprinted on the new government institutions not only the confidence to deal with the world directly but also to tackle some of Scotland’s most pressing socio-economic and environmental issues. He served inter alia as head of the Scottish Government’s energy markets division and was a deputy director and head of European relations.
Born in Paisley to parents from Edinburgh, he moved as a boy to Zambia, where his father got a job in the newly independent African nation, instilling Colin's lifelong interest in other cultures. He returned to Scotland for his later education and, while at university, joined the SNP, helping to shift it from an anti-European stance to one which saw the potential for small nations in the growing bloc.
A postgraduate opportunity to work in Germany cemented his appreciation of the post-war continental model of cooperation and a continued fascination with the Federal Republic.
He was, unusually for someone who ultimately longed for Scottish independence, an admirer of the British state. He often remarked on the openness of the Foreign Office in giving him a job, despite his involvement with separatism. This not only gave him an outlet for his internationalism but also introduced him to his wife Vanessa.
An early posting in the Philippines – he was at the Malacanang Palace in Manila when it was stormed in the overthrow of President Marcos in 1986 – stressed to him the importance of boots on the ground and a full understanding of the local situation before taking action. He had a profound knowledge of other European countries and their cultures and spoke fluent Dutch, French and German (the official languages of Belgium where he went next).
After serving as energy and nuclear attaché to the UK Permanent Representation (UKRep) and being seconded to the European Commission in Brussels, he returned to Scotland and its public service. This period, he thought, brought his finest achievements. He helped set up the first national park in the Cairngorms, worked on sustainability initiatives for Scotland’s vast wild areas and helped steer policy in relation to renewable energy. He helped establish the Scottish Government's core European relations team.
After leaving the civil service he felt liberated in commenting on the “disaster” of Brexit, contributing policy papers on Scotland's need to remain in the European institutions, and helping to establish the Scottish Irish Finance Initiative, which aims to protect and develop Scotland's industry through working more closely with Dublin's thriving financial sector.
Even as cancer took its toll on his health in the last few months, he remained deeply and actively involved in the political debate. One of his final papers, written from his hospice bed, argued the case for Scotland to be given control of immigration policy post-Brexit.
A keen Hibernian FC supporter, he would enjoy the company of friends discussing politics and sport and celebrated his 60th birthday with them at a memorable ceilidh just four weeks before his death. Above all, he never wavered from what he considered his most important task – supporting Vanessa in her role as chairman of the European Movement in Scotland. She survives him, along with his daughter Laura and son Douglas.
David Clarke
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