Sir Tom leaves a great legacy - Angus Robertson

Businessman Sir Tom Farmer, the founder of the KwikFit garage chain, has died aged 84.

Over the next three decades he expanded the chain to more than 2000 centres in 18 countries before selling to Ford for just over £1 billion in 1999, remaining a benchmark for Scottish entrepreneurship.

Philanthropy followed commercial success. Farmer became the first Scot to receive the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Philanthropy and later served as chair of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award trustees.

Football supporters remember him for rescuing Hibernian FC when an attempted merger with Hearts threatened the club’s future in 1990. Farmer acquired a controlling stake, invested around £3 million to stabilise the balance sheet and modernised Easter Road and the East Mains training centre before selling a majority share in 2019.

Farmer was also a principal advocate for Scotland and engaged in politics to bolstering the country’s decision-making power, economic strength and social success. His generous donation to the Scottish National Party was an important boost for the SNP ahead of the 2007 Scottish Parliament election.

He remained based in Edinburgh, noting that decisions affecting local jobs and services were best taken close to home.

Sir Tom’s record shows that commercial acumen can sit alongside civic duty. His companies created employment, his donations strengthened public life, and his timely intervention preserved an institution at the heart of our city’s sporting culture. My thoughts are with his family at this time.