Alistair Moffat

Alistair Murray Moffat (born 16 June 1950, Kelso, Scotland) is a Scottish writer and journalist, former director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and former Rector of the University of St Andrews.

[7][8] Moffat and Brown went on to campaign on a number of social and political issues including gay rights and the 1979 Edinburgh South by-election.

[citation needed] Moffat found early success after university, becoming Director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1976.

[13] On the BBC Today Programme, Moffat made some incorrect statements, including that 97% of men surnamed Cohen share a common genetic marker.

[14] Geneticists at University College London including David Balding and Mark G. Thomas criticised these claims[15] as having no scientific basis and being little more than genetic astrology.

[18] Moffat's claims about the Cohen genetic marker were ultimately retracted by the chief scientist of BritainsDNA,[15] and the BBC upheld a complaint about the programme.

They were married in 1976 in the university's ancient St Salvator's Chapel, a privilege and tradition commonly reserved only for alumni, staff or their offspring.