Archie Macdonald
Encyclopedia
Archibald James Florence "Archie" Macdonald (2 May 1904 – 20 April 1983) was a Scottish Liberal
later Conservative
politician and businessman.
in South Africa
. His father was of an eye surgeon who came originally from Aberdeen
. The family then moved to Australia where Macdonald received his education at Chatswood Grammar School, near Sydney, New South Wales
and the Royal Australian Naval College. During the 1920s he was a successful wool buyer and when he came to Britain in the 1930s he and his brother set up their own business importing Australian fruits. He volunteered for service in 1939 but was turned down as he had a serious thyroid problem. In 1945 he married the Hon. Elspeth Ruth Shaw younger daughter of Alexander Shaw, 2nd Baron Craigmyle
who had been a Liberal Member of Parliament
(MP). They had two sons.
Macdonald had not been active in politics but he was persuaded to stand as a Liberal candidate by George Grey
the Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed
who had heard him speak at a business meeting. He was adopted for Roxburgh and Selkirk
because he had some history in the cloth trade and the constituency was a great textile and clothing area, specialising in high quality tweeds and knit wear. The seat had been held for the Conservatives by Lord William Montagu-Douglas-Scott
since 1935 and was something of a family fiefdom as Lord William had succeeded his brother, the Earl of Dalkeith, who had been MP there since 1923. The Tories were particularly entrenched in the rural areas where the lairds held sway. It was a three-cornered contest with a strong showing from Labour
but Scott held on with a majority of 1,628 votes. Macdonald nursed the constituency over the next few years and fought it again at the 1950 election
. This time, probably assisted by the increased turnout, he unseated Scott winning by a majority of 1,156. It was to be a short lived triumph however as the outcome of the general election, a small overall Labour majority in Parliament, did not prove sufficient for the government to carry on for a full Parliamentary term and Clement Attlee
called an election in October 1951. Macdonald was unable to retain his seat, losing by the narrow margin of 829 votes to a new Conservative candidate.
The foundations of a Liberal revival had been laid in the Borders
however. The Liberals held on to their second place in Roxburgh and Selkirk and its successor constituency Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles
until they captured the seat again at a by-election in 1965
won by David Steel
, a future leader of the party.
. He and Macdonald were the party’s Scottish MPs and they worked together on Scottish issues. Notably both Grimond and MacDonald devoted their maiden speeches in the House of Commons to devolution
. Grimond claimed that the subject would not have been raised in Parliament at that time if it had not been for him and Macdonald.
Because of his business background, Macdonald was appointed to speak for the Liberals on economic affairs, which portfolio he looked after diligently during his brief stay in Parliament and he became strongly associated with the policy of co-ownership in industry.
Macdonald was also involved in the struggle for the ideological soul of the Liberal Party which was taking place at this time. Many Liberals were concerned that, in the years after the Second World War, under the leadership of Clement Davies
, the party was falling unduly under the sway of classical, free-market liberals and was drifting to the right. Under the influence of economic Liberals such as Oliver Smedley
and Arthur Seldon
who helped establish the Institute of Economic Affairs
, the think tank which was to later become an engine of Thatcherism
, the Liberal ship was coming loose from the New Liberal anchors it had adopted from the 1890s and reinforced in the 1920s with the Lloyd George
, Keynes and Beveridge
inspired coloured books. The drift to the right so alarmed many left wing Liberals that many chose to abandon the party and join Labour, chief among them being the MPs or former MPs Lady Megan Lloyd George, Dingle Foot
, Tom Horabin
and Edgar Granville. However others chose to fight from within and in 1952 the Radical Reform Group
was set up. Macdonald was a signatory of a letter to the Guardian of 27 March 1953 which announced the formation of the Group and he remained associated with it through the 1950s.
, it seems Macdonald suggested he put his name forward again. The local Liberals stuck with Steel.
Macdonald now turned successfully to local government. He was elected as a councillor on the Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead
in London where he lived and was Liberal Group Leader from 1962–65. But he failed to get elected to the Greater London Council
in 1964 or to the new London Borough of Camden
. In the aftermath of the 1970 general election
he left the Liberals and joined the Conservative Party, although he never completely felt comfortable in his new political skin. He was elected as a Camden councillor in 1971 and served until 1976 and he also served as a Justice of the Peace
.
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
later Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician and businessman.
Early life and career
Macdonald was born in Uniondale, Western CapeUniondale, Western Cape
Uniondale is a small town in the Little Karoo in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. The town was formed in 1856 by the joining of two towns, Hopedale and Lyons. Its primary claim to fame is the ghost story of the Uniondale hitcher...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. His father was of an eye surgeon who came originally from Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
. The family then moved to Australia where Macdonald received his education at Chatswood Grammar School, near Sydney, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and the Royal Australian Naval College. During the 1920s he was a successful wool buyer and when he came to Britain in the 1930s he and his brother set up their own business importing Australian fruits. He volunteered for service in 1939 but was turned down as he had a serious thyroid problem. In 1945 he married the Hon. Elspeth Ruth Shaw younger daughter of Alexander Shaw, 2nd Baron Craigmyle
Alexander Shaw, 2nd Baron Craigmyle
Alexander Shaw, 2nd Baron Craigmyle was a Scottish Liberal Party politician.-Life:Shaw was a lawyer by profession, having studied at Trinity College, Oxford and being called to the bar in 1908. In 1913 he married Lady Margaret Cargill Mackay, who gave him one son and three daughters...
who had been a Liberal Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP). They had two sons.
Businessman
In his business career, Macdonald was Joint Chief Executive of Management Research Groups, London between 1937–40, Secretary of the Paint Industry Export Group, 1940–47, Director and Secretary of the Wartime Paint Manufacturers’ Association, 1943–45; Director of Robert Bowran & Co. Ltd, a paint manufacturers from 1949–53. and from 1956 he was Director of Joseph Freeman Sons & Co. Ltd. which later became Cementone, serving as vice-chairman from 1962–66.Liberal MP
Before the 1945 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
Macdonald had not been active in politics but he was persuaded to stand as a Liberal candidate by George Grey
George Charles Grey
George Charles Grey was Liberal Member of Parliament for the Berwick-upon-Tweed constituency in England from August 1941 until his death in action in July 1944....
the Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed (UK Parliament constituency)
Berwick-upon-Tweed is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
who had heard him speak at a business meeting. He was adopted for Roxburgh and Selkirk
Roxburgh and Selkirk (UK Parliament constituency)
Roxburgh and Selkirk was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1955. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post voting system.- Boundaries :...
because he had some history in the cloth trade and the constituency was a great textile and clothing area, specialising in high quality tweeds and knit wear. The seat had been held for the Conservatives by Lord William Montagu-Douglas-Scott
Lord William Montagu-Douglas-Scott
Lieutenant-Colonel Lord William Walter Montagu Douglas Scott MC was a Scottish aristocrat and politician....
since 1935 and was something of a family fiefdom as Lord William had succeeded his brother, the Earl of Dalkeith, who had been MP there since 1923. The Tories were particularly entrenched in the rural areas where the lairds held sway. It was a three-cornered contest with a strong showing from Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
but Scott held on with a majority of 1,628 votes. Macdonald nursed the constituency over the next few years and fought it again at the 1950 election
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
. This time, probably assisted by the increased turnout, he unseated Scott winning by a majority of 1,156. It was to be a short lived triumph however as the outcome of the general election, a small overall Labour majority in Parliament, did not prove sufficient for the government to carry on for a full Parliamentary term and Clement Attlee
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
called an election in October 1951. Macdonald was unable to retain his seat, losing by the narrow margin of 829 votes to a new Conservative candidate.
The foundations of a Liberal revival had been laid in the Borders
Border Country
Border Country is a novel by Raymond Williams. The book was re-published in December 2005 as one of the first group of titles in the Library of Wales series, having been out of print for several years. Written in English, the novel was first published in 1960.It is set in rural South Wales, close...
however. The Liberals held on to their second place in Roxburgh and Selkirk and its successor constituency Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles
Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles (UK Parliament constituency)
Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1955 to 1983...
until they captured the seat again at a by-election in 1965
Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles by-election, 1965
The Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles by-election was significant in that it led to the election of David Steel, who went on to lead the Liberal Party, to the British House of Commons for the first time...
won by David Steel
David Steel
David Martin Scott Steel, Baron Steel of Aikwood, KT, KBE, PC is a British Liberal Democrat politician who served as the Leader of the Liberal Party from 1976 until its merger with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the Liberal Democrats...
, a future leader of the party.
Politics and policy
Also elected for the first time in 1950 was another future Liberal leader Jo Grimond in Orkney & ShetlandOrkney and Shetland (UK Parliament constituency)
Orkney and Shetland is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
. He and Macdonald were the party’s Scottish MPs and they worked together on Scottish issues. Notably both Grimond and MacDonald devoted their maiden speeches in the House of Commons to devolution
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
. Grimond claimed that the subject would not have been raised in Parliament at that time if it had not been for him and Macdonald.
Because of his business background, Macdonald was appointed to speak for the Liberals on economic affairs, which portfolio he looked after diligently during his brief stay in Parliament and he became strongly associated with the policy of co-ownership in industry.
Macdonald was also involved in the struggle for the ideological soul of the Liberal Party which was taking place at this time. Many Liberals were concerned that, in the years after the Second World War, under the leadership of Clement Davies
Clement Davies
Clement Edward Davies KC, MP was a Welsh politician and leader of the Liberal Party from 1945 to 1956.-Life:...
, the party was falling unduly under the sway of classical, free-market liberals and was drifting to the right. Under the influence of economic Liberals such as Oliver Smedley
Oliver Smedley
Major Oliver Smedley MC was a British businessman involved in classical liberal politics and pirate radio. He was acquitted of the murder of a business rival on the grounds of self-defence.-Military:...
and Arthur Seldon
Arthur Seldon
Dr Arthur Seldon CBE was joint founder president, with Ralph Harris, of the Institute of Economic Affairs, where he directed academic affairs for 30 years....
who helped establish the Institute of Economic Affairs
Institute of Economic Affairs
The Institute of Economic Affairs , founded in 1955, styles itself the UK's pre-eminent free-market think-tank. Its mission is to improve understanding of the fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social...
, the think tank which was to later become an engine of Thatcherism
Thatcherism
Thatcherism describes the conviction politics, economic and social policy, and political style of the British Conservative politician Margaret Thatcher, who was leader of her party from 1975 to 1990...
, the Liberal ship was coming loose from the New Liberal anchors it had adopted from the 1890s and reinforced in the 1920s with the Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
, Keynes and Beveridge
William Beveridge
William Henry Beveridge, 1st Baron Beveridge KCB was a British economist and social reformer. He is best known for his 1942 report Social Insurance and Allied Services which served as the basis for the post-World War II welfare state put in place by the Labour government elected in 1945.Lord...
inspired coloured books. The drift to the right so alarmed many left wing Liberals that many chose to abandon the party and join Labour, chief among them being the MPs or former MPs Lady Megan Lloyd George, Dingle Foot
Dingle Foot
Sir Dingle Mackintosh Foot, Q.C. was a British lawyer and politician, born in Plymouth, Devon.-Education and career:...
, Tom Horabin
Tom Horabin
Thomas Lewis Horabin was a British Liberal Party politician who defected to the Labour Party. He sat in the House of Commons from 1939 to 1950.- Early life :Horabin was born in Merthyr Tydfil...
and Edgar Granville. However others chose to fight from within and in 1952 the Radical Reform Group
Radical Reform Group
The Radical Reform Group was a pressure group inside the Liberal Party, set up in 1952 to campaign for social liberal and Keynesian economic approaches...
was set up. Macdonald was a signatory of a letter to the Guardian of 27 March 1953 which announced the formation of the Group and he remained associated with it through the 1950s.
Politics after parliament
Macdonald continued to play an active role in Liberal politics after his defeat in 1951 but he never stood for Parliament again, despite requests from local Liberals in the Borders to contest the expanded Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles seat. However in 1964, after David Steel’s promising showing in the seat at the general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1964
The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power...
, it seems Macdonald suggested he put his name forward again. The local Liberals stuck with Steel.
Macdonald now turned successfully to local government. He was elected as a councillor on the Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead
Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead
The Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead was a Metropolitan borough of the County of London from 1900 to 1965, when it was amalgamated with the Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras and the Metropolitan Borough of Holborn to form the London Borough of Camden....
in London where he lived and was Liberal Group Leader from 1962–65. But he failed to get elected to the Greater London Council
Greater London Council
The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
in 1964 or to the new London Borough of Camden
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
. In the aftermath of the 1970 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1970
The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their...
he left the Liberals and joined the Conservative Party, although he never completely felt comfortable in his new political skin. He was elected as a Camden councillor in 1971 and served until 1976 and he also served as a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
.