John MacLeod (politician)
Encyclopedia
Sir John MacLeod TD
(23 February 1913 – 3 June 1984) was a British
army
officer, tweed designer and politician who was a Member of Parliament
in the Scottish highlands for 19 years.
who had interests in the whisky industry. He was sent to Fettes College
in Edinburgh for his education. He married Rosemary Theodora Hamilton Wills, from a Gloucestershire
family, in 1938. They had two sons and three daughters. He worked running a centre which sold articles woven by crofters on the family's land.
. During the Second World War he served as a Captain with the 51st Highland Division
in France
in 1940, and was taken prisoner in June at Saint-Valery-en-Caux
when the Division surrendered. He spent the rest of the war as a Prisoner of war
.
for three weeks to get up to speed on British affairs before entering into politics as a candidate for Ross and Cromarty
in the 1945 general election
. MacLeod was adopted by the Ross-shire Liberal Association, which was not affiliated to the Liberal Party
or the National Liberal Party
; he declared himself a supporter of Winston Churchill
. Most of the press designated him as a Liberal National
and he faced a straight fight with the Labour Party
to succeed Malcolm MacDonald
. MacLeod had no difficulty in being elected, winning with a majority of 4,102.
and a group of experts, aiming to build up the industry. Because of his specialist interests, he was a low-profile MP.
and thereafter, MacLeod described himself as a "Liberal and Conservative" candidate, the National Liberals having merged with the Conservative Party
. From 1951
, he was an official candidate and he backed the Conservatives in Parliament; however on issues which he felt adversely affected his constituents he was willing to break party lines. One such issue was transport. In 1954, he joined with five other Scottish Conservative MPs to move for the annulment of a 10% increase in rail freight charges. He was highly critical of Ernest Marples
in the early 1960s, asking rhetorically in 1963 "Has the Minister given up on the Highlands altogether?"; later that year MacLeod abstained rather than support the Beeching Axe
of lesser-used rail services.
MacLeod also pressed for more and better roads around the highlands, particularly on the basis of improving tourism. In 1960 he moved a motion condemning the state drink monopoly in three Scottish towns (Annan
, Dingwall
and Invergordon
) created during the First World War and obtained all-party support for its ending.
in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 1963. He was however defeated at the 1964 general election
by the Liberal Party
candidate Alasdair Mackenzie
, and then left politics. He returned to the tweed looms of Portree
where he designed many new patterns which he continued to sell across the world. His later years were dominated by a long illness.
Territorial Decoration
The Territorial Decoration was a medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army...
(23 February 1913 – 3 June 1984) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer, tweed designer and politician who was a 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,...
in the Scottish highlands for 19 years.
Family
MacLeod's family were from the Isle of Skye where his father owned Skeabost. Jacko, as the family called him, was the youngest son of Duncan MacLeod CBEOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
who had interests in the whisky industry. He was sent to Fettes College
Fettes College
Fettes College is an independent school for boarding and day pupils in Edinburgh, Scotland with over two thirds of its pupils in residence on campus...
in Edinburgh for his education. He married Rosemary Theodora Hamilton Wills, from a Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
family, in 1938. They had two sons and three daughters. He worked running a centre which sold articles woven by crofters on the family's land.
Army service
In 1935 MacLeod had joined the Territorial division of the Cameron HighlandersQueen's Own Cameron Highlanders
The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1793. In 1961 it was merged with the Seaforth Highlanders to form the Queen's Own Highlanders...
. During the Second World War he served as a Captain with the 51st Highland Division
British 51st (Highland) Infantry Division (World War II)
For the First World War unit, see 51st Division .The 51st Infantry Division was a British Territorial Army division that fought during the Second World War...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1940, and was taken prisoner in June at Saint-Valery-en-Caux
Saint-Valery-en-Caux
Saint-Valery-en-Caux is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A small fishing port and light industrial town situated in the Pays de Caux, some west of Dieppe at the junction of the D53, D20, D79 and the D925 roads...
when the Division surrendered. He spent the rest of the war as a Prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
.
Election to Parliament
When repatriated at the end of the war, MacLeod avidly read The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
for three weeks to get up to speed on British affairs before entering into politics as a candidate for Ross and Cromarty
Ross and Cromarty (UK Parliament constituency)
Ross and Cromarty was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1983. The constituency elected one Member of Parliament using the first-past-the-post voting system....
in the 1945 general election
United 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...
. MacLeod was adopted by the Ross-shire Liberal Association, which was not affiliated to the Liberal Party
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...
or the National Liberal Party
National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)
The National Liberal Party, known until 1948 as the Liberal National Party, was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1931 to 1968...
; he declared himself a supporter of Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
. Most of the press designated him as a Liberal National
National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)
The National Liberal Party, known until 1948 as the Liberal National Party, was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1931 to 1968...
and he faced a straight fight with the Labour Party
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...
to succeed Malcolm MacDonald
Malcolm MacDonald
Malcolm John MacDonald OM, PC was a British politician and diplomat.-Background:MacDonald was the son of Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald and Margaret MacDonald. Like his father he was born in Lossiemouth, Moray...
. MacLeod had no difficulty in being elected, winning with a majority of 4,102.
Parliamentary contributions
MacLeod concentrated on constituency interests including hill farming during his time in Parliament. In 1947 he led the textile group of the Highlands Advisory Panel which organised a tour of the area for the Secretary of State for ScotlandSecretary of State for Scotland
The Secretary of State for Scotland is the principal minister of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Scotland. He heads the Scotland Office , a government department based in London and Edinburgh. The post was created soon after the Union of the Crowns, but was...
and a group of experts, aiming to build up the industry. Because of his specialist interests, he was a low-profile MP.
Transport concerns
At the 1950 general electionUnited 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...
and thereafter, MacLeod described himself as a "Liberal and Conservative" candidate, the National Liberals having merged with the Conservative Party
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...
. From 1951
United Kingdom general election, 1951
The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats...
, he was an official candidate and he backed the Conservatives in Parliament; however on issues which he felt adversely affected his constituents he was willing to break party lines. One such issue was transport. In 1954, he joined with five other Scottish Conservative MPs to move for the annulment of a 10% increase in rail freight charges. He was highly critical of Ernest Marples
Ernest Marples
Alfred Ernest Marples, Baron Marples PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Postmaster General and Minister of Transport. After his retirement from active politics in 1974 Marples was elevated to the peerage...
in the early 1960s, asking rhetorically in 1963 "Has the Minister given up on the Highlands altogether?"; later that year MacLeod abstained rather than support the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
of lesser-used rail services.
MacLeod also pressed for more and better roads around the highlands, particularly on the basis of improving tourism. In 1960 he moved a motion condemning the state drink monopoly in three Scottish towns (Annan
Annan, Dumfries and Galloway
The royal burgh of Annan is a well-built town, red sandstone being the material mainly used. Each year in July, Annan celebrates the Royal Charter and the boundaries of the Royal Burgh are confirmed when a mounted cavalcade undertakes the Riding of the Marches. Entertainment includes a...
, Dingwall
Dingwall
Dingwall is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,026. It was formerly an east-coast harbor but now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest castle north of Stirling. On the town's present-day outskirts lies Tulloch Castle, parts...
and Invergordon
Invergordon
Invergordon is a town and port in Easter Ross, in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland.-History:The town is well known for the Invergordon Mutiny of 1931. More recently it was also known for the repair of oil rigs which used to be lined up in the Cromarty Firth on which the town is situated...
) created during the First World War and obtained all-party support for its ending.
Defeat
Despite his rebelliousness, MacLeod's standing in his local community was recognised when he was KnightedKnight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 1963. He was however defeated at the 1964 general election
United 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...
by the Liberal Party
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...
candidate Alasdair Mackenzie
Alasdair Mackenzie
Alasdair Roderick Mackenzie was a Scottish farmer and politician who became a Liberal Member of Parliament....
, and then left politics. He returned to the tweed looms of Portree
Portree
Portree is the largest town on Skye in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It is the location for the only secondary school on the Island, Portree High school. Public transport services are limited to buses....
where he designed many new patterns which he continued to sell across the world. His later years were dominated by a long illness.