John MacKay, Baron MacKay of Ardbrecknish

For other people named John MacKay, see John MacKay (disambiguation).
Baron MacKay of Ardbrecknish
Minister of State for Social Security with special responsibility for War Pensions
In office
5 July 1995  4 May 1997
Prime Minister John Major
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Department for Transport
In office
20 July 1994  5 July 1995
Prime Minister John Major
Lord-in-Waiting
In office
27 May 1993  20 July 1994
Prime Minister John Major
Preceded by The Viscount Astor
Succeeded by The Lord Annaly
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland
In office
6 April 1982  14 June 1987
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Member of Parliament
for Argyll and Bute
In office
9 June 1983  11 June 1987
Preceded by New constituency
Succeeded by Baroness Michie
Member of Parliament
for Argyll
In office
3 May 1979  9 June 1983
Preceded by Iain MacCormick
Succeeded by Constituency abolished
Personal details
Born (1938-11-15)15 November 1938
Died 21 February 2001 (aged 62)
Wandsworth
Nationality British
Political party Conservative
Occupation Politician

John Jackson MacKay, Baron MacKay of Ardbrecknish (15 November 1938 – 21 February 2001) was a Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party politician.

Early life

He started his career as a mathematics teacher, becoming Head of Mathematics at Oban High School.

Political career

He was a Tory candidate for the Western Isles in the February 1974 election having, in the climate of the era, accepted he could realise his original Liberal Parliamentary ambitions only by joining the Conservatives. He contested Argyll in October 1974 and was Member of Parliament for the constituency from 1979 to 1983, and after boundary changes, for Argyll and Bute (UK Parliament constituency) from 1983 to 1987, when he lost the seat to the Liberal candidate Hon Mrs Ray Michie - the daughter of Lord Bannerman, a local Liberal.

MacKay was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland from 1982 to 1987 with responsibility for Health and Social Work and was Commons Scottish spokesman on Agriculture (which was the responsibility of the Earl of Mansfield sitting in the Lords). Against the advice of officials he supported a Private Member's Bill on solvent abuse, a scourge of the time, which became law in 1983. In Health he threw himself into the 1982 NHS strikes and a modernisation of mental health legislation.

House of Lords

Following his defeat, he was given a life peerage as Baron MacKay of Ardbrecknish, of Tayvallich in the District of Argyll and Bute.[1] He rejoined the government as a Lord in Waiting in 1993. In January 1994, he joined the Department of Transport as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, being promoted later that year to become Minister of State at the Department of Social Security, a post he held until 1997. During this time he was held in high regard by both the civil servants who worked with him and by the ex-Service community with whom he had regular contact in his role as War Pensions Minister. In opposition, he served as Deputy Leader of the Conservative peers.

Death

He died in 2001 in Wandsworth at the age of 62.

References

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Iain MacCormick
Member of Parliament for Argyll
19791983
Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament for Argyll and Bute
19831987
Succeeded by
Ray Michie
Political offices
Preceded by
Unknown
Minister of State for Education and Employment
19951997
Succeeded by
Unknown
Preceded by
The Viscount Astor
Lord-in-Waiting
19941995
Succeeded by
The Lord Annaly
Preceded by
Unknown
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Department for Transport
19931994
Succeeded by
Unknown
Preceded by
J Allan Stewart
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland
19821987
Succeeded by
Unknown


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