Charles Donaldson
Encyclopedia
Charles Edward McArthur Donaldson (15 March 1903 – 11 December 1964) was a Scottish
Conservative Party
politician.
He was elected at the 1951 general election
as Member of Parliament
for Roxburgh and Selkirk
. When that constituency was abolished for the 1955 general election
, he was returned to the House of Commons
for the new Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles
constituency.
He held the seat until his death in 1964. The resulting by-election in 1965
was won by the Liberal Party
candidate David Steel
, who went on to become his party's leader.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to 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...
politician.
He was elected at the 1951 general election
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...
as 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,...
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 :...
. When that constituency was abolished for the 1955 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1955
The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on 26 May 1955, four years after the previous general election. It resulted in a substantially increased majority of 60 for the Conservative government under new leader and prime minister Sir Anthony Eden against Labour Party, now in their 20th year...
, he was returned to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
for the new 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...
constituency.
He held the seat until his death in 1964. The resulting 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...
was won 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 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...
, who went on to become his party's leader.