Hector McNeil
Encyclopedia
Hector McNeil PC
(10 March 1907 – 11 October 1955) was a Scottish
Labour
politician.
McNeil was educated at Woodside School and the University of Glasgow
, trained as an engineer and worked as a journalist on a Scottish national newspaper. He was a member of Glasgow
Town Council
1932-8. He chaired Glasgow Trades Council and stood for Parliament unsuccessfully in Galloway
in 1929 and 1931, in Glasgow Kelvingrove
in 1935 and in Ross and Cromarty
in 1936.
He was elected Member of Parliament
for Greenock
unopposed in a wartime
by-election in 1941
.
Following the 1945 election
, McNeil became a junior minister at the Foreign Office. He was promoted to Minister of State in October 1946 and appointed a member of the Privy Council
. Through his position at the Foreign Office, he was vice-president of the United Nations General Assembly
in 1947 and leader of the British delegation to the Economic Commission for Europe, 1948. It was later revealed that his Secretary at the time, Guy Burgess
, was a Soviet
agent, although McNeil never came under suspicion.
He served as Secretary of State for Scotland
from February 1950 until October 1951 in the government of Clement Attlee
. McNeil died shortly after keeping his seat in the 1955 election
.
named in honour of McNeil. The foundation stone was laid by McNeil's wife on October 9, 1963. The baths were demolished in 2002 after the Greenock Waterfront Leisure Centre opened.
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(10 March 1907 – 11 October 1955) was a Scottish
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...
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...
politician.
McNeil was educated at Woodside School and the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
, trained as an engineer and worked as a journalist on a Scottish national newspaper. He was a member of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
Town Council
Town council
A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or civil parishes. A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch....
1932-8. He chaired Glasgow Trades Council and stood for Parliament unsuccessfully in Galloway
Galloway (UK Parliament constituency)
Galloway was a county constituency in the Galloway area of Scotland. It elected one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, by the first past the post voting system....
in 1929 and 1931, in Glasgow Kelvingrove
Glasgow Kelvingrove (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Kelvingrove was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament using the first-past-the-post voting system.- Boundaries :...
in 1935 and in 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 1936.
He was elected 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 Greenock
Greenock (UK Parliament constituency)
Greenock was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 until 1974, when it was abolished and its area was merged into the new Greenock and Port Glasgow constituency.- Members of Parliament :...
unopposed in a wartime
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
by-election in 1941
Greenock by-election, 1941
The Greenock by-election, 1941 was a parliamentary by-election held on 10 July 1941 for the British House of Commons constituency of Greenock in Renfrewshire....
.
Following the 1945 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...
, McNeil became a junior minister at the Foreign Office. He was promoted to Minister of State in October 1946 and appointed a member of the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
. Through his position at the Foreign Office, he was vice-president of the United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
in 1947 and leader of the British delegation to the Economic Commission for Europe, 1948. It was later revealed that his Secretary at the time, Guy Burgess
Guy Burgess
Guy Francis De Moncy Burgess was a British-born intelligence officer and double agent, who worked for the Soviet Union. He was part of the Cambridge Five spy ring that betrayed Western secrets to the Soviets before and during the Cold War...
, was a Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
agent, although McNeil never came under suspicion.
He served as Secretary of State for Scotland
Secretary 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...
from February 1950 until October 1951 in the government of 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...
. McNeil died shortly after keeping his seat in the 1955 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...
.
Hector McNeil Memorial Baths
The Hector McNeil Memorial Baths was a swimming pool in the town of GreenockGreenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
named in honour of McNeil. The foundation stone was laid by McNeil's wife on October 9, 1963. The baths were demolished in 2002 after the Greenock Waterfront Leisure Centre opened.