Michael Ancram
Encyclopedia
Michael Andrew Foster Jude Kerr, 13th Marquess of Lothian, PC
, QC
(born 7 July 1945), known as Michael Ancram, is a United Kingdom Conservative Party
politician
. He is a member of the House of Lords
, former Member of Parliament
, and a former member of the Shadow Cabinet
. He is also currently the Chief of the Scottish Kerr Clan
.
, an independent school
in North Yorkshire
, followed by Christ Church
at the University of Oxford
(BA
History 1966, MA
), where he was a member of the Bullingdon Club
, and the University of Edinburgh
(LLB 1968).
in 1970 and continued to practise as an advocate
until 1979, apart from a brief period in 1974 when he first sat as an MP. He became a Queen's Counsel
in 1996.
in the February 1974 general election
, when he contested and won the seat of Berwickshire and East Lothian, but lost the seat in the October election
of the same year. He re-entered Parliament at the 1979 election
as the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South
, beating future Prime Minister Gordon Brown
. He lost his seat again at the 1987 general election
, but returned to Parliament at the 1992 election
representing Devizes.
He was a member of the House of Commons Energy Select Committee between 1979 and 1983, and Chairman of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
from 1980 to 1983. He was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
at the Scottish Office
with responsibility for Home Affairs, Housing
, Local Government
, Rating Reform and the Environment
from 1983 until 1987.
He lost his seat in 1987 but returned to Parliament in 1992 and was a member of the Public Accounts Committee and Chairman of the backbench Constitutional Affairs Committee
from 1992 until May 1993, when he was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
at the Northern Ireland Office
. He was promoted to Minister of State
at the Northern Ireland Office
in January 1994, and was made a Privy Council
lor in January 1996.
he served in the Shadow Cabinet
as Constitutional Affairs Spokesman from June 1997 to June 1998, and as Chairman of the Conservative Party
from October 1998 to September 2001.
In 2001, he stood against Iain Duncan Smith
, Michael Portillo
, Kenneth Clarke
and David Davis
in the election for the party leadership
. In the first poll of Conservative MPs he and David Davis
were tied for last place, leading to a re-run in which Ancram was placed bottom. He was eliminated, and Davis withdrew. Both swung their support behind Iain Duncan Smith, who went on to win, beating Clarke in the final vote of party members. Duncan Smith made Ancram Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in September 2001. He remained in this position after Michael Howard
took over in 2003.
In the reshuffle following the 2005 election
, Ancram was moved to Shadow Secretary of State for Defence but remained Deputy Leader
. He stood down from the shadow cabinet in December 2005, following the election of David Cameron
as party leader. In January 2006 he was appointed to the Intelligence and Security Committee
, replacing James Arbuthnot
.
principles, advocating a proactive approach to the spread of liberal democracy
across the world, including when necessary by military intervention. On 21 April 2006 he became one of the first senior Conservative MPs to call for British troops to withdraw from Iraq, saying Iraq was effectively in a state of civil war and "It is time now for us to get out of Iraq with dignity and honour while we still can."
Ancram is a founder member of the Top Level Group of UK Parliamentarians for Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament and Non-proliferation
, established in October 2009.
In 2006 he set up Global Strategy Forum www.globalstrategyforum.org, a bi-partisan foreign affairs think tank based in London.
On 11 August 2009, Ancram announced that he was to stand down as the MP for Devizes
at the 2010 general election due to heart problems. He retired when Parliament was dissolved on 12 April 2010; his successor as Conservative member for the Devizes constituency is Claire Perry
.
, the youngest daughter of the 16th Duke of Norfolk
, and has two daughters: Lady Clare Kerr (born 1979), who is married to Hon Nick Hurd
MP
, son of former cabinet minister Douglas Hurd
; and Lady Mary Kerr (born 1981). As his titles cannot pass through the female line, his heir presumptive
is his younger brother Lord Ralph Kerr. However, his elder daughter is likely to succeed in due course to the Lordship of Herries
currently held by his wife's eldest sister. His younger sister, Lady Cecil Cameron
OBE (2002), married David Cameron
's 6th cousin and Clan Chieftan
, Donald Cameron
of Lochiel
.
He is a keen country music
fan and has often played acoustic guitar
at Conservative Party conferences.
Although his family name is Kerr, Michael Ancram was known from birth by the courtesy title Earl of Ancram as son and heir of the 12th Marquess of Lothian. He is said to have dropped the use of this title in favour of plain Mr Michael Ancram after becoming a lawyer, because he believed it might confuse the jury
if the judge called him "My Lord".
Ancram is known to many of his friends as Crumb, a nickname attributed to a party in the sixties at which on arrival Ancram introduced himself as "Lord Ancram" and was duly announced as "Mr Norman Crumb".
Ancram became the Marquess of Lothian upon his father's death in 2004, but did not use the title in his public life while still an MP. The House of Lords Act 1999
meant that, on acceding to the peerage, he was not disqualified from sitting in the House of Commons as hereditary peer
s no longer have an automatic right to sit in the House of Lords. Excluding Irish peers
, he was, after John Sinclair, 3rd Viscount Thurso
and Douglas Hogg, 3rd Viscount Hailsham
, the third person to have sat in the House of Commons while simultaneously being a hereditary peer.
On 22 November 2010, he was created a life peer as Baron Kerr of Monteviot, of Monteviot
in Roxburghshire
. In common with other hereditary peers who sit in the House of Lords by virtue of life peerages, Lord Lothian will swear the oath each session as Lord Kerr of Monteviot, but will be known as the Marquess of Lothian during all parliamentary business and in official records such as Hansard
.
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...
, QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(born 7 July 1945), known as Michael Ancram, is a United Kingdom 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
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He is a member of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, former 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,...
, and a former member of the Shadow Cabinet
Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (UK)
The Official Loyal Opposition Shadow Cabinet are, in British parliamentary practice, senior members of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition who scrutinise their corresponding office holders in the Government, develop alternative policies, and hold the Government to account for its actions and responses...
. He is also currently the Chief of the Scottish Kerr Clan
Clan Kerr
Clan Kerr is a Scottish clan that played an important role in the history of the Border country of Scotland.-Origins:The origins of the name Kerr are disputed as being either:*Caer *Ciar...
.
Early life and education
Michael Ancram was born in London, and is of Scottish descent. He was educated at Ampleforth CollegeAmpleforth College
Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire, England, is the largest Roman Catholic co-educational boarding independent school in the United Kingdom. It opened in 1802, as a boys' school, and is run by the Benedictine monks and lay staff of Ampleforth Abbey...
, an independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, followed by Christ Church
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
(BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
History 1966, MA
Master of Arts (Oxbridge)
In the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts of these universities are admitted to the degree of Master of Arts or Master in Arts on application after six or seven years' seniority as members of the university .There is no examination or study required for the degree...
), where he was a member of the Bullingdon Club
Bullingdon Club
The Bullingdon Club is a socially exclusive student dining club at Oxford University. The club has no permanent rooms and is notorious for its members' wealth and destructive binges. Membership is by invitation only, and prohibitively expensive for most, given the need to pay for the uniform,...
, and the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
(LLB 1968).
Life and career
Ancram was called to the Scottish barFaculty of Advocates
The Faculty of Advocates is an independent body of lawyers who have been admitted to practise as advocates before the courts of Scotland, especially the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary...
in 1970 and continued to practise as an advocate
Advocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
until 1979, apart from a brief period in 1974 when he first sat as an MP. He became a Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
in 1996.
Member of Parliament
Ancram unsuccessfully contested the West Lothian parliamentary seat in 1970. He was first elected to ParliamentParliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
in the February 1974 general election
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
, when he contested and won the seat of Berwickshire and East Lothian, but lost the seat in the October election
United Kingdom general election, October 1974
The United Kingdom general election of October 1974 took place on 10 October 1974 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. It was the second general election of that year and resulted in the Labour Party led by Harold Wilson, winning by a tiny majority of 3 seats.The election of...
of the same year. He re-entered Parliament at the 1979 election
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
as the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South
Edinburgh South (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh South is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, first used in the general election of 1885. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
, beating future Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
. He lost his seat again at the 1987 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
, but returned to Parliament at the 1992 election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
representing Devizes.
He was a member of the House of Commons Energy Select Committee between 1979 and 1983, and Chairman of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
The Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party is the part of the British Conservative Party that operates in Scotland. Like the UK party, it has a centre-right political philosophy which promotes conservatism and strong British Unionism...
from 1980 to 1983. He was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
A Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State is the lowest of three tiers of government minister in the government of the United Kingdom, junior to both a Minister of State and a Secretary of State....
at the Scottish Office
Scottish Office
The Scottish Office was a department of the United Kingdom Government from 1885 until 1999, exercising a wide range of government functions in relation to Scotland under the control of the Secretary of State for Scotland...
with responsibility for Home Affairs, Housing
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
, Local Government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
, Rating Reform and the Environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
from 1983 until 1987.
He lost his seat in 1987 but returned to Parliament in 1992 and was a member of the Public Accounts Committee and Chairman of the backbench Constitutional Affairs Committee
Constitutional Affairs Committee
The Commons Constitutional Affairs Committee of the United Kingdom was a select committee of the House of Commons which looked into the expenditure, policy and administration of the Department for Constitutional Affairs and associated public bodies...
from 1992 until May 1993, when he was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
A Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State is the lowest of three tiers of government minister in the government of the United Kingdom, junior to both a Minister of State and a Secretary of State....
at the Northern Ireland Office
Northern Ireland Office
The Northern Ireland Office is a United Kingdom government department responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and is based in Northern Ireland at Stormont House.-Role:...
. He was promoted to Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
at the Northern Ireland Office
Northern Ireland Office
The Northern Ireland Office is a United Kingdom government department responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and is based in Northern Ireland at Stormont House.-Role:...
in January 1994, and was made a 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...
lor in January 1996.
Shadow Cabinet and failed leadership bid
After the Conservatives' defeat at the 1997 electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
he served in the Shadow Cabinet
Shadow Cabinet
The Shadow Cabinet is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the government...
as Constitutional Affairs Spokesman from June 1997 to June 1998, and as Chairman of 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 October 1998 to September 2001.
In 2001, he stood against Iain Duncan Smith
Iain Duncan Smith
George Iain Duncan Smith is a British Conservative politician. He is currently the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and was previously leader of the Conservative Party from September 2001 to October 2003...
, Michael Portillo
Michael Portillo
Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo is a British journalist, broadcaster, and former Conservative Party politician and Cabinet Minister...
, Kenneth Clarke
Kenneth Clarke
Kenneth Harry "Ken" Clarke, QC, MP is a British Conservative politician, currently Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. He was first elected to Parliament in 1970; and appointed a minister in Edward Heath's government, in 1972, and is one of...
and David Davis
David Davis (British politician)
David Michael Davis is a British Conservative Party politician who is the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Haltemprice and Howden...
in the election for the party leadership
Conservative Party (UK) leadership election, 2001
The 2001 Conservative leadership election was held after the United Kingdom Conservative Party failed to make inroads into the Labour government's lead in the 2001 general election. Party leader William Hague resigned, and a leadership contest was called under new rules Hague had introduced...
. In the first poll of Conservative MPs he and David Davis
David Davis (British politician)
David Michael Davis is a British Conservative Party politician who is the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Haltemprice and Howden...
were tied for last place, leading to a re-run in which Ancram was placed bottom. He was eliminated, and Davis withdrew. Both swung their support behind Iain Duncan Smith, who went on to win, beating Clarke in the final vote of party members. Duncan Smith made Ancram Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in September 2001. He remained in this position after Michael Howard
Michael Howard
Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne, CH, QC, PC is a British politician, who served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005...
took over in 2003.
In the reshuffle following the 2005 election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
, Ancram was moved to Shadow Secretary of State for Defence but remained Deputy Leader
Deputy Leader
A deputy leader in the Westminster system is the second-in-command of a political party, behind the party leader. Deputy leaders often become deputy prime minister when their parties are elected to government. In opposition, deputy leaders often lead Question Time sessions when the party leader is...
. He stood down from the shadow cabinet in December 2005, following the election of David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
as party leader. In January 2006 he was appointed to the Intelligence and Security Committee
Intelligence and Security Committee
The Intelligence and Security Committee is a committee of parliamentarians appointed by the Prime Minister to oversee the work of the Intelligence machinery of the United Kingdom...
, replacing James Arbuthnot
James Arbuthnot
James Norwich Arbuthnot, MP is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for North East Hampshire.-Early life:...
.
Later years as an MP
Ancram was a founding signatory in 2005 of the Henry Jackson SocietyHenry Jackson Society
The Henry Jackson Society is a non-partisan association. The society's goals include the promotion of "democratic geopolitics". The society is named after after Henry M. Jackson, the late Democratic Senator from Washington State...
principles, advocating a proactive approach to the spread of liberal democracy
Liberal democracy
Liberal democracy, also known as constitutional democracy, is a common form of representative democracy. According to the principles of liberal democracy, elections should be free and fair, and the political process should be competitive...
across the world, including when necessary by military intervention. On 21 April 2006 he became one of the first senior Conservative MPs to call for British troops to withdraw from Iraq, saying Iraq was effectively in a state of civil war and "It is time now for us to get out of Iraq with dignity and honour while we still can."
Ancram is a founder member of the Top Level Group of UK Parliamentarians for Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament and Non-proliferation
Top Level Group
The Top Level Group of UK Parliamentarians for Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament and Non-proliferation is a cross-party parliamentary group in the United Kingdom, whose primary focus is the advancement of the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation agenda in Britain and internationally...
, established in October 2009.
In 2006 he set up Global Strategy Forum www.globalstrategyforum.org, a bi-partisan foreign affairs think tank based in London.
On 11 August 2009, Ancram announced that he was to stand down as the MP for Devizes
Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The town is about southeast of Chippenham and about east of Trowbridge.Devizes serves as a centre for banks, solicitors and shops, with a large open market place where a market is held once a week...
at the 2010 general election due to heart problems. He retired when Parliament was dissolved on 12 April 2010; his successor as Conservative member for the Devizes constituency is Claire Perry
Claire Perry
Claire Louise Perry is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Devizes since the 2010 general election.-Biography:Education...
.
Life peerage
On 21 October 2010 it was announced that Ancram was to be granted a life peerage, allowing him to sit in the House of Lords. He was introduced in the House of Lords on 22 November 2010, the same day that his life peerage was created.Personal life
Ancram married Lady Jane Fitzalan-HowardHoward
Howard is a popular English language occupational given name of Old English origin, meaning "noble watchman". A diminutive is "Howie" and its shortened form is "Ward" . Between 1900-1960, Howard ranked in the U.S. Top 200; between 1960–1990, it ranked in the U.S. Top 400; between 1990–2004, it...
, the youngest daughter of the 16th Duke of Norfolk
Bernard Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk
Bernard Marmaduke Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk, , styled Earl of Arundel and Surrey until 1917, was the eldest surviving son of Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk, who died when Bernard was only 9 years old...
, and has two daughters: Lady Clare Kerr (born 1979), who is married to Hon Nick Hurd
Nick Hurd
Nicholas Richard Hurd , known as Nick Hurd, is a United Kingdom Conservative Member of Parliament.He was elected Member for Ruislip-Northwood at the May 2005 general election with 47.7% of the votes...
MP
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,...
, son of former cabinet minister Douglas Hurd
Douglas Hurd
Douglas Richard Hurd, Baron Hurd of Westwell, CH, CBE, PC , is a British Conservative politician and novelist, who served in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major between 1979 and his retirement in 1995....
; and Lady Mary Kerr (born 1981). As his titles cannot pass through the female line, his heir presumptive
Heir Presumptive
An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...
is his younger brother Lord Ralph Kerr. However, his elder daughter is likely to succeed in due course to the Lordship of Herries
Lord Herries of Terregles
Lord Herries of Terregles is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1490 for Herbert Herries. On the death of his grandson, the third Lord, the male line failed. He was succeeded by his daughter Agnes. She married Sir John Maxwell, second son of Robert Maxwell, 5th Lord Maxwell...
currently held by his wife's eldest sister. His younger sister, Lady Cecil Cameron
Cameron
-People:* Cameron * Cameron * The Scottish Clan Cameron* David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom* Cam'ron, the stage name of hip hop artist Cameron Giles...
OBE (2002), married David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
's 6th cousin and Clan Chieftan
Scottish clan chief
The Scottish Gaelic word clann means children. In early times, and possibly even today, clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the Scottish clan. From its perceived founder a clan takes its name. The clan chief is the representative of this founder, and...
, Donald Cameron
Donald Cameron
-Scottish Clan Cameron:* Donald Dubh Cameron, 11th Chief* Taillear Dubh na Tuaighe, Donald Cameron, illegitimate son of 13th Chief; descendants are members of Taylor sept* Donald Dubh MacDonald MacEwen Cameron, 15th Chief...
of Lochiel
Lochiel
Lochiel may refer to:*Ewen Cameron of Lochiel, the Scottish chieftain*Lochiel, New South Wales, Australia*Lochiel, South Australia*Lochiel, Mpumalanga, South Africa...
.
He is a keen country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
fan and has often played acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
at Conservative Party conferences.
Name and titles
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
if the judge called him "My Lord".
Ancram is known to many of his friends as Crumb, a nickname attributed to a party in the sixties at which on arrival Ancram introduced himself as "Lord Ancram" and was duly announced as "Mr Norman Crumb".
Ancram became the Marquess of Lothian upon his father's death in 2004, but did not use the title in his public life while still an MP. The House of Lords Act 1999
House of Lords Act 1999
The House of Lords Act 1999 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. The Act reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. For centuries, the House of Lords had included several hundred members who inherited their seats;...
meant that, on acceding to the peerage, he was not disqualified from sitting in the House of Commons as hereditary peer
Hereditary peer
Hereditary peers form part of the Peerage in the United Kingdom. There are over seven hundred peers who hold titles that may be inherited. Formerly, most of them were entitled to sit in the House of Lords, but since the House of Lords Act 1999 only ninety-two are permitted to do so...
s no longer have an automatic right to sit in the House of Lords. Excluding Irish peers
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
, he was, after John Sinclair, 3rd Viscount Thurso
John Sinclair, 3rd Viscount Thurso
John Archibald Sinclair, 3rd Viscount Thurso , known as John Thurso, is a Scottish businessman and Liberal Democrat politician...
and Douglas Hogg, 3rd Viscount Hailsham
Douglas Hogg, 3rd Viscount Hailsham
Douglas Martin Hogg, 3rd Viscount Hailsham PC, QC is a British politician and barrister. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Cabinet as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food from 1995-97, and was a Member of Parliament from 1979 to 2010.Hogg's claim for cleaning of the...
, the third person to have sat in the House of Commons while simultaneously being a hereditary peer.
On 22 November 2010, he was created a life peer as Baron Kerr of Monteviot, of Monteviot
Monteviot
Monteviot House is the early 18th century home of the Marquess of Lothian, the politician better known as Michael Ancram. It is located on the River Teviot near Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland....
in Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh is a registration county of Scotland. It borders Dumfries to the west, Selkirk to the north-west, and Berwick to the north. To the south-east it borders Cumbria and Northumberland in England.It was named after the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
. In common with other hereditary peers who sit in the House of Lords by virtue of life peerages, Lord Lothian will swear the oath each session as Lord Kerr of Monteviot, but will be known as the Marquess of Lothian during all parliamentary business and in official records such as Hansard
Hansard
Hansard is the name of the printed transcripts of parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of government. It is named after Thomas Curson Hansard, an early printer and publisher of these transcripts.-Origins:...
.
Titles from birth
- Earl of Ancram (1945–1996)
- The Rt Hon Earl of Ancram (1996)
- The Rt Hon Earl of Ancram QC (1996–2004)
- The Most Hon The Marquess of Lothian PC QC (2004–present)
External links
- Ask Aristotle: Michael Ancram MP Guardian Unlimited Politics
- Michael Ancram MP TheyWorkForYou.com
- The Public Whip - Michael Ancram MP Voting record
- Michael Ancram BBC News, 17 October 2002
- http://www.globalstrategyforum.org/