Nicholas Scott
Encyclopedia
The Rt. Hon.
Sir Nicholas Paul Scott, PC
, JP
(5 August 1933 – 6 January 2005), was a British
Conservative Party
politician
.
Scott was educated at Clapham College
and was national chairman of the Young Conservatives in 1963. He served as a councillor on Holborn Borough Council
1956-59 and 1962-65.
Scott contested Islington South West
at the 1959 general election
and at the 1964 election
.
He entered the House of Commons
on his third attempt, at the 1966 general election
, he was returned as Member of Parliament
(MP) for the Paddington South constituency
, beating Labour
's Conrad Russell. When his seat was abolished in boundary changes for the February 1974 election
, he stood in the new Paddington seat
, but lost to the outgoing Paddington North
MP Arthur Latham
.
However, Marcus Worsley
, the MP for the safe Conservative seat of Chelsea
, decided to retire. Scott was selected as the new Conservative candidate, and at the October 1974 general election
, he was returned with over 60% of the vote. He was made a Privy Councillor
in 1989. A moderate Conservative, during his time in the House of Commons
, he served as minister for social security, disabled people, Northern Ireland and employment. His period as Minister for the Disabled saw him come under attack from many campaigners, including his own daughter, a disability campaigner, after he was revealed to have 'talked-down' crucial legislation. He was succeeded in this post by William Hague
.
Scott remained MP for Chelsea until the seat was abolished at the 1997 general election
. He initially selected as the Conservative candidate for the new Kensington and Chelsea constituency
, but was subsequently deselected after allegations of alcoholism
surfaced following an incident in which he was found passed out in a gutter during the party conference in Bournemouth
.
The Right Honourable
The Right Honourable is an honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Anglophone Caribbean and other Commonwealth Realms, and occasionally elsewhere...
Sir Nicholas Paul Scott, PC
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...
, JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(5 August 1933 – 6 January 2005), was a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
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...
.
Scott was educated at Clapham College
Clapham College
-Background:It opened in 1897 and closed in 1989. Its history falls into three phases: for half a century it was a private school, for three decades it was a publicly supported grammar school and for more than a decade it was a comprehensive school...
and was national chairman of the Young Conservatives in 1963. He served as a councillor on Holborn Borough Council
Metropolitan Borough of Holborn
The Metropolitan Borough of Holborn was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London between 1900 and 1965, when it was amalgamated with the Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras and the Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead to form the London Borough of Camden....
1956-59 and 1962-65.
Scott contested Islington South West
Islington South West (UK Parliament constituency)
Islington South West was a Parliamentary constituency in the Metropolitan Borough of Islington, in North London.It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 until it was abolished for the February 1974 general election.-Boundaries:-...
at the 1959 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1959
This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan...
and at the 1964 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...
.
He entered 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...
on his third attempt, at the 1966 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1966
The 1966 United Kingdom general election on 31 March 1966 was called by sitting Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Wilson's decision to call an election turned on the fact that his government, elected a mere 17 months previously in 1964 had an unworkably small majority of only 4 MPs...
, he was returned 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,...
(MP) for the Paddington South constituency
Paddington South (UK Parliament constituency)
Paddington South was a Parliamentary constituency in London which returned one Member of Parliament. It was a compact urban area, but predominantly wealthy, and was most famously represented by Lord Randolph Churchill during the latter part of his career....
, beating 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...
's Conrad Russell. When his seat was abolished in boundary changes for the February 1974 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,...
, he stood in the new Paddington seat
Paddington (UK Parliament constituency)
Paddington was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Paddington district of London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
, but lost to the outgoing Paddington North
Paddington North (UK Parliament constituency)
Paddington North was a borough constituency in the Metropolitan Borough of Paddington in London which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system...
MP Arthur Latham
Arthur Latham
Arthur Charles Latham is a British Labour Party politician.Latham was elected Member of Parliament for Paddington North in a 1969 by-election, which he served until 1974 when the seat was abolished in boundary changes...
.
However, Marcus Worsley
Marcus Worsley
Sir Marcus John Worsley, 5th Baronet JP MA is a former British Conservative Party politician and a brother of Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Kent.- Family life :...
, the MP for the safe Conservative seat of Chelsea
Chelsea (UK Parliament constituency)
Chelsea was a borough constituency, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.The constituency was created by the Reform Act 1867 for the 1868 general election, when it returned two Members of Parliament , elected by the bloc vote system of election.Under the...
, decided to retire. Scott was selected as the new Conservative candidate, and at the October 1974 general 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...
, he was returned with over 60% of the vote. He was made a Privy Councillor
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...
in 1989. A moderate Conservative, during his time in 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...
, he served as minister for social security, disabled people, Northern Ireland and employment. His period as Minister for the Disabled saw him come under attack from many campaigners, including his own daughter, a disability campaigner, after he was revealed to have 'talked-down' crucial legislation. He was succeeded in this post by William Hague
William Hague
William Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001...
.
Scott remained MP for Chelsea until the seat was abolished at the 1997 general election
United 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 initially selected as the Conservative candidate for the new Kensington and Chelsea constituency
Kensington and Chelsea (UK Parliament constituency)
Kensington and Chelsea was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was one of the safest Conservative seats in the United Kingdom, and since its creation in 1997 became a prestigious seat, with MP Alan Clark, the former Defence Secretary...
, but was subsequently deselected after allegations of alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
surfaced following an incident in which he was found passed out in a gutter during the party conference in Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
.
Sources
- Times Guide to the House of Commons, Times Newspapers Limited, 1992 edition.
- Whitaker's AlmanackWhitaker's AlmanackWhitaker's Almanack is a reference book, published annually in the United Kingdom. The book was originally published by J Whitaker & Sons from 1868 to 1997, then by The Stationery Office, from 2003 to 2010 by A & C Black and from 2011 by .-Content:...
, 2006 edition.