Sandy Bruce-Lockhart, Baron Bruce-Lockhart
Encyclopedia
Alexander John Bruce-Lockhart, Baron Bruce-Lockhart, OBE (4 May 1942 – 14 August 2008), commonly known as Sandy Bruce-Lockhart, was a British
Conservative
politician and a senior figure in English local government. He was the leader of Kent County Council
and then Chairman of the Local Government Association
. He was succeeded by Simon Milton
, ex-Leader of Westminster Council.
Bruce-Lockhart was born into a Scottish family with close ties to the diplomatic service. His father was deputy director of MI6. He was educated at the Dragon School
, Sedbergh School
and at the Royal Agricultural College
, Cirencester
, and left the United Kingdom
to work in the then Rhodesia
(now Zimbabwe
), managing a large farm for a South African owner. After a period in Australia
, he returned to live in Kent in 1968, where he had a 300 acres (1.2 km²) fruit farm in Headcorn
.
He became a county councilor for Maidstone Rural East
in 1989 almost by accident. At the time he was chairman of a rail committee in the Weald of Kent preservation society, which had been protesting about what he regarded, back then, as the destructive route of the Channel tunnel rail link. He became leader of the opposition Conservative group in 1993 and leader of the Council in 1997, retaining the post until 2005. While leader of Kent County Council, Bruce-Lockhart became a controversial figure on the national political stage for his introduction of a local version of the recently repealed Section 28
legislation. In July 2004, having been vice-chair for two years, Lord Bruce-Lockhart succeeded Sir Jeremy Beecham
to become Chairman of the Local Government Association
, following the Conservatives becoming the largest grouping at the Association at that May's elections.
He was made a Knight Bachelor
in the New Year's Honours List in December 2002, having previously been made an OBE
. On 11 April 2006, it was announced that Sir Sandy was to be elevated to the peerage
, and he was gazetted as Baron Bruce-Lockhart, of The Weald in the County of Kent
on 9 June 2006. On 24 May 2007 it was announced that he had been appointed as Chair of English Heritage
.
On 17 June 2008, Lord Bruce-Lockhart was made an honorary Freeman of the City of Canterbury . After a battle with cancer
, he died in 2008, aged 66.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Conservative
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 and a senior figure in English local government. He was the leader of Kent County Council
Kent County Council
Kent County Council is the county council that governs the majority of the county of Kent in England. It provides the upper tier of local government, below which are 12 district councils, and around 300 town and parish councils. The county council has 84 elected councillors...
and then Chairman of the Local Government Association
Local Government Association
The Local Government Association is a voluntary lobbying organisation acting as the voice of the local government sector in England and Wales, which seeks to be an authoritative and effective advocate on its behalf....
. He was succeeded by Simon Milton
Simon Milton (politician)
Sir Simon Henry Milton was a British Conservative politician. He lately served as London's Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning, and before that was a leader of Westminster City Council and Chairman of the Local Government Association.-Early life:Milton was the son of Clive and Ruth Milton and was...
, ex-Leader of Westminster Council.
Bruce-Lockhart was born into a Scottish family with close ties to the diplomatic service. His father was deputy director of MI6. He was educated at the Dragon School
Dragon School
The Dragon School is a British coeducational, preparatory school in the city of Oxford, founded in 1877 as the Oxford Preparatory School, or OPS. It is primarily known as a boarding school, although it also takes day pupils...
, Sedbergh School
Sedbergh School
Sedbergh School is a boarding school in Sedbergh, Cumbria, for boys and girls aged 13 to 18. Nestled in the Howgill Fells, it is known for sporting sides, such as its Rugby Union 1st XV.-Background:...
and at the Royal Agricultural College
Royal Agricultural College
The Royal Agricultural College is a higher education institution located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, UK. Established in 1845, it was the first agricultural college in the English speaking world...
, Cirencester
Cirencester
Cirencester is a market town in east Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles west northwest of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswold District. It is the home of the Royal Agricultural College, the oldest agricultural...
, and left the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to work in the then Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
(now Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
), managing a large farm for a South African owner. After a period in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, he returned to live in Kent in 1968, where he had a 300 acres (1.2 km²) fruit farm in Headcorn
Headcorn
Headcorn is a village and civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. The parish is located on the floodplain of the River Beult south east of Maidstone....
.
He became a county councilor for Maidstone Rural East
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
in 1989 almost by accident. At the time he was chairman of a rail committee in the Weald of Kent preservation society, which had been protesting about what he regarded, back then, as the destructive route of the Channel tunnel rail link. He became leader of the opposition Conservative group in 1993 and leader of the Council in 1997, retaining the post until 2005. While leader of Kent County Council, Bruce-Lockhart became a controversial figure on the national political stage for his introduction of a local version of the recently repealed Section 28
Section 28
Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 caused the controversial addition of Section 2A to the Local Government Act 1986 , enacted on 24 May 1988 and repealed on 21 June 2000 in Scotland, and on 18 November 2003 in the rest of Great Britain by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003...
legislation. In July 2004, having been vice-chair for two years, Lord Bruce-Lockhart succeeded Sir Jeremy Beecham
Jeremy Beecham
Jeremy Beecham, Baron Beecham, Kt, DL is a British Labour politician and a senior figure in English local government. He was leader of Newcastle City Council and the first Chairman of theLocal Government Association...
to become Chairman of the Local Government Association
Local Government Association
The Local Government Association is a voluntary lobbying organisation acting as the voice of the local government sector in England and Wales, which seeks to be an authoritative and effective advocate on its behalf....
, following the Conservatives becoming the largest grouping at the Association at that May's elections.
He was made a Knight Bachelor
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in the New Year's Honours List in December 2002, having previously been made an OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
. On 11 April 2006, it was announced that Sir Sandy was to be elevated to the peerage
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
, and he was gazetted as Baron Bruce-Lockhart, of The Weald in the County of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
on 9 June 2006. On 24 May 2007 it was announced that he had been appointed as Chair of English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
.
On 17 June 2008, Lord Bruce-Lockhart was made an honorary Freeman of the City of Canterbury . After a battle with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, he died in 2008, aged 66.
Family
From 1966 Lord Bruce-Lockhart was married to Tess Pressland (Lady Bruce-Lockhart); they have two sons and a daughter.Relatives
- R. H. Bruce LockhartR. H. Bruce LockhartSir Robert Hamilton Bruce Lockhart KCMG , was a journalist, author, secret agent, British diplomat in Moscow and Prague, and footballer...
(1887-1970); great-uncle - Logie Bruce LockhartLogie Bruce LockhartLogie Bruce Lockhart MA , is a British writer and journalist, formerly a Scottish international rugby union footballer and headmaster of Gresham's School.-Background:...
(1921-); uncle - John Bruce-LockhartJohn Bruce-LockhartJohn Harold Bruce-Lockhart was a Scottish cricketer and schoolmaster from the famous Bruce-Lockhart family. His son Logie played Rugby Union for Scotland, while his brother Robert was a footballer. He was also the grandfather of Sandy and great-grandfather of Dugald Bruce Lockhart.-Early life:A...
(1889-1956); grandfather - Rab Bruce LockhartRab Bruce LockhartRab Brougham Bruce Lockhart was a Scottish rugby union player, who gained three caps for Scotland, and who played for Cambridge University R.U.F.C. and London Scottish FC....
; uncle - Dugald Bruce LockhartDugald Bruce LockhartDugald Bruce Lockhart is an Anglo-Scottish actor.-Background and education:Dugald Bruce Lockhart was born in 1968. His great-grandfather, J.H. Bruce Lockhart, and his great-uncles, Rab Bruce Lockhart and Logie Bruce Lockhart were all public school headmasters and all played rugby union for...
nephew