Thomas Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde
Encyclopedia
Thomas Galloway Dunlop du Roy de Blicquy Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde, PC (born 22 February 1960, Glasgow
, Scotland), is a British
politician. He is currently the Leader of the House of Lords
and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
as well as being the leader of the Conservative Party
in the House of Lords
. He is known informally as Tom Strathclyde.
, KBE
and his Belgian wife Simone
du Roy de Blicquy (b. 1924). His father was MP for Glasgow Hillhead
(1948–82) but died in 1982, triggering the famous by-election
that saw the election of Roy Jenkins
. Galbraith succeeded to the barony at the age of 25 on the death of his grandfather in 1985.
s for boys: at Sussex House School
, a day school in Cadogan Square
in Chelsea
in London and Wellington College
, a boarding school in the village of Crowthorne
in Berkshire
, followed by the University of East Anglia
, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1982. He also studied at the University of Aix-en-Provence, and is fluent in French.
. He then served in the Department of the Environment
and the Department of Trade and Industry before being appointed Conservative Chief Whip in the House of Lords in 1994, succeeding Lord Ullswater
. The next year, he was sworn of the Privy Council.
In 1998 Strathclyde, along with the entire Conservative front bench in the House of Lords, threatened to tender his resignation if the party refused to accept a proposed compromise plan for reform of the Lords that had been negotiated by Lord Cranborne
, Conservative leader in the Lords, to the disapproval of party leader William Hague
. Hague accepted the proposals, though Cranborne was dismissed for the way in which they had been negotiated, and Strathclyde was appointed to succeed him. Under his leadership the House of Lords Act 1999
passed. Strathclyde was subsequently selected as one of the 92 hereditary peers to remain in the House of Lords.
When the Conservatives returned to power under David Cameron
in May 2010, Strathclyde became Leader of the House of Lords
and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
, with a seat in the cabinet.
He won Channel 4 Peer of the Year 2000, and Spectator Peer of the Year 2004.
On 23 January, 2011, in interview with the Mail on Sunday, former actress Brigit Cunningham revealed that she had been having an eight-year affair with Lord Strathclyde, after she initially contacted him looking for help with Britain's Child Support Agency
.
.
He is a director of Auchendrane Estates Ltd, a landowning company in Scotland. His wealth is estimated at £10m.
He is currently non-executive director on the board of Trafigura
's hedge-fund arm, Galena Asset Management
although he has stated that he intends to stand down from Trafigura Trafigura
has been in the news for a number of years in relation with the 2006 Côte d'Ivoire toxic waste dump scandal.
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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...
, Scotland), is a British
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...
politician. He is currently the Leader of the House of Lords
Leader of the House of Lords
The Leader of the House of Lords is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Lords. The role is always held in combination with a formal Cabinet position, usually one of the sinecure offices of Lord President of the Council,...
and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a ministerial office in the government of the United Kingdom that includes as part of its duties, the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster...
as well as being the leader 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...
in 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....
. He is known informally as Tom Strathclyde.
Early life, family
Thomas Galbraith was born in Glasgow, the son of Conservative politician The Hon. Sir Tam GalbraithTam Galbraith
The Hon. Sir Thomas Galloway Dunlop Galbraith, KBE , was a British Conservative politician....
, KBE
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...
and his Belgian wife Simone
du Roy de Blicquy (b. 1924). His father was MP for Glasgow Hillhead
Glasgow Hillhead (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Hillhead was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 1997...
(1948–82) but died in 1982, triggering the famous by-election
Glasgow Hillhead by-election, 1982
A Glasgow Hillhead by-election was held on 25 March 1982. The by-election was caused by the death of the Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Glasgow Hillhead Tam Galbraith on 2 January 1982....
that saw the election of Roy Jenkins
Roy Jenkins
Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead OM, PC was a British politician.The son of a Welsh coal miner who later became a union official and Labour MP, Roy Jenkins served with distinction in World War II. Elected to Parliament as a Labour member in 1948, he served in several major posts in...
. Galbraith succeeded to the barony at the age of 25 on the death of his grandfather in 1985.
Education
Galbraith was educated at two independent schoolIndependent 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...
s for boys: at Sussex House School
Sussex House School
Founded in 1952, Sussex House School is a preparatory school situated in the heart of Chelsea in a Norman Shaw house in Cadogan Square. A Gymnasium and Music School are housed in a converted chapel in Cadogan Street. The school is an independent charitable trust.There is a full-time teaching staff...
, a day school in Cadogan Square
Cadogan Square
Cadogan Square is a square in Knightsbridge named after Earl Cadogan .It is one of the most desirable residential addresses in London. It is formed of a garden surrounded by red-brick houses, the majority of which have now been converted into apartments. Cadogan Square is south of Pont Street, east...
in Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
in London and Wellington College
Wellington College, Berkshire
-Former pupils:Notable former pupils include historian P. J. Marshall, architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, impressionist Rory Bremner, Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, author Sebastian Faulks, language school pioneer John Haycraft, political journalist Robin Oakley, actor Sir Christopher...
, a boarding school in the village of Crowthorne
Crowthorne
Crowthorne is also a suburb of Johannesburg, South AfricaCrowthorne is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest district of south-eastern Berkshire. It has a population of 6,711...
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, followed by the University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1982. He also studied at the University of Aix-en-Provence, and is fluent in French.
House of Lords
Strathclyde first entered the House of Lords in 1986, becoming a junior whip in 1988, then Minister for Tourism in 1989. Between 1990 and 1992 he was Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries in the Scottish OfficeScottish 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...
. He then served in the Department of the Environment
Secretary of State for the Environment
The Secretary of State for the Environment was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Department of the Environment . This was created by Edward Heath as a combination of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Building and Works on 15...
and the Department of Trade and Industry before being appointed Conservative Chief Whip in the House of Lords in 1994, succeeding Lord Ullswater
Nicholas Lowther, 2nd Viscount Ullswater
Nicholas James Christopher Lowther, 2nd Viscount Ullswater, LVO, PC , succeeded his great-grandfather in the Viscountcy of Ullswater in 1949...
. The next year, he was sworn of the Privy Council.
In 1998 Strathclyde, along with the entire Conservative front bench in the House of Lords, threatened to tender his resignation if the party refused to accept a proposed compromise plan for reform of the Lords that had been negotiated by Lord Cranborne
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury
Robert Michael James Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury, PC, DL , is a British Conservative politician. During the 1990s, he was Leader of the House of Lords under his courtesy title of Viscount Cranborne...
, Conservative leader in the Lords, to the disapproval of party leader 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...
. Hague accepted the proposals, though Cranborne was dismissed for the way in which they had been negotiated, and Strathclyde was appointed to succeed him. Under his leadership 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;...
passed. Strathclyde was subsequently selected as one of the 92 hereditary peers to remain in the House of Lords.
When the Conservatives returned to power under 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 ....
in May 2010, Strathclyde became Leader of the House of Lords
Leader of the House of Lords
The Leader of the House of Lords is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Lords. The role is always held in combination with a formal Cabinet position, usually one of the sinecure offices of Lord President of the Council,...
and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a ministerial office in the government of the United Kingdom that includes as part of its duties, the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster...
, with a seat in the cabinet.
He won Channel 4 Peer of the Year 2000, and Spectator Peer of the Year 2004.
Personal life
Lord Strathclyde married his wife Jane in 1992. They have three daughters, and the family live in Westminster and at the family estate in Mauchline, Ayrshire.On 23 January, 2011, in interview with the Mail on Sunday, former actress Brigit Cunningham revealed that she had been having an eight-year affair with Lord Strathclyde, after she initially contacted him looking for help with Britain's Child Support Agency
Child Support Agency
The Child Support Agency is a delivery arm of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission in Great Britain and the Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland...
.
Outside Interests
Lord Strathclyde is a govenor of Wellington College, BerkshireWellington College, Berkshire
-Former pupils:Notable former pupils include historian P. J. Marshall, architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, impressionist Rory Bremner, Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, author Sebastian Faulks, language school pioneer John Haycraft, political journalist Robin Oakley, actor Sir Christopher...
.
He is a director of Auchendrane Estates Ltd, a landowning company in Scotland. His wealth is estimated at £10m.
He is currently non-executive director on the board of Trafigura
Trafigura
Trafigura is an Amsterdam-based multinational company founded in 1993 trading in base metals and energy, including oil. the company had equity of more than $2 billion and a turnover of $73 billion that generated $440 million of profit....
's hedge-fund arm, Galena Asset Management
although he has stated that he intends to stand down from Trafigura Trafigura
Trafigura
Trafigura is an Amsterdam-based multinational company founded in 1993 trading in base metals and energy, including oil. the company had equity of more than $2 billion and a turnover of $73 billion that generated $440 million of profit....
has been in the news for a number of years in relation with the 2006 Côte d'Ivoire toxic waste dump scandal.
Styles
- The Hon.The HonourableThe prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
Thomas Galbraith (1982-1985) - The Rt. Hon.The Right HonourableThe 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...
The Lord Strathclyde (1985–1995) - The Rt. Hon. The Lord Strathclyde PC (1995–)
External links
- Profile at the Conservative Party
- Article archive at The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
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