John Maclay, 1st Viscount Muirshiel

John Scott Maclay, 1st Viscount Muirshiel, KT, CH CMG PC (October 26, 1905 – August 17, 1992) was a National Liberal and Unionist MP.

Maclay was a son of James Paton Maclay, 1st Baron Maclay. He was educated at Winchester and Trinity College, Cambridge. He led the British Merchant Shipping Mission to Washington, D.C. during World War II.

In 1940, Maclay was elected in a wartime by-election for the Montrose Burghs constituency. He retained the seat at the 1945 general election after which the seat was redrawn. He then sat for West Renfrewshire from 1950 to 1964.

In 1945, Maclay served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of Production. During the 1945-51 Labour government, he led the National Liberals in the House of Commons. Churchill made him Minister of Civil Aviation and Minister of Transport (October 31, 1951 - May 7, 1952) then, a Privy Counsellor from 1952, he served as Secretary of State for Scotland from January 13, 1957 - July 13, 1962 in the government of Harold Macmillan.

Maclay was a victim of the 1962 "Night of the Long Knives" when one-third of the Cabinet lost their ministries. He was created the 1st Viscount Muirshiel in 1964 and received the honour of Knight of the Thistle in 1973.

[edit] References

Torrance, David, The Scottish Secretaries (Birlinn 2006)

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Charles Kerr	Member of Parliament for Montrose Burghs 1940–1950	Succeeded by constituency abolished
Preceded by Thomas Scollan	Member of Parliament for West Renfrewshire 1950–1964	Succeeded by Norman Buchan