Michael Forsyth, Baron Forsyth of Drumlean

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The Right Honourable  Michael Forsyth  Baron Forsyth of Drumlean, PC, Kt
Secretary of State for Scotland
In office 1995 – 1997
Preceded by	Ian Lang
Succeeded by	Donald Dewar
Member of Parliament for Stirling
In office 1983 – 1997
Preceded by	New constituency
Succeeded by	Anne McGuire
Born	16 October 1954 (1954-10-16) (age 53) Montrose, Scotland, United Kingdom[1]
Political party	Conservative Party

Michael Bruce Forsyth, Baron Forsyth of Drumlean PC, (born 16 October 1954, Montrose) is a British Conservative politician. His highest office was as Secretary of State for Scotland from 1995 to 1997.

Forsyth first entered parliament for Stirling in the 1983 election, and lost his seat to Anne McGuire from Labour in the 1997 election. In 1997, he received a knighthood and in 1999 was elevated to the House of Lords given a life peerage as Baron Forsyth of Drumlean, of Drumlean in Stirling.

Contents 1 Devolution 2 Stone of Scone 3 Elevation to the Lords 4 External links 5 References

[edit] Devolution

Forsyth led a high profile but ultimately unsuccessful campaign against plans to establish a devolved Scottish Parliament.

He particularly homed in on the proposals for the parliament to have the power to vary the basic rate of income tax by up to three pence in the pound, which he repeatedly dubbed the "Tartan Tax". Forsyth's persistence was widely credited with prompting the Labour Party's unexpected decision - bitterly criticised by the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party - to separate out the tax-varying issue in a two-question referendum on devolution. However the "Tartan Tax" label was not enough to prevent the Scottish electorate ultimately voting in favour of the proposal by an almost two-to-one margin.

[edit] Stone of Scone

In 1996, during his tenure as Scottish Secretary, Forsyth received the Stone of Scone, also known as the Stone of Destiny, when it was returned from Westminster Abbey to ultimately take up residence in Edinburgh Castle. He is largely credited with the initiative to return the stone, used for the coronation of Scottish, English and British monarchs, to Scotland. ^[2]

[edit] Elevation to the Lords

Following his elevation to the House of Lords, Forsyth has held a number of positions. From October 2005 to October 2006, he was Chairman of the Tax Reform Commission, established by the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne MP. The Commission reported on October 19 2006. Other Commission members included Sir Chris Gent, the former CEO of Vodafone and Chairman of GlaxoSmithKline.

In a private capacity, Forsyth worked in the City of London for investment bank, JPMorgan; latterly as Deputy Chairman. He stepped down from this position in July 2005.

[edit] External links

• Tax Reform Commission

[edit] References

1. ^ Overview of Sir Michael Bruce Forsyth
2. ^ BBC NEWS | Scotland | Stone of Destiny's return - 10 years on

Torrance, David, The Scottish Secretaries (Birlinn 2006)

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by (new constituency))	Member of Parliament for Stirling 1983–1997	Succeeded by Anne McGuire
Political offices
Preceded by Ian Lang	Secretary of State for Scotland 1995–1997	Succeeded by Donald Dewar