Norman Buchan

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Norman Findlay Buchan (27 October 192223 October 1990) was a Labour politician, who represented the West Renfrewshire seat from 1964 until 1983 and Paisley South seat from 1983 to 1990.

A schoolteacher based in Rutherglen, he was interested in the arts, compiling a book entitled 101 Scottish Songs before becoming a full time politician in 1964, taking the West Renfrewshire seat from the Conservatives. Whilst a Member of Parliament, he served as Joint Under Secretary of State for Scotland whilst in the 1966-70 Labour government and as Minister of State for Agriculture in the 1974 Labour gvoernment. He later became Shadow Minister for the Arts in opposition.

He died in 1990 whilst a sitting MP (coincidentally, the neighbouring MP for Paisley North, Allen Adams also died that year, resulting in by-elections being held in the same month for the two seats). He was succeeded as MP for Paisley South by Gordon McMaster.

He was married to Janey Buchan, a Labour Member of the European Parliament from 1979 until 1994.

For seven years (2000 - 2007) his son Alasdair Buchan, a journalist since 1968, owned Diplomat, the world's oldest magazine for diplomats, originally launched in 1947. He sold it in 2008.

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
John Scott Maclay
Member of Parliament for West Renfrewshire
19641983
Succeeded by
constituency abolished
Preceded by
new constituency
(before: see Paisley)
Member of Parliament for Paisley South
19831990
Succeeded by
Gordon McMaster


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