Gordon Campbell, Baron Campbell of Croy

The Right Honourable The Lord Campbell of Croy MC PC DL
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
In office 4 March 1974 – 13 June 1974
Leader	Edward Heath
Preceded by	William Ross
Succeeded by	Alick Buchanan-Smith
In office 23 January 1969 – 19 June 1970
Leader	Edward Heath
Preceded by	William Ross
Secretary of State for Scotland
In office 19 June 1970 – 4 March 1974
Prime Minister	Edward Heath
Preceded by	William Ross
Succeeded by	William Ross
Member of Parliament for Moray and Nairn
In office 8 October 1959 – 28 February 1974
Preceded by	James Stuart
Succeeded by	Winnie Ewing
Personal details
Born	(1921-06-08)8 June 1921 Quetta, Pakistan
Died	26 April 2005(2005-04-26) (aged 83) London, United Kingdom
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Nicola Madan
Children	3
Alma mater	Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Profession	Soldier, Diplomat
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1939-1945
Rank	Major
Battles/wars	Second World War

Gordon Thomas Calthrop Campbell, Baron Campbell of Croy, MC, PC, DL (8 June 1921 – 26 April 2005) was a Scottish Conservative & Unionist politician.

He was born in Quetta, British India (now in Pakistan), the son of Major General James Alexander Campbell and was educated at Rockport School in Holywood, County Down, then at Wellington College before joining the Royal Artillery in 1939. He fought in the Second World War with the Royal Artillery from 1940, winning the Military Cross and Bar. Invalided out in 1947 with the honorary rank of major, he served the Foreign Office in New York and Vienna until 1957. Elected to parliament in 1959, he served as Member of Parliament for the constituency of Moray and Nairn until February 1974 when he was defeated by Winnie Ewing of the Scottish National Party. He served as a Government Whip, 1961–62; Lord Commissioner of the Treasury and Scottish Whip, 1962–63; Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, 1963-64. He was Opposition Spokesman on Defence, 1967–68 and a member of the Shadow Cabinet, 1969-70.

He was Secretary of State for Scotland during the whole of Edward Heath's government. During his term in office the issues of fishing and oil led to him losing his Moray coastal seat to the SNP. Government papers released under the 30 year rule reveal an attitude that may explain that loss. Papers from 1970 revealed how the Scottish Office was prepared to have a "weaker and less efficient national fleet"^[1] to enable the UK to sign up to the controversial Common Fisheries Policy. On oil in 1972 Campbell was against any move to pump oil revenues directly into the Scottish economy despite Heath asking government departments to explore such an arrangements to help revive Scotland's economy with "its own resources".^[2] Further papers from 1974 revealed how he proposed "exceptional measures" to force Shetland Islands Council to accept an oil terminal without financial benefit to the islands.^[3]

After leaving the Commons, he was made a life peer as Baron Campbell of Croy, of Croy in the County of Nairn in 1975. He became Chairman of the Scottish Board in 1976, and was Vice President of the Advisory Committee on Pollution at Sea from 1976 to 1984. He married Nicola Madan, daughter of Geoffrey Spencer Madan and his wife Marjorie Noble, and had three children.

Footnotes

• Torrance, David, The Scottish Secretaries (Birlinn 2006)

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Gordon Campbell