James Keir Hardie
Founder of the Labour party and a still resonant political figure who is seen as the foundation and iconic figure in one strand of left wing Scottish political philosophy.
Scottish Political Figures
James Maxton
Member of the group known as Red Clydesiders and recognised as an outstandingly principled Scottish politician who finally moved away from the moderate Labour policies of the 1930s.
James Ramsay MacDonald
Labour's first Prime Minister who's achievements have been overshadowed by his perceived failure to address the threat of Hitler. Died 1937.
John MacDonald MacCormick
Founder of the Scottish Nationalist Party in 1932 although never an MP. He helped redefine the relationship between Scotland and the rest of the UK.
John MacLean
The most notable of the "Red Clydesiders and a committed Marxist. Died in 1923 standing for parliament.
John Smith Labour Leader
Labour leader from 1992 until his death in 1994. He set the stage for the emergence of New Labour in the 1997 election.
Patrick Colquhoun
Patrick Colquhoun / Political Figures
- Name : Colquhoun
- Born : 1745
- Died : 1820
- Category : Political Figures
- Finest Moment : Founder of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce (1783)
Born in Scotland in 1720, Colquhoun settled in Glasgow, after having spent several profitable years engaged in business in Virginia, N. America. In Glasgow he was active in civic affairs, and due to his successful efforts in persuading the government in Westminster to pass measures beneficial to Glasgow and Scotland, in addition to other work on behalf of civic improvements, he was elected lord provost of the city in 1782. He was re-elected in 1783.
That same year, 1783, he founded and became chairman of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce. From 1785-89 this diligent man worked hard for the sake of British cotton manufacturers in general, collating data which he presented to William Pitt, the P.M. in 1789. In 1789 he moved to London, and on the reorganisation of the police there in 1792 he was appointed a police magistrate. With his experiences in this position, he wrote one of his best-known works, Treatise on the Police of the Metropolis (1795).
His 'biggy' came out in 1814, with the Treatise on the Population, Wealth, and Resources of the British Empire. In this work, he set out a statistical portrait of the distribution of national income. It highlighted the poverty of the working classes, and for long was an influence on the social and economic reformers who followed.
His name is connected with Glasgow's Kelvingrove Park. Until the council purchased this site in 1852, Glasgow Green was the only public park in the city. The park was previously the policies of Kelvingrove and Kelvingrove House, the property of Provost Colquhoun. He died in 1820.
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Political Figures of Scotland
Scottish Political Figures
James Keir Hardie / Political Figures
The first leader of the Labour Party in the House of Commons.
James Maxton / Political Figures
Clydeside socialist and life-long pacifist.
James Ramsay MacDonald / Political Figures
The first Labour Party prime minister of Great Britain.
John MacDonald MacCormick / Political Figures
Founder member of the Scottish National Party.
John MacLean / Political Figures
Scotland's best-known Clydeside revolutionary.
John Smith / Political Figures
Elected leader of the Labour Party in 1992.
Robert Munro / Political Figures
A Secretary of State and educational reformer.
Thomas Johnston / Political Figures
Set up the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board.
William Gallacher / Political Figures
A communist M.P. from Clydeside for 16 years.
Winnie Ewing / Political Figures
A prominent, early Scots Nationalist M.P. and M.E.P. since 1975.
Patrick Colquhoun / Political Figures
Founder of Glasgow's Chamber of Commerce and social improver.
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Robert Munro
Robert Munro / Political Figures
- Name : Munro
- Born : 1865
- Died : 1955
- Category : Political Figures
- Finest Moment : Education (Scotland) Act of 1918
'Secretary of State for Scotland for six years, yet few have heard of him'.
Munro was born at Alness near Dingwall in 1868, the son of a minister. He was educated at Aberdeen Grammar School then Edinburgh University, being called to the Scottish Bar in 1893; by 1910 he was a KC. That same year he entered politics as a Liberal, representing Wick burghs (1910-18), then Roxburgh & Selkirk (1918-22).
In 1913 he was appointed Lord Advocate, then Scottish Secretary in 1916; he held this Cabinet post for six years. Perhaps his best piece of legislature was the Education (Scotland) Act of 1918. This replaced 1000 parish school boards with 33 county and five city education authorities. It also protected the status of denominational (i.e. Roman Catholic) schools and raised the leaving age to 15, conditions which compared favourable with those extant in England at the time.
Munro left politics, to become Lord President from 1922-33; he became Lord Alness in 1934.