View source for Alick Buchanan-Smith (politician)

{{Short description|Scottish politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix = [[The Right Honourable]]
|name        = Alick Buchanan-Smith
|honorific-suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MP}}
|image       =
|caption     =
|office      = [[Minister of State for Energy]]
|term_start  = 13 June 1983
|term_end    = 11 June 1987
|primeminister = [[Margaret Thatcher]]
|preceded    = [[Hamish Gray, Baron Gray of Contin|Hamish Gray]]
|succeeded   = [[Peter Morrison]]
|office1     = [[Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (United Kingdom)|Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food]]
|term_start1 = 7 May 1979
|term_end1   = 13 June 1983
|primeminister1 = [[Margaret Thatcher]]
|preceded1   = [[Edward Bishop, Baron Bishopston|Edward Bishop]]
|succeeded1  = [[John MacGregor, Baron MacGregor of Pulham Market|John MacGregor]]
|office2     = [[Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland]]
|leader2     = [[Margaret Thatcher]]
|term_start2 = March 1974
|term_end2   = 9 December 1976
|predecessor2= [[Willie Ross, Baron Ross of Marnock|Willie Ross]]
|successor2  = [[Teddy Taylor]]
|office3     = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]]<br />for [[Kincardine and Deeside (UK Parliament constituency)|Kincardine and Deeside]]<br />{{nobold|[[North Angus and Mearns (UK Parliament constituency)|North Angus and Mearns]] (1964–1983)}}
|term_start3 = 15 October 1964
|term_end3   = 29 August 1991
|predecessor3= [[Colin Thornton-Kemsley|Sir Colin Thornton-Kemsley]]
|successor3  = [[Nicol Stephen]]
|birth_date  = {{birth date|1932|4|8|df=yes}}
|birth_place =
|death_date  = {{death date and age|1991|8|29|1932|4|8|df=yes}}
|death_place =
|birthname   =
|nationality = British
|party       = [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
|spouse      =
|relations   = [[Alick Buchanan-Smith, Baron Balerno]] (Father)
|children    =
|residence   =
|alma_mater  = [[Pembroke College, Cambridge]]<br />[[University of Edinburgh]]
|profession  =
|religion    =
|website     =
}}
'''Alick Laidlaw Buchanan-Smith''' (8 April 1932 – 29 August 1991) was a [[Scotland|Scottish]] [[Scottish Conservatives|Conservative and Unionist]] politician.
The second son of [[Alick Buchanan-Smith, Baron Balerno]] and Mary Kathleen Smith, he was educated at [[Edinburgh Academy]], [[Glenalmond College]], [[Pembroke College, Cambridge]] and the [[University of Edinburgh]]. He was commissioned into the [[Gordon Highlanders]] and did his [[National Service in the United Kingdom|National Service]] from 1951.
He was unsuccessful parliamentary candidate for [[West Fife (UK Parliament constituency)|West Fife]] in [[1959 United Kingdom general election|1959]], and sat as member for [[North Angus and Mearns (UK Parliament constituency)|North Angus and Mearns]] from [[1964 United Kingdom general election|1964]] to [[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]] and for [[Kincardine and Deeside (UK Parliament constituency)|Kincardine and Deeside]] from 1983 until his death.
He was Parliamentary [[Under-Secretary of State for Scotland]] from 1970 to 1974, [[Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food]] from 1979 to 1983, and [[Minister of State for Energy]] from 1983 to 1987. He was appointed a [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Counsellor]] in 1981.
Following the Conservative's defeat in the [[February 1974 United Kingdom general election|February 1974 general election]] he became [[Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland]] under [[Edward Heath]].<ref name="TimesGuideOct74">{{cite book |title=The Times Guide to the House of Commons October 1974 |date=1964 |publisher=Times Books |location=London |isbn=0-7230-0124-3 |page=38}}</ref> When [[Margaret Thatcher]] succeeded Heath as Conservative leader ''The [[Glasgow Herald]]'' reported speculation that Buchanan-Smith was one of a group of "top Tories" who might refuse to serve under her.<ref name="GH12Feb1975">{{cite news |last1=Warden |first1=John |title=Top Tories may not serve under Mrs Thatcher |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19750212&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=3 May 2020 |work=The Herald|location=Glasgow |date=12 February 1975 |page=1}}</ref> Ultimately he remained in post under Thatcher, but resigned in 1976, along with his junior shadow minister [[Malcolm Rifkind]], when she changed the Conservative Party's policy to oppose [[History of Scottish devolution|Scottish devolution]].<ref name="BBCnews2014">{{cite news |last1=Ross |first1=Jamie |title=The Tories and their rocky relationship with devolution |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-27662915 |access-date=3 May 2020 |work=BBC News |date=2 June 2014}}</ref> Subsequently, he led the Conservative contribution to the Yes campaign in the [[1979 Scottish devolution referendum]].<ref name="TrotterGH5May1979">{{cite news |last1=Trotter |first1=Stuart |title=Younger is favourite for the Scottish Office |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19790505&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=10 December 2020 |work=The Herald|location=Glasgow |date=5 May 1979 |page=1}}</ref>
Although the Conservatives returned to power following the [[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979 general election]], Buchanan-Smith's successor as Shadow Scottish Secretary, [[Teddy Taylor]], lost his [[Glasgow Cathcart (UK Parliament constituency)|seat]]. Because Taylor could not be the new [[Secretary of State for Scotland]], there was speculation about who would fill the post. Stuart Trotter, writing in ''The Glasgow Herald'', correctly tipped [[George Younger, 4th Viscount Younger of Leckie|George Younger]], noting that, while Buchanan-Smith had a similar level of experience, the fact that he had resigned over devolution, and his contribution to the Yes campaign in the recent devolution referendum, made his appointment to the Scottish Office "unlikely". However, Trotter correctly predicted that Buchanan-Smith might be offered a ministerial post in another department if Thatcher was aiming to unify the Conservative Party.<ref name="TrotterGH5May1979"/>
In the [[1989 Conservative Party leadership election|1989 Conservative leadership election]], Buchanan-Smith was reported to be one of 33 Conservative MPs to vote for [[Sir Anthony Meyer, 3rd Baronet|Sir Anthony Meyer]], the challenger to [[Margaret Thatcher]]. Already in poor health, he voted by [[proxy voting|proxy]].<ref name="GH6Dec1989">{{cite news |last1=Parkhouse |first1=Geoffrey |title=Bruising Win for Thatcher |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19891206&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=22 December 2019 |work=The Herald|location=Glasgow |date=6 December 1989 |page=1}}</ref>
He is buried under a very modest memorial in the north-east corner of [[Currie]] Cemetery, next to his parents and eldest brother, Rev George Adam Buchanan-Smith (1929-1983).
[[File:The grave of Alick Buchanan-Smith, Currie Cemetery.jpg|thumb|left|The grave of Alick Buchanan-Smith, Currie Cemetery]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
*{{Rayment-hc|date=March 2012}}
*''Times Guide to the House of Commons, 1987 and 1992 editions''
== External links ==
* {{Hansard-contribs | mr-alick-buchanan-smith | Alick Buchanan-Smith }}
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{{s-bef | before = [[Colin Thornton-Kemsley|Sir Colin Thornton-Kemsley]] }}
{{s-ttl
| title = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for {{nowrap|[[North Angus and Mearns (UK Parliament constituency)|North Angus & Mearns]]}}
| years = [[1964 United Kingdom general election|1964]] – [[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
}}
{{s-non | reason = Constituency abolished }}
{{s-new | constituency}}
{{s-ttl
| title = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for {{nowrap|[[Kincardine and Deeside (UK Parliament constituency)|Kincardine & Deeside]]}}
| years = [[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]] – [[1991 Kincardine and Deeside by-election|1991]]
}}
{{s-aft | after = [[Nicol Stephen]] }}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buchanan-Smith, Alick}}
[[Category:1932 births]]
[[Category:1991 deaths]]
[[Category:Scottish Conservative MPs]]
[[Category:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:People educated at Glenalmond College]]
[[Category:Gordon Highlanders officers]]
[[Category:Alumni of Pembroke College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Sons of life peers]]
[[Category:Unionist Party (Scotland) MPs]]
[[Category:People educated at Edinburgh Academy]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1964–1966]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1966–1970]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1970–1974]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1974]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1974–1979]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1979–1983]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1983–1987]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1987–1992]]