View source for James Douglas-Hamilton, Baron Selkirk of Douglas

{{Short description|Scottish politician (1942–2023)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[The Right Honourable]]
| name             = The Lord Selkirk of Douglas
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|PC|KC}}
| image            = Official portrait of Lord Selkirk of Douglas crop 2.jpg
| caption          = Official portrait, 2018
| office           = [[Minister of State for&nbsp;Scotland]]
| primeminister    = [[John Major]]
| term_start       = 6 July 1995
| term_end         = 2 May 1997
| predecessor      = [[Peter Fraser, Baron Fraser of Carmyllie|The Lord Fraser of Carmyllie]]
| successor        = [[Brian Wilson (Labour politician)|Brian Wilson]]
| office1          = [[Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for&nbsp;Scotland]]
| primeminister1   = {{ubl|[[Margaret Thatcher]]|John Major}}
| term_start1      = 13 June 1987
| term_end1        = 6 July 1995
| predecessor1     = [[Michael Ancram]]
| successor1       = [[Raymond Robertson (politician)|Raymond Robertson]]
| office2          = [[Lord Commissioner of the Treasury]]
| primeminister2   = Margaret Thatcher
| term_start2      = 7 May 1979
| term_end2        = 1 October 1981
| predecessor2     = [[Alfred Bates]]
| successor2       = [[Tony Newton, Baron Newton of Braintree|Tony Newton]]
| parliament3      = Scottish
| constituency_MP3 = {{br entries|[[Lothians (Scottish Parliament electoral region)|Lothians]]|{{nobold|(1 of 7 Regional MSPs)}}}}
| term_start3      = 6 May 1999
| term_end3        = 2 April 2007
| office4          = [[Member of the House of Lords]]
| status4          = [[Lord Temporal]]
| term_start4      = 29 September 1997
| term_end4        = 27 July 2023
| term_label4      = [[Life peer]]age
| parliament5      = United Kingdom
| constituency_MP5 = [[Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh West]]
| term_start5      = 10 October 1974
| term_end5        = 8 April 1997
| predecessor5     = [[Anthony Stodart]]
| successor5       = [[Donald Gorrie]]
| birth_name       = James Alexander Douglas-Hamilton
| birth_date       = {{birth date|1942|07|31|df=yes}}
| birth_place      = [[Dungavel House]], Lanarkshire, Scotland
| death_date       = {{death date and age|2023|11|28|1942|07|31|df=yes}}
| death_place      =
| restingplace     =
| birthname        =
| nationality      =
| party            = [[Scottish Conservative]]
| otherparty       =
| spouse           = {{marriage|Priscilla Susan Buchan|1974}}
| children         = 4
| parents          = {{ubl|[[Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton|Douglas Douglas-Hamilton]]|[[Elizabeth Douglas-Hamilton, Duchess of Hamilton|Lady Elizabeth Percy]]}}
| residence        =
| alma_mater       = {{ubl|[[Balliol College, Oxford]]|[[University of Edinburgh]] ([[LL.B.]])}}
}}
'''James Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, Baron Selkirk of Douglas''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|PC|KC|size=100%|sep=,}} (31 July 1942 – 28 November 2023) was a [[Scottish Conservative]] politician who served as [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh West]] and then as a [[member of the Scottish Parliament]] (MSP) for the [[Lothians (Scottish Parliament electoral region)|Lothians]] region. Between 1997 and 2023 he was a member of the [[House of Lords]] as a [[life peer]].
In 1994, he was briefly [[Earl of Selkirk]], but [[Peerage Act 1963|disclaimed]] that peerage to remain in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]].
==Early life==
James Alexander Douglas-Hamilton was born at [[Dungavel House]] on 31 July 1942, to the [[14th Duke of Hamilton]] and the former [[Elizabeth Douglas-Hamilton, Duchess of Hamilton and Brandon|Lady Elizabeth Percy]].<ref name = Telegraph>{{cite news|url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2023/11/29/lord-selkirk-of-douglas-edinburgh-tory-mp-lord-james/|title = Lord Selkirk of Douglas, Edinburgh Tory MP who was a courteous and able politician – obituary|date = 29 November 2023|accessdate = 29 November 2023|newspaper = [[The Daily Telegraph]]|url-access = subscription}}</ref> He was educated at [[Eton College|Eton]] and [[Balliol College, Oxford]], where he was president of the [[Oxford Union]], and thereafter at the [[University of Edinburgh]], earning a [[Bachelor of Laws]] degree.<ref name = Telegraph/>
==Political career==
Douglas-Hamilton served as an advocate and an interim [[Procurator Fiscal]] Depute from 1968 to 1972.<ref name = Telegraph/> From 1972 to 1974, he was a councillor on [[Edinburgh District Council]], and after unsuccessfully contesting [[Hamilton (UK Parliament constituency)|Hamilton]] in [[February 1974 United Kingdom general election|February 1974]], from [[October 1974 United Kingdom general election|October 1974]] to 1997 he was [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh West]]. During this time he served in the [[Scottish Office]].<ref name = Telegraph/> He was briefly [[Falkland Pursuivant]] in the [[Court of the Lord Lyon]] in July 1973.<ref>{{London Gazette|city=e|issue=19264|page=729|date=22 June 1973}}</ref>
In the years between 1987 and 1995 he served as Parliamentary [[Under-Secretary of State for Scotland]], and thereafter as [[Minister of State]] between 1995 and 1997. He had previously been a [[Lord Commissioner of the Treasury]] between 1979 and 1981. He was appointed a [[Privy Counsellor]] and [[Queen's Counsel]] in 1996.<ref name = Telegraph/>
It was announced on 12 December 2011<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/lord-high-commissioner-to-the-general-assembly-of-the-church-of-scotland-2012/ |title=Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly Of The Church Of Scotland 2012 |website=Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street |date=12 December 2011 }}</ref> that he would serve as [[Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland]] (as well as to the [[Free Church of Scotland (since 1900)|Free Church of Scotland]]), who is the Sovereign's personal representative to the Annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, in 2012.<ref name = Telegraph/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Free Church of Scotland 2012 General Assembly Concludes |url=https://theaquilareport.com/free-church-of-scotland-2012-general-assembly/ |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=theaquilareport.com}}</ref> He also served the same role at the 2013 General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and Free Church of Scotland.<ref>{{Cite web |title=General Assembly 2013 |url=https://www.lifeandwork.org/features/general-assembly-2013 |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=www.lifeandwork.org |language=en}}</ref>
==Peerage==
In 1994 on the death of [[George Nigel Douglas-Hamilton, 10th Earl of Selkirk]], Selkirk inherited the earldom, although the succession was disputed, as Alasdair Douglas-Hamilton, a nephew of the 10th Earl, claimed it, ultimately without success.<ref name = Telegraph/> Due to the terms of the [[Peerage Act 1963]], Selkirk was considered to be unable to vote in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] until he had disclaimed the title, even though the succession to it had not been decided. As the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] government of the day had a small majority, he felt obliged to disclaim immediately.<ref name = Telegraph/>
After losing his seat in the 1997 general election, he was elevated to the House of Lords as a [[life peer]], being created '''Baron Selkirk of Douglas''', of [[Cramond]] in the [[City of Edinburgh council area]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/issue/24274/page/2506|newspaper=The Edinburgh Gazette|title=Crown Office|page=2506|issue=24274|date=3 October 1997}}</ref> Lord Selkirk retired from the House of Lords on 27 July 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Retirement of One Member (Retirement List) |url=https://lordsbusiness.parliament.uk/ItemOfBusiness?itemOfBusinessId=126067&sectionId=53&businessPaperDate=2023-05-16 |access-date=16 May 2023 |website=UK Parliament}}</ref>
==Scottish Parliament==
From 1999 to 2007 he was a member of the [[Scottish Parliament]] and was deputy Convener of its Education Committee. In November 2005, Lord Selkirk of Douglas announced his intention to retire at the end of the 2003–2007 session of the Scottish Parliament. He continued to sit in the [[House of Lords]], taking a particular interest in [[British legislation]] as it affects Scotland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=2325642005|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070325193545/http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=2325642005|archive-date=25 March 2007|title=Lord James to quit Holyrood and take up seat with peers|date=30 November 2005|website=Scotsman.com News}}</ref>
==Books==
Lord Selkirk of Douglas wrote a number of books, including  ''Motive For a Mission: The Story Behind Hess's Flight to Britain'' about his father's meeting with [[Rudolf Hess]] when he landed in Scotland during [[World War II]]. He later wrote a biography on Rudolf Hess entitled ''The Truth About Rudolf Hess'' (1993).<ref name = Telegraph/>
==Personal life==
On 24 August 1974 Douglas-Hamilton married Priscilla Susan Buchan, daughter of [[John Buchan, 2nd Baron Tweedsmuir]], and [[Priscilla Buchan, Baroness Tweedsmuir of Belhelvie|Priscilla Jean Fortescue Thomson]], and granddaughter of the politician and novelist [[John Buchan]]. They had four sons – [[John Douglas-Hamilton, 12th Earl of Selkirk|John, 12th Earl of Selkirk]], Charles, Jamie, and Harry.<ref name = Telegraph/><ref name="The Times obit" />
Douglas-Hamilton was fifth in line to the [[Dukedom of Hamilton]], after the sons and the brother of the [[Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, 16th Duke of Hamilton|16th Duke]].
He died of pneumonia on 28 November 2023, at the age of 81.<ref name="The Times obit">{{Cite web |title=James Douglas-Hamilton obituary |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/james-douglas-hamilton-obituary-hcvgxrmgz |access-date=29 November 2023 |website=[[The Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Learmonth |first=Andrew |date=29 November 2023 |title=Tributes paid to James Douglas-Hamilton, former Tory MP and MSP |work=The Herald |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/23956856.tributes-paid-james-douglas-hamilton-former-tory-mp-msp |access-date=29 November 2023}}</ref>
== See also ==
* [[Commission on Scottish Devolution]]
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
{{Commons category||James Douglas-Hamilton}}
* {{Hansard-contribs | lord-james-douglas-hamilton | Lord Selkirk of Douglas }}
* {{SP-MSP}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|uk}}
{{s-bef |before=[[Anthony Stodart]]}}
{{s-ttl |title=Member of Parliament for [[Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh West]]
|years=[[October 1974 United Kingdom general election|Oct. 1974]] – [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997]]}}
{{s-aft |after=[[Donald Gorrie]]}}
{{s-reg|sct}}
{{s-bef |before=[[George Douglas-Hamilton, 10th Earl of Selkirk|George Douglas-Hamilton]]}}
{{s-ttl |title=[[Earl of Selkirk]] |years=1994}}
{{s-vac|disclaimed|next=[[John Douglas-Hamilton, 12th Earl of Selkirk|John Douglas-Hamilton]]}}
{{s-herald}}
{{s-bef|before=[[David Maitland-Titterton]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[File:Badge of the Falkland Pursuivant.svg|25px|center]] [[Falkland Pursuivant]]|years=1973}}
{{s-aft|after=Peter de Vere Beauclerk-Dewar}}
{{s-end}}
{{Former Conservative MSPs|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Selkirk of Douglas, James Douglas-Hamilton, Baron}}
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:2023 deaths]]
[[Category:Nobility from South Lanarkshire]]
[[Category:20th-century King's Counsel]]
[[Category:Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Children of peers and peeresses created life peers|Douglas-Hamilton]]
[[Category:Conservative MSPs]]
[[Category:Conservative Party (UK) life peers]]
[[Category:Councillors in Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Earls of Selkirk|11]]
[[Category:House of Douglas and Angus|James Douglas-Hamilton, Baron Selkirk of Douglas]]
[[Category:Life peers created by Elizabeth II]]
[[Category:Lords High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland]]
[[Category:Members of the Faculty of Advocates]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Edinburgh constituencies]]
[[Category:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament 1999–2003]]
[[Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament 2003–2007]]
[[Category:Peers retired under the House of Lords Reform Act 2014]]
[[Category:People educated at Eton College]]
[[Category:People who disclaimed peerages|Selkirk]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Oxford Union]]
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[[Category:Scottish Conservative MPs]]
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[[Category:Scottish officers of arms]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1974–1979]]
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[[Category:UK MPs 1987–1992]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1992–1997]]
[[Category:UK MPs who inherited peerages]]
[[Category:UK MPs who were granted peerages]]
[[Category:Younger sons of dukes|Douglas-Hamilton, James]]