Government Ministers defeated


saltire shield'I regard the hon. Member for Beaconsfield (Mr. Grieve), who has been elevated to the Front Bench, as one of the brightest and best Opposition Members - certainly given what he has said during our debates on the Bill - but, when he cannot even tell the difference between the year 2000 and the year 2002, assuming that it is 12 months, we have to worry about the quality of the Conservative party and the likelihood of its returning to office. It is clear that even the brightest and best cannot count. But perhaps the Conservatives have an aversion to counting following the last general election, whose results went badly against them.'
John McAllion, Labour MP for Dundee East, Hansard 23 rd February 1998.
Lion Rampant

Government Ministers defeated at Westminster Parliamentary elections in Scotland since 1900

Cabinet Ministers

Date Name Office Party Logo Constituency Defeated by
December 1918 The Asquithian Liberals left office in December 1916. 10 of the UK ex-cabinet ministers were defeated including in Scotland, Herbert Asquith, the ex Prime Minister, two ex-cabinet ministers and the ex chief whip. See below.
November 1922 The National Liberals /Conservative coalition under Lloyd George collapsed in October 1922. Andrew Bonar Law became Conservative Prime Minister and called an election. One ex-cabinet minister (Winston Churchill) was defeated in Scotland.
27 th October 1931 The Labour government resigned before the election and was replaced by a National government. Four ex-cabinet ministers were defeated in Scotland. See below.
28 th February 1974 Rt Hon Gordon Thomas Calthrop Campbell, later Lord Campbell of Croy Secretary of State for Scotland Conservative Tory Moray & Nairn Winnie Ewing, Scottish National Party
1 st May 1997 Rt Hon Sir Michael Bruce Forsyth, later Lord Forsyth of Drumlean Secretary of State for Scotland Conservative Tory Stirling Anne McGuire, Labour
Rt Hon Ian Bruce Lang, later Lord Lang of Monkton President of the Board of Trade Conservative Tory Galloway & Upper Nithsdale Alasdair Morgan, Scottish National Party
Rt Hon Malcolm Leslie Rifkind QC Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs Conservative Tory Edinburgh Pentlands Dr Lynda Clark QC, Labour

Alfred Ernest Brown, Minister of Aircraft Production and leader of the Liberal National Party, who was defeated at the 1945 general election (see below) was not a Cabinet Minister, but was of Cabinet rank.

Junior Ministers

Date Name Office Party Logo Constituency Defeated by
January 1906 The Conservative government resigned in January 1905. Eight of the UK ex-cabinet ministers were defeated including Arthur Balfour, who had been Prime Minister. In Scotland three non-cabinet Ministers were defeated including the Lord Advocate and the Attourney General
20 th December 1911 Andrew Macbeth Anderson K.C. Solicitor-General for Scotland Liberal Liberal Ayrshire Northern Duncan Frederick Campbell, Conservative
15 th November 1922 James Kidd Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Health, Scotland Conservative Tory Linlithgowshire Emanuel Shinwell, later Lord Shinwell, Labour
W. Watson1 Lord Advocate Conservative Tory Galloway Cecil Randolph Dudgeon, Liberal
6 th December 1923 Walter Elliott Elliott Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Health, Scotland Conservative Tory Lanark Thomas Scott Dickson, Labour
Patrick Johnstone Ford Lord Commissioner, Treasury Conservative Tory Edinburgh North Peter Wilson Raffan, Liberal
29 th October 1924 John William Muir Parliamentary Secretary, Paymaster-General Labour Lab Glasgow Maryhill James Brown Couper, Conservative
Emanuel Shinwell, later Lord Shinwell Secretary of Mines, Board of Trade Labour Lab Linlithgowshire James Kidd, Conservative
30 th May 1929 Wilfrid Guild Normand, later Baron Normand Solicitor-General for Scotland Conservative Tory Edinburgh West George Mathers, later Baron Mathers, Liberal
27 th October 1931 The Labour government resigned before the election and was replaced by a National government. Five ex-junior ministers were defeated. See below.
26 th July 1945 Sir William John St.Clair Anstruther-Gray Bt, later Lord Kilmany Assistant Postmaster-General Conservative Tory Lanarkshire North Margaret McCrorie Herbison, Labour
Alfred Ernest Brown Minister of Aircraft Production Liberal National Tory Leith James Hutchison Hoy, later Lord Hoy, Labour
Allan Chapman Parliamentary Secretary, Scottish Office Conservative Tory Rutherglen Gilbert McAllister, Labour
Lord Dunglass, later Earl of Home, later Sir Alec Douglas-Home, later Lord Home of the Hirsel Under-Secretary, Foreign Office Conservative Tory Lanark Thomas Steele, Labour
Florence Gertrude Horsburgh, later Baroness Horsburgh Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Food Conservative Tory Dundee Evelyn John St.Loe Strachey & Thomas Fotheringham Cook, Labour (two member constituency)
23 rd February 1950 Thomas Steele Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of National Insurance Labour Lab Lanark Lord Dunglass, later Earl of Home, later Sir Alec Douglas-Home, later Lord Home of the Hirsel, Conservative
26 th May 1959 Jack Nixon Browne, later Lord Craigton Under-Secretary, Scottish Office Conservative Tory Glasgow Craigton Bruce Millan, Labour
9 th June 1983 James Hector Northey (Hamish) Gray, later Lord Gray of Contin Minister of State, Department of Energy Conservative Tory Ross, Cromarty & Skye Charles Peter Kennedy, Social Democratic Party
Iain MacDonald Sproat3 Under-Secretary, Department of Trade Conservative Tory Roxburgh & Berwickshire Archie Kirkwood, Liberal
11 th June 1987 Michael Andrew Foster Jude Kerr, Earl of Ancram Under-Secretary, Scottish Office Conservative Tory Edinburgh South Nigel Griffiths, Labour
Peter Lovat Fraser, later Lord Fraser of Carmyllie Solicitor-General for Scotland Conservative Tory Angus East Andrew Welsh, Scottish National Party
John Jackson MacKay, later Lord MacKay of Ardbrecknish Under-Secretary, Scottish Office Conservative Tory Argyll & Bute Janet Ray Michie, later Baroness Michie of Gallanach, Liberal
Peter Gerald Malone Assistant Whip Conservative Tory Aberdeen South Frank Doran, Labour
1 st May 1997 Paul B. Cullen4 Solicitor-General for Scotland Conservative Tory Eastwood James Murphy, Labour
Rt Hon Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, later Lord Selkirk of Douglas Minister of State, Scottish Office Conservative Tory Edinburgh West Donald Cameron Easterbrook Gorrie, Lib Dem
George Alexander Bryson Kynoch Under-Secretary, Scottish Office Conservative Tory Aberdeenshire West & Kincardine Sir Robert Hill Smith Bt, Lib Dem
Raymond Scott Robertson Under-Secretary, Scottish Office Conservative Tory Aberdeen South Anne Margaret Begg, Labour

1 W. Watson was not an MP, but was defeated when he stood as Conservative candidate for Galloway.
2 W. G. Normand was not an MP, but was defeated when he stood as Conservative candidate for Edinburgh West.
3 Iain Sproat was MP for Aberdeen South (Tory hold by Gerry Malone) but stood in Roxburgh & Berwickshire which he lost.
4 Paul Cullen was not an MP, but was defeated when he stood as Conservative candidate for Eastwood.

Ex-Government Ministers defeated at the 1906 Westminster Parliamentary election in Scotland

The Conservative government resigned in January 1905. Eight of the UK ex-cabinet ministers were defeated including Arthur Balfour, who had been Prime Minister. In Scotland three non-cabinet Ministers were defeated including the Lord Advocate and the Attourney General. Polling ran from the 12 th January until the 8 th February with different regions polling on different days.

Ex-Junior Ministers

Date Name Office Party Logo Constituency Defeated by
18 th January 1906 Scott Dickson Lord Advocate Unionist Con Glasgow Bridgeton John William Cleland, Liberal
Andrew Bonar Law Parliamentary Secretary, Board of Trade Unionist Con Glasgow Blackfriars & Hutchesontown George Nicholl Barnes, Labour
19 th January 1906 Sir Robert Bannatye Finlay, later Viscount Finlay Attourney General Liberal Unionist Con Inverness Burghs John Annan Bryce, Liberal

Ex-Government Ministers defeated at the 1918 Westminster Parliamentary election in Scotland

On the 5 th December 1916, the Liberal Prime Minister Henry Herbert Asquith and his supporters resigned from the coalition government. The Liberal party split with those remaining in government being called Coalition Liberals, and later National Liberals. David Lloyd George became the last Liberal Prime Minister and headed a coalition government until 1922. At the 1918 election there were major boundary changes and a major increase in the electiorate. Ten Asquithian cabinet ministers lost their seat, including, in Scotland, the defeat of the ex-Prime Minister, two former cabinet ministers and the former Chief Whip.

Ex-Prime Ministers

Date Name Office Party Logo Constituency Defeated by
14 th December 1918 Henry Herbert Asquith, later 1 st Earl of Asquith & Oxford Prime Minister Liberal Liberal East Fife Col. Sir Alexander Sprot, Unionist

Ex-Cabinet Ministers

Date Name Office Party Logo Constituency Defeated by
14 th December 1918 Thomas McKinnon Wood Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Economic Secretary to the Treasury Liberal Liberal Glasgow St Rollox Gideon Murray, Coalition Unionist
Harold John Tennant Secretary for Scotland Liberal Liberal Berwickshire & Haddingtonshire John Deans Hope, Coalition Liberal

Ex-Junior Ministers

Date Name Office Party Logo Constituency Defeated by
14 th December 1918 John William Gulland Chief Whip Liberal Liberal Dumfries Major William Murray, Coalition Unionist

Ex-Government Ministers defeated at the 1922 Westminster Parliamentary election in Scotland

Following the resignation of the Liberal Prime Minister, Hervert Asquith most of his party followed him into opposition. However David Llyod George lead a faction, later called the National Liberals, and was Prime Minister until October 1922 when his coalition with the Conservatives collapsed. Andrew Bonar Law became Conservative Prime Minister and called an election. One ex-cabinet minister (Winston Churchill) was defeated in Scotland.

Ex-Cabinet Ministers

Date Name Office Party Logo Constituency Defeated by
15 th November 1922 Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill Secretary of State for the Colonies Liberal Liberal Dundee (two seat constituency) Edwin Scrymgeour, Scottish Prohibition Party

Ex-Government Ministers defeated at the 1931 Westminster Parliamentary election in Scotland

In 1929, Labour replaced the Unionists (Conservatives) as the largest party in the UK and formed a minority government which had the support of the Liberals. Following a severe financial crisis the Labour government resigned on the 24 th of August 1931 and the Labour Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald formed a National Government supported by 263 Unionists, 58 Liberals, 15 "National Labour" MPs and four independents. 265 Labour MPs and 10 independents formed the opposition. The general election was held on 27 th October 1931 and there was a landslide victory for the National government with the Labour party losing 213 seats and being reduced to a rump of just 52 MPs. Most of the members of the previous Labour government lost their seats, including, in Scotland, the defeat of no less than four former cabinet ministers.

Ex-Cabinet Ministers

Date Name Office Party Logo Constituency Defeated by
27 th October 1931 Rt Hon William Adamson Secretary of State for Scotland Labour Labour West Fife Charles Black Milne, Unionist
Rt Hon William Wedgewood Benn, later 1 st Viscount Stansgate Secretary of State for India Labour Labour Aberdeen North John George Burnett, Unionist
Rt Hon William Graham President of the Board of Trade Labour Labour Edinburgh Central James Campbell Morrison Guy, Unionist
Rt Hon Tom Johnston Lord Privy Seal Labour Labour Western Stirlingshire James Campbell Ker, Unionist

Ex-Junior Ministers

Date Name Office Party Logo Constituency Defeated by
27 th October 1931 Thomas Henderson Controller of the Household Labour Labour Glasgow Tradeston Dr William Hannah McLean, Unionist
Thomas Kennedy Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury Labour Labour Kirkcaldy Albert Russell, K.C., Unionist
Dr Thomas Drummond Shiels Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Colonies Labour Labour Edinburgh East David Marshall Mason, Liberal
Emanuel Shinwell, later Lord Shinwell Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Mines Department Labour Labour Linlithgowshire Sir Adrian Baillie Bt., Unionist
Joseph Westwood Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Scotland Labour Labour Midlothian & Peebles, Southern Captain Archibald Henry Maule Ramsay, Unionist

Party Leaders defeated at Westminster Parliamentary elections in Scotland since 1900

The following party leaders have suffered electoral defeat.

Date Name Party Logo Constituency Defeated by
14 th December 1918 Henry Herbert Asquith, later 1 st Earl of Asquith & Oxford Leader of the Liberal Party Liberal East Fife Col. Sir Alexander Sprot, Unionist
29 th October 1924 Henry Herbert Asquith, later 1 st Earl of Asquith & Oxford Leader of the Liberal Party Liberal Paisley Edward Rosslyn Mitchell, Labour
5 th July 1945 Sir Archibald Henry Macdonald Sinclair, Bt. Leader of the Liberal Party Liberal Caithness & Sutherland Eric Leslie Gander Dower, Conservative
Alfred Ernest Brown Leader of the Liberal Nationals Tory Leith James Hutchison Hoy, later Lord Hoy, Labour
11 th June 1987 Robert Gordon Wilson Leader of the Scottish National Party SNP logo Dundee East John McAllion, Labour

Return to home page
RAINBOW