Priscilla Buchan, Baroness Tweedsmuir

The Right Honourable
The Baroness Tweedsmuir of Belhelvie
PC

Portrait by Madame Yevonde
Taken 1967
Member of Parliament for Aberdeen South
In office
1946–1966
Preceded by Sir Douglas Thomson, Bt
Succeeded by Donald Dewar
Personal details
Born 25 January 1915
Died 11 March 1978 (aged 63)
Political party Scottish Conservative Party
Other political
affiliations
Unionist Party (until 1965)
Spouse(s) Maj. Sir Arthur Lindsay Grant
(d.1944)
The Lord Tweedsmuir
(m.1948)

Priscilla Jean Fortescue Buchan, Baroness Tweedsmuir, Baroness Tweedsmuir of Belhelvie, PC (née Thomson; 25 January 1915 – 11 March 1978)[1] was a Unionist and Conservative politician.

The daughter of Brigadier Alan F. Thomson DSO, she married Major Sir Arthur Lindsay Grant, 11th Baronet, Grenadier Guards in 1934. He was killed in action in 1944. She subsequently married the author and politician, the 2nd Baron Tweedsmuir, in 1948.

Lady Tweedsmuir was an unsuccessful parliamentary candidate for Aberdeen North in July 1945, and was elected for Aberdeen South in 1946, holding the seat until 1966.

She was a delegate to the Council of Europe from 19501953, a UK Delegate to the General Assembly of the United Nations, 19601961; Joint Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland from 19621964; Minister of State at the Scottish Office from 19701972 and at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from 19721974. She was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1974.

On 1 July 1970 she was created a life peer as Baroness Tweedsmuir of Belhelvie, of Potterton in the County of Aberdeen.[2] In the House of Lords she served as Principal Deputy Chairman of Committees, 19741977 and as Chairman of the Select Committee on European Communities, 19741977. She was also a Deputy Speaker. She died of cancer in 1978, aged 63.

She was mentioned several times in the 2014 Loyal Address to Parliament on 4 June in the House of Commons by Penny Mordaunt.

In 1983 the veteran Labour politician, Emanuel Shinwell stated Tweedsmuir was 'the best' female MP Britain had had.[3]

References

  1. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "A" (part 1)
  2. The London Gazette: no. 45142. p. 7377. 3 July 1970.
  3. Kenneth Baxter (2011). "Chapter Nine: Identity, Scottish Women and Parliament 1918-1979". In Campbell, Jodi A; Ewan, Elizabeth; Parker, Heather. The Shaping of Scottish Identities: Family, Nation and the Worlds Beyond. Guelph, Ontario: Centre for Scottish Studies, University of Guelph. p. 151. ISBN 978-0-88955-589-1.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Sir Douglas Thomson, Bt
Member of Parliament for Aberdeen South
19461966
Succeeded by
Donald Dewar
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