Robert Maclennan, Baron Maclennan of Rogart
The Lord Maclennan of Rogart | |
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![]() Official portrait of Lord Maclennan of Rogart | |
President of the Liberal Democrats | |
In office 1 January 1995 – 31 December 1998 | |
Leader | Paddy Ashdown |
Preceded by | Charles Kennedy |
Succeeded by | Diana Maddock |
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Acting | |
In office 3 March 1988 – 16 July 1988 Serving with David Steel | |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Paddy Ashdown |
Leader of Social Democratic Party | |
In office 28 August 1987 – 16 July 1988 | |
Preceded by | David Owen |
Succeeded by | Position abolished |
Undersecretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection | |
In office 4 March 1974 – 4 May 1979 | |
Prime Minister | Harold Wilson James Callaghan |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Position abolished |
Member of Parliament for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Caithness and Sutherland (1966–1992) | |
In office 31 March 1966 – 7 June 2001 | |
Preceded by | George Mackie |
Succeeded by | John Thurso |
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal | |
Assumed office 19 July 2001 Life Peerage | |
Personal details | |
Born | Glasgow, United Kingdom | 26 June 1936
Political party | Labour (Before 1981) Social Democratic (1981–1988) Liberal Democrats (1988–present) |
Alma mater | Balliol College, Oxford Trinity College, Cambridge Columbia University |
Robert Adam Ross Maclennan, Baron Maclennan of Rogart, PC (born 26 June 1936, Glasgow), known popularly as Bob Maclennan, is a British Liberal Democrat life peer. He was the last leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), serving during the negotiations that led to its merger with the Liberal Party in 1988. He then became joint interim leader of the new party, known as the Social and Liberal Democrats (SLD) before later becoming the Liberal Democrats.
Early life
MacLennan's father, Sir Hector MacLennan, was a renowned gynaecologist and obstetrician. His mother, Isobel Adam, was also a doctor and public health activist. He was educated at Glasgow Academy; Balliol College, Oxford; Trinity College, Cambridge; and Columbia University, New York City. He is the brother to David MacLennan, Elizabeth MacLennan, and Kenneth MacLennan.
In Parliament
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/RobertMacLennan1987.jpg/170px-RobertMacLennan1987.jpg)
He became Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Caithness and Sutherland in 1966, and serving until 1997; and for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross after boundary changes, from 1997 to 2001.
He was first elected as a member of the Labour Party and served as a junior minister in the Labour government of 1974–1979, but in 1981 defected to become a founder member of the SDP. He was one of the few SDP MPs to keep their seats in the 1983 general election. After his stint as SDP Leader in 1988, he served as a front bench spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, and as their president from 1994 until 1998.
He was appointed to the Privy Council in 1997.[1]
After his retirement at the 2001 General Election, he was raised to the House of Lords, elevated to a life peer as Baron Maclennan of Rogart, of Rogart in Sutherland.[2][3] He was the party's Cabinet Office and Scotland spokesman in the House of Lords until 2015.
Styles of address
- 1936–1966: Mr Bob Maclennan
- 1966–1997: Mr Bob Maclennan MP
- 1997–2001: The Rt Hon Bob Maclennan MP
- 2001: The Rt Hon Bob Maclennan
- 2001–present: The Rt Hon The Lord Maclennan of Rogart PC
References
- ^ "Privy Counsellors". Privy Council Office. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
- ^ "No. 56285". The London Gazette. 25 July 2001. p. 8777.
- ^ "No. 25054". The Edinburgh Gazette. 24 July 2001. p. 1673.
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Robert Maclennan
- Lord Maclennan of Rogart profile at the site of Liberal Democrats
- 1936 births
- Living people
- Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford
- Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
- Columbia University alumni
- Scottish Labour Party MPs
- Leaders of the Liberal Democrats (UK)
- Scottish Liberal Democrat MPs
- Liberal Democrats (UK) life peers
- Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
- People educated at the Glasgow Academy
- People from Glasgow
- Presidents of the Liberal Democrats (UK)
- Social Democratic Party (UK) MPs for Scottish constituencies
- UK MPs 1966–70
- UK MPs 1970–74
- UK MPs 1974
- UK MPs 1974–79
- UK MPs 1979–83
- UK MPs 1983–87
- UK MPs 1987–92
- UK MPs 1992–97
- UK MPs 1997–2001
- Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Highland constituencies