Alasdair Mackenzie

Who was Alasdair Mackenzie?

Alasdair Roderick Mackenzie was a Scottish farmer and politician who became a Liberal Member of Parliament.

Mackenzie was a native of Fearn in Ross-shire, a Gaelic speaker, and went to Broadford Junior Secondary School on the Isle of Skye. He became a farmer, and was active in the National Farmers Union, being President of the East Ross branch for two years. He was elected to Ross-shire County Council in 1935 on which he served for twenty years; on leaving the council he was a member of the Crofters' Commission for five years.

At the 1964 general election Mackenzie was elected, at the age of 61 and contesting his first parliamentary election, as a Liberal for Ross and Cromarty. He defeated the sitting National Liberal obtaining a majority of 1407 votes. He was re-elected in 1966 but defeated at the 1970 general election. Mackenzie had been party spokesman in the Commons on Agriculture and Fisheries and posts and telecommunications. He differed from the majority of his party in opposing United Kingdom membership of the European Economic Community. He was the lone Liberal voting against the Labour government at the end of debate on the Common Market.