Gordon Campbell, Baron Campbell of Croy

Who was Gordon Campbell, Baron Campbell of Croy?

Gordon Thomas Calthrop Campbell, Baron Campbell of Croy, MC, PC, DL, born in Lossiemouth, Moray, and a Scottish Conservative & Unionist politician.

He was the son of Major General J A Campbell and was educated at Wellington College before joining the Royal Artillery in 1939. After serving in the Second World War during which he won the Military Cross and Bar, he served the Foreign Office in New York and Vienna until 1957. Elected to parliament in 1959, he served as Member of Parliament for the constituency of Moray and Nairn until February 1974 when he was defeated by Winnie Ewing of the Scottish National Party. He served as a Government Whip, 1961–62; Lord Commissioner of the Treasury and Scottish Whip, 1962–63; Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, 1963-64. He was Opposition Spokesman on Defence, 1967–68 and a member of the Shadow Cabinet, 1969-70.

He was Secretary of State for Scotland during the whole of Edward Heath's government. During his term in office the issues of fishing and oil led to him losing his Moray coastal seat to the SNP. Government papers released under the 30 year rule reveal an attitude that may explain that loss. Papers from 1970 revealed how the Scottish Office was prepared to have a "weaker and less efficient national fleet" to enable the UK to sign up to the controversial Common Fisheries Policy. On oil in 1972 Campbell was against any move to pump oil revenues directly into the Scottish economy despite Heath asking government departments to explore such an arrangements to help revive Scotland's economy with "its own resources". Further papers from 1974 revealed how he proposed "exceptional measures" to force Shetland Islands Council to accept an oil terminal without financial benefit to the islands.