Michael Ancram: From Tory Leadership to Peace Architect, A Legacy of Political Stature and Personal Grace

Michael Ancram, Ex-Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party, Passes Away at 79

Michael Ancram held prominent roles as a top government official, party chairman, and deputy leader.

Senior political reporter @joncraig

Tuesday, October 1, 2024, 23:

Michael Ancram, a prominent figure in British aristocracy and politics, who served as a Conservative Member of Parliament, senior minister, party chairman, and deputy leader, has passed away at the age of 79.

While serving as the Minister of State for Northern Ireland during John Major's tenure, he played a pivotal role in the negotiations that culminated in the Good Friday Agreement, which was later signed by Tony Blair.

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As one of Mr. Major's closest confidants, he was the inaugural UK government official to engage in talks with the IRA, an action that sparked significant debate during that period.

The Conservative Party has announced that Lord Lothian died early Tuesday morning. He passed away peacefully in a hospital after a brief illness, with his close family by his side.

"The Conservative Party announced that Lord Lothian, a venerable member and esteemed presence in British politics, has died, concluding an illustrious career that lasted more than fifty years."

His relatives expressed in a statement, "Apart from his accomplishments in the political realm, Lord Lothian was celebrated for his intellectual inquisitiveness and his profound appreciation for the arts, especially country and folk music.

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He frequently played the acoustic guitar at Conservative Party gatherings, adding a light-hearted element to the typically solemn political scene. He also performed on stage, sometimes joined by one or both of his daughters in singing, at the Macmillan Cancer Support Parliamentary Palace of Varieties events.

"He excelled in ski racing, serving as the captain for the ski teams at both Oxford University and the British Universities."

The family's statement further mentioned: "Lord Lothian's noble lineage, combined with his personal modesty, warmth, and contemporary conservative beliefs, distinguished him as a remarkable person in the public sphere."

Following the Conservatives' loss in 1997, Mr Ancram served as the Tory chairman under William Hague. Post his bid for party leadership in 2001, he assumed the role of deputy leader, serving alongside Iain Duncan Smith and Michael Howard, until David Cameron took over as leader in 2005.

Hailing from a distinguished Roman Catholic lineage, initially bearing the title Earl of Ancram, he ascended as the Marquess of Lothian in 2004. Upon his reentry to the House of Lords in 2010, he was recognized as Lord Kerr of Monteviot, a title he held until his passing.

Lord Lothian has passed away, leaving behind his spouse, Lady Jane Fitzalan-Howard, the daughter of the 16th Duke of Norfolk, whom he wed in 1975, along with two daughters and three grandchildren.

Following his education at Ampleforth College and subsequent studies at Oxford and Edinburgh universities, Mr. Ancram pursued a career in law, joining the Scottish Bar as an advocate. He first attempted to enter politics when he ran for a parliamentary seat in West Lothian in 1970, though he

He won the parliamentary seat for Berwickshire and East Lothian in the general election of February 1974, only to lose it in a subsequent election held in October of that same year.

In 1979, he won the parliamentary seat for Edinburgh South, overcoming Gordon Brown, a rising star in the Labour Party who would later become prime minister. He served his initial government role as a junior minister at the Scottish Office, holding the position from 1983 until he was unseated in the election of 1987.

In 1992, he was re-elected to Parliament as the Member of Parliament for the reliably Conservative constituency of Devizes in Wiltshire. By the following year, he had taken up a position as a junior minister at the Northern Ireland Office, advancing to the role of minister of state in 1994.

Following the 1997 Labour victory, he was appointed as the shadow cabinet's spokesperson for constitutional affairs under Mr. Hague, holding this position until he was named Chairman of the Conservative Party in 1998,

Following Mr. Hague's significant loss, Mr. Ancram entered the leadership race alongside Mr. Duncan Smith, Michael Portillo, Kenneth Clarke, and David Davis.

He was quickly ousted, yet he supported Mr. Duncan Smith and in return, was appointed as the deputy leader and shadow foreign secretary. He retained both positions even after IDS was removed and Michael Howard took over as leader.

He resigned from the opposition's leading team when Mr. Cameron took over as leader in 2005, and in 2006, he was named to the influential Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.

He faced backlash for his statements during the 2009 parliamentary expenses scandal and chose not to seek re-election in 2010, later making a comeback in the House of Lords.

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