Thomas Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde
The Lord Strathclyde CH PC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() Official portrait, 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leader of the House of Lords Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 12 May 2010 – 7 January 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | David Cameron | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | The Baroness Royall of Blaisdon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | The Lord Hill of Oareford | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords Shadow Leader of the House of Lords | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 3 December 1998 – 11 May 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leader | William Hague Iain Duncan Smith Michael Howard David Cameron | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Viscount Cranborne | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | The Baroness Royall of Blaisdon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opposition Chief Whip of the House of Lords | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 2 May 1997 – 3 December 1998 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leader | John Major William Hague | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | The Lord Graham of Edmonton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | The Lord Henley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chief Whip of the House of Lords Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 20 July 1994 – 2 May 1997 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | John Major | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | The Viscount Ullswater | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | The Lord Carter | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Minister of State for Trade and Industry | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 16 September 1993 – 20 July 1994 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | John Major | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | The Baroness Denton of Wakefield | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | The Lord Fraser of Carmyllie (1995) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Lord-in-waiting Government Whip | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 12 August 1988 – 24 July 1989 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | The Lord Beaverbrook | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | The Viscount Ullswater | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Assumed office 25 March 1986 Hereditary peerage | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | The 1st Baron Strathclyde | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland | 22 February 1960||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Political party | Conservative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse(s) | Jane Skinner | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Children | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alma mater | University of East Anglia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thomas Galloway Dunlop du Roy de Blicquy Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde, CH, PC (born 22 February 1960), known informally as Tom Strathclyde, is a British Conservative politician. Lord Strathclyde served in the political role of Leader of the House of Lords from the 2010 general election until January 2013 and as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, having been Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords (1998–2010).
Biography[]
Thomas Galbraith was born in Glasgow, the son of Conservative politician Sir Tam Galbraith and his Belgian wife Simone du Roy de Blicquy. His father was MP for Glasgow Hillhead from 1948 until his death in 1982. Galbraith succeeded to the barony at the age of 25, following the death of his grandfather in 1985.[1][2] He contested the Merseyside East constituency in the 1984 European election.[3]
Education[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Wellington_College_South_Front.jpg/220px-Wellington_College_South_Front.jpg)
Galbraith was educated at Sussex House School, in London, and Wellington College near Sandhurst, Berkshire. He attended the University of East Anglia,[1] where he graduated in 1982 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern Languages and European Studies. He also studied at Aix-Marseille University.
House of Lords[]
Strathclyde entered the House of Lords in 1986, becoming a Junior Whip in 1988, then Minister for Tourism in 1989. Between 1990 and 1992, he was Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries in the Scottish Office. He then served in the Department of the Environment and the Department of Trade and Industry, before being appointed the Conservative Party Chief Whip in the House of Lords in 1994, succeeding Lord Ullswater. The next year, he was sworn of the Privy Council.
In 1998 Strathclyde, along with the Conservative front bench in the Lords, threatened to tender his resignation if the party refused to accept a proposed compromise plan for reform of the Lords that had been negotiated with the Labour Party by Lord Cranborne, the Conservatives' leader in the Lords, unbeknown to the Leader of the Opposition (in the Commons) William Hague, and to his annoyance. Hague however accepted the proposals, dismissing Cranborne for the conduct in negotiations, and Strathclyde was appointed to succeed him. Under his leadership, the House of Lords Act 1999 passed: under this, Strathclyde was elected by other peers as one of the 92 hereditary peers to remain in the House of Lords.
He won Channel 4 Peer of the Year 2000, and Spectator Peer of the Year 2004.
When the Conservatives formed a coalition government under David Cameron in May 2010, Strathclyde became Leader of the House of Lords and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, with a seat in the Cabinet.
On 7 January 2013, Strathclyde announced that he would be stepping down as Leader of the House of Lords, and resigning from the Cabinet with immediate effect, to pursue a second business career.[4] He was succeeded by Lord Hill of Oareford. He was subsequently appointed a Companion of Honour for his services to the Lords.[5]
Marriage and children[]
Strathclyde married Jane Skinner, elder daughter of John Skinner, in 1992. They have three daughters:[1]
- Hon. Elizabeth Ida Skinner Galbraith (born 1 December 1993)
- Hon. Annabel Jane Simone Skinner Galbraith (born 15 May 1996)
- Hon. Rose Marie Louise Skinner Galbraith (born 27 January 1999)
The family lives in Westminster and at the Galbraith family estate in Mauchline, Ayrshire.
As Strathclyde has no sons, the heir presumptive to the peerage is his younger brother, the Hon. Charles William du Roy de Blicquy Galbraith (b. 1962).[1]
Outside interests[]
Lord Strathclyde is a governor of Wellington College, Berkshire. He received an Honorary Doctorate of Civil Law from the University of East Anglia in July 2018.[6]
He is a director of Auchendrane Estates Ltd, a landowning company in Scotland. His wealth is estimated at £10m.[7]
He was a non-executive director on the board of Trafigura's hedge-fund arm, Galena Asset Management, from 2004 until 2009.[8] Trafigura defended court actions during the 2006 Ivory Coast toxic waste dump scandal and The Guardian suggested his appointment may be an attempt to de-toxify the Dutch company globally.[9]
Arms[]
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References[]
- ^ a b c d Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood (107 ed.). Burke's Peerage & Gentry. pp. 3774–3776. ISBN 0-9711966-2-1.
- ^ "Lord Strathclyde: Expert on Scottish Affairs". The Times. 15 July 1985. p. 10.
- ^ Boothroyd, David (21 August 2020). "United Kingdom European Parliamentary Election results 1979-99: England 2". Election Demon. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
- ^ James Landale (7 January 2013). "Lord Strathclyde resigns from cabinet". BBC News. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
- ^ 10 Downing Street. "10 Downing Street - Appointment to the Order of the Companions of Honour". number10.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
- ^ "UEA's 2018 honorary graduates named". University of East Anglia. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
- ^ Samira Shackle, Stephanie Hegarty and George Eaton The new ruling class New Statesman 1 October 2009
- ^ Leigh, David; Evans, Rob (17 September 2009). "Lord Strathclyde severs links with oil trader Trafigura after waste scandal". The Guardian. London.
- ^ Leigh, David (16 September 2009). "Inside Trafigura: Accusations, sour deals and friends in high places". The Guardian. London.
External links[]
- Profile at the Conservative Party
- Profile at the Parliament of the United Kingdom
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005
- Current session contributions in Parliament at Hansard
- Voting record at PublicWhip.org
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou.com
- Profile at Westminster Parliamentary Record
- Profile at BBC News Democracy Live
- Portraits of Thomas Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde at the National Portrait Gallery, London
- Article archive at The Guardian
- 1960 births
- Alumni of the University of East Anglia
- Barons Strathclyde
- Conservative Party (UK) Baronesses- and Lords-in-Waiting
- Conservative Party (UK) hereditary peers
- Hereditary peers elected under the House of Lords Act
- Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms
- Living people
- Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour
- Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
- People educated at Wellington College, Berkshire
- Politicians from Glasgow
- Scottish people of Belgian descent
- Leaders of the House of Lords