David Robertson (UK politician)
Encyclopedia
Sir David Robertson was a British
accountant
, company director and politician. From a Scottish
family, he represented first a constituency in London and then the Scottish highlands constituency of Caithness and Sutherland
. He was an expert on the fishing industry and his commitment to his constituents exceeded his loyalty to his party.
but became Chief Inspector of the General Post Office in Glasgow
, and Robertson was brought up in the city. He went to Woodside School and Allan Glen's School
. In 1907 he was apprenticed to Mitchell and Smith, Chartered Accountants, before going to the University of Glasgow
.
. In 1915, having been a member of Glasgow University Officer Training Corps, he was commissioned into the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
and served during the First World War with the British Expeditionary Force in France. He was wounded in action and returned to Britain to join the civil service. He was Sectional Accountant for the Fish, Game, Poultry and Eggs Section of the Ministry of Food
for a time before being promoted to Assistant Director of Finance.
. Shortly after the end of the conference he left the civil service to go into business. He was involved in companies working in the fishing and cold storage industries, pioneering the sale of frozen fish, and became Managing Director of several businesses. In 1939, Robertson used his knowledge of the industry to propose a scheme whereby the United Kingdom could maintain a supply of frozen fish from safe fishing grounds in the event of war.
candidate for Streatham
, a predominantly middle-class area of London where the sitting Member of Parliament
(MP) Sir William Lane-Mitchell
was retiring. In the event, the postponement of the general election due to the outbreak of war led Lane-Mitchell to resign by being appointed Steward of the Manor of Northstead
in November 1939. Robertson was returned unopposed at the ensuing by-election on 7 December 1939.
Robertson's maiden speech
, on his frozen fish plan, was well received. On 26 June, Robertson used a debate in the House of Commons to raise the issue of facilities for troops at London's mainline train stations. He complained that most had no facilities at all for troops to wash and sleep, and the facility at Liverpool Street station
run by the YMCA
was like the "Black Hole of Calcutta
". Robertson's debate produced an immediate move to improve conditions.
had been detained under Defence Regulation 18b
. However, Robertson found that the expense of representing two constituencies was too much because he was unable to charge his expenses in respect of Peebles against income tax, and he gave up the role in October 1942.
, rather than the lawyer (Sir Malcolm Eve) who had been appointed. He returned to the subject after the war, complaining in July 1946 that not one house in Streatham had been repaired. However, during the Parliament his main contributions to debate were on the subject of food and especially fishing. Robertson was given a Knighthood
in 1945.
, Robertson moved constituencies from Streatham to fight Caithness and Sutherland
, the northernmost part of mainland Scotland
. The constituency had a long Liberal tradition but the Conservatives had won the seat from Liberal leader Sir Archibald Sinclair
in 1945
on a pledge by the candidate Eric Gandar Dower
to seek re-election after the capitulation of Japan; as a result of breaking that promise (among other things), Gandar Dower had fallen out with his Unionist Association.
Robertson faced a rematch against Sir Archibald Sinclair, who was Lord Lieutenant
of Caithness
. He objected that Sinclair was bringing the Lieutenancy into politics, although Sinclair pointed out that he had held the office since 1919 and had first been elected in 1922. Sinclair described Robertson's objections as "exceptionally silly pre-election stuff". Robertson won his seat, but only by 269 votes; Sinclair accepted a Viscount
cy rather than try to win the seat again, and Robertson had easy re-elections thereafter.
which came from the Medway
in Kent
. In 1953 he attempted to amend the budget to exempt from income tax the profits of trades by local communities, motivated by the people of Thurso
who had banded together to do work which was normally reserved to local government. He failed to persuade the Treasury.
When the site of Dounreay
was chosen for a nuclear power
establishment, Robertson welcomed the choice and hoped it would lead to repopulation of the highlands. He also attempted to stop the increase in charges for freight on rail, claiming that sheep could be brought from New Zealand
cheaper than from his constituency. After the Suez Crisis
, Robertson went on a tour of the United States
defending the British policy. In 1957 he introduced a Private Member's Bill
, the North of Scotland Development Corporation Bill, which was aimed at setting up a group to attract new industries to his constituency and around. The Government talked the Bill out.
, he declared that unless the problem was dealt with, "I can assure this Committee that I will have the greatest difficulty remaining in this party"; he also described the Minister John Maclay
as "a Treasury lackey and a mouthpiece for officialdom". In January 1959, he seconded an amendment moved by Labour MP Tom Fraser
to continue marginal agricultural production grants, but again found Maclay unwilling to help.
This was the last straw and a week later Robertson resigned the whip
in protest at the Government's handling of Scottish affairs, declaring he would sit as an Independent
Member of Parliament. He stated he continued to support the Conservative position on foreign affairs.
, Robertson fought Caithness and Sutherland as an Independent Unionist. Knowing of his local popularity, he was not opposed by an official candidate, and won his biggest majority at the election. He began the new Parliament by turning 70, and decided that it would be his last. In March 1962 he protested to the Prime Minister Harold Macmillan
that as an Independent MP he had not been nominated to serve on any Select Committees, because the selection was done according to the party proportion of the House. He was particularly anxious to serve on the Sea Fish Industry Bill, on which he had immense experience, and other MPs of all parties campaigned for him to be put on the committee. The Government conceded the point in relation to future committees.
, his supporters did nominate another Independent candidate, John Young, and Robertson gave Young his support. The official Unionist, Hon. Patrick Maitland
, accused Robertson's supporters of spreading defamatory rumours about him. The division in Unionist ranks led to a Liberal gain.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
, company director and politician. From a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
family, he represented first a constituency in London and then the Scottish highlands constituency of Caithness and Sutherland
Caithness and Sutherland (UK Parliament constituency)
Caithness and Sutherland was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1997. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
. He was an expert on the fishing industry and his commitment to his constituents exceeded his loyalty to his party.
Family and early career
Robertson's father John was from CaithnessCaithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
but became Chief Inspector of the General Post Office in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, and Robertson was brought up in the city. He went to Woodside School and Allan Glen's School
Allan Glen's School
Allan Glen's School was for most of its existence a selective fee-paying independent secondary school for boys in Glasgow, Scotland. It was founded by the Allan Glen's Endowment Scholarship Trust on the death in 1850 of Allan Glen, a successful Glasgow tradesman and businessman, "to give a good...
. In 1907 he was apprenticed to Mitchell and Smith, Chartered Accountants, before going to the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
.
Wartime civil service
On leaving university in 1912 Robertson joined the staff of Cole, Dickin and Hills in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In 1915, having been a member of Glasgow University Officer Training Corps, he was commissioned into the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland....
and served during the First World War with the British Expeditionary Force in France. He was wounded in action and returned to Britain to join the civil service. He was Sectional Accountant for the Fish, Game, Poultry and Eggs Section of the Ministry of Food
Minister of Food
The Minister of Food Control and the Minister of Food were British government ministerial posts separated from that of the Minister of Agriculture. A major task of the latter office was to oversee rationing in the United Kingdom arising out of World War II...
for a time before being promoted to Assistant Director of Finance.
Frozen fish industry
After the end of the war, Robertson was Chief Accountant to the Ministry of Food at the Peace Conference in ParisParis Peace Conference, 1919
The Paris Peace Conference was the meeting of the Allied victors following the end of World War I to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers following the armistices of 1918. It took place in Paris in 1919 and involved diplomats from more than 32 countries and nationalities...
. Shortly after the end of the conference he left the civil service to go into business. He was involved in companies working in the fishing and cold storage industries, pioneering the sale of frozen fish, and became Managing Director of several businesses. In 1939, Robertson used his knowledge of the industry to propose a scheme whereby the United Kingdom could maintain a supply of frozen fish from safe fishing grounds in the event of war.
Member of Parliament
In July 1938, Robertson was chosen as Conservative PartyConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
candidate for Streatham
Streatham (UK Parliament constituency)
Streatham is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
, a predominantly middle-class area of London where the sitting Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) Sir William Lane-Mitchell
William Lane-Mitchell
Sir William Lane-Mitchell was a British Conservative Party politician. He was elected as the Member of Parliament for Streatham in 1918, and held the seat until his resignation in 1939 by becoming Steward of the Manor of Northstead. He was knighted in 1921.- External links :...
was retiring. In the event, the postponement of the general election due to the outbreak of war led Lane-Mitchell to resign by being appointed Steward of the Manor of Northstead
Manor of Northstead
The Manor of Northstead was once a collection of fields and farms in the parish of Scalby in the North Riding of Yorkshire in England. By 1600, the manor house had fallen into disrepair and was occupied only by a shepherd. At present the Manor is part of the Barrowcliff area of the town of...
in November 1939. Robertson was returned unopposed at the ensuing by-election on 7 December 1939.
Robertson's maiden speech
Maiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
, on his frozen fish plan, was well received. On 26 June, Robertson used a debate in the House of Commons to raise the issue of facilities for troops at London's mainline train stations. He complained that most had no facilities at all for troops to wash and sleep, and the facility at Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
run by the YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
was like the "Black Hole of Calcutta
Black Hole of Calcutta
The Black Hole of Calcutta was a small dungeon in the old Fort William, at Calcutta, India, where troops of the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud-Daulah, held British prisoners of war after the capture of the Fort on June 19, 1756....
". Robertson's debate produced an immediate move to improve conditions.
Dual constituency role
In 1941, Robertson volunteered to take an additional role looking after the interests of the constituency of Peebles and Southern Midlothian, whose Member of Parliament Archibald Maule RamsayArchibald Maule Ramsay
Captain Archibald Henry Maule Ramsay was a British Army officer who later went into politics as a Scottish Unionist Member of Parliament . From the late 1930s he developed increasingly strident antisemitic views...
had been detained under Defence Regulation 18b
Defence Regulation 18B
Defence Regulation 18B, often referred to as simply 18B, was the most famous of the Defence Regulations used by the British Government during World War II. The complete technical reference name for this rule was: Regulation 18B of the Defence Regulations 1939. It allowed for the internment of...
. However, Robertson found that the expense of representing two constituencies was too much because he was unable to charge his expenses in respect of Peebles against income tax, and he gave up the role in October 1942.
Housing campaign
Later in the war, Robertson pressed for faster repair of bomb-damaged housing in London, and called for the appointment of a "restless dynamic driver" such as Lord BeaverbrookMax Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook
William Maxwell "Max" Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook, Bt, PC, was a Canadian-British business tycoon, politician, and writer.-Early career in Canada:...
, rather than the lawyer (Sir Malcolm Eve) who had been appointed. He returned to the subject after the war, complaining in July 1946 that not one house in Streatham had been repaired. However, during the Parliament his main contributions to debate were on the subject of food and especially fishing. Robertson was given a Knighthood
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in 1945.
Caithness and Sutherland
At the 1950 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
, Robertson moved constituencies from Streatham to fight Caithness and Sutherland
Caithness and Sutherland (UK Parliament constituency)
Caithness and Sutherland was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1997. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
, the northernmost part of mainland Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The constituency had a long Liberal tradition but the Conservatives had won the seat from Liberal leader Sir Archibald Sinclair
Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso
Archibald Henry Macdonald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso KT, CMG, PC , known as Sir Archibald Sinclair, Bt between 1912 and 1952, and often as Archie Sinclair, was a British politician and leader of the Liberal Party....
in 1945
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
on a pledge by the candidate Eric Gandar Dower
Eric Gandar Dower
Eric Leslie Gandar Dower was a Scottish Unionist Party politician and businessman.He was educated at Brighton College, like his elder brother Leonard, and at Jesus College, Cambridge, and trained for the stage at RADA, touring with a number of theatre companies.Gandar Dower established Aberdeen...
to seek re-election after the capitulation of Japan; as a result of breaking that promise (among other things), Gandar Dower had fallen out with his Unionist Association.
Robertson faced a rematch against Sir Archibald Sinclair, who was Lord Lieutenant
Lord Lieutenant
The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. Usually a retired local notable, senior military officer, peer or business person is given the post...
of Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
. He objected that Sinclair was bringing the Lieutenancy into politics, although Sinclair pointed out that he had held the office since 1919 and had first been elected in 1922. Sinclair described Robertson's objections as "exceptionally silly pre-election stuff". Robertson won his seat, but only by 269 votes; Sinclair accepted a Viscount
Viscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
cy rather than try to win the seat again, and Robertson had easy re-elections thereafter.
Highlands industries
Robertson campaigned for economic development of the Scottish Highlands, arguing that Caithness made cementCement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
which came from the Medway
Medway
Medway is a conurbation and unitary authority in South East England. The Unitary Authority was formed in 1998 when the City of Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with Gillingham Borough Council and part of Kent County Council to form Medway Council, a unitary authority independent of Kent County...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. In 1953 he attempted to amend the budget to exempt from income tax the profits of trades by local communities, motivated by the people of Thurso
Thurso
-Facilities:Offices of the Highland Council are located in the town, as is the main campus of North Highland College, formerly Thurso College. This is one of several partner colleges which constitute the UHI Millennium Institute, and offers several certificate, diploma and degree courses from...
who had banded together to do work which was normally reserved to local government. He failed to persuade the Treasury.
When the site of Dounreay
Dounreay
Dounreay is the site of several nuclear research establishments located on the north coast of Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland...
was chosen for a nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
establishment, Robertson welcomed the choice and hoped it would lead to repopulation of the highlands. He also attempted to stop the increase in charges for freight on rail, claiming that sheep could be brought from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
cheaper than from his constituency. After the Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
, Robertson went on a tour of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
defending the British policy. In 1957 he introduced a Private Member's Bill
Private Member's Bill
A member of parliament’s legislative motion, called a private member's bill or a member's bill in some parliaments, is a proposed law introduced by a member of a legislature. In most countries with a parliamentary system, most bills are proposed by the government, not by individual members of the...
, the North of Scotland Development Corporation Bill, which was aimed at setting up a group to attract new industries to his constituency and around. The Government talked the Bill out.
Dissatisfaction with party
Robertson was increasingly more interested in his own constituency than in party politics. In July 1957, while debating highlands roads in the Scottish Grand CommitteeScottish Grand Committee
The Scottish Grand Committee is a committee of the House of Commons. It is not a select committee , but rather a grand committee composed of all 59 Scottish MPs ....
, he declared that unless the problem was dealt with, "I can assure this Committee that I will have the greatest difficulty remaining in this party"; he also described the Minister John Maclay
John Maclay, 1st Viscount Muirshiel
John Scott Maclay, 1st Viscount Muirshiel KT, CH, CMG, PC, DL was a British politician, sitting as a National Liberal and Conservative Member of Parliament before the party was fully assimilated into the Unionist Party in Scotland in the early 1960s.Lord Muirshiel served as Secretary of State for...
as "a Treasury lackey and a mouthpiece for officialdom". In January 1959, he seconded an amendment moved by Labour MP Tom Fraser
Tom Fraser
Tom Fraser PC was a Labour Member of Parliament for the Hamilton constituency between 1943 and 1967.He was Minister of Transport from October 16, 1964 until December 23, 1965...
to continue marginal agricultural production grants, but again found Maclay unwilling to help.
This was the last straw and a week later Robertson resigned the whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
in protest at the Government's handling of Scottish affairs, declaring he would sit as an Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
Member of Parliament. He stated he continued to support the Conservative position on foreign affairs.
Police brutality
In his first month as an Independent MP, Robertson obtained the signatures of 150 other MPs in support of a motion for an inquiry into the case of a 15-year-old boy who had been assaulted by police in Thurso; the Cabinet debated the issue and decided to set up their own inquiry. Robertson faced some local disquiet over the cost.Independent Member
At the 1959 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1959
This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan...
, Robertson fought Caithness and Sutherland as an Independent Unionist. Knowing of his local popularity, he was not opposed by an official candidate, and won his biggest majority at the election. He began the new Parliament by turning 70, and decided that it would be his last. In March 1962 he protested to the Prime Minister Harold Macmillan
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
that as an Independent MP he had not been nominated to serve on any Select Committees, because the selection was done according to the party proportion of the House. He was particularly anxious to serve on the Sea Fish Industry Bill, on which he had immense experience, and other MPs of all parties campaigned for him to be put on the committee. The Government conceded the point in relation to future committees.
Retirement
In May 1963, Robertson was given the Freedom of Thurso. Although he did not fight the 1964 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1964
The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power...
, his supporters did nominate another Independent candidate, John Young, and Robertson gave Young his support. The official Unionist, Hon. Patrick Maitland
Patrick Maitland, 17th Earl of Lauderdale
Patrick Francis Maitland, 17th Earl of Lauderdale FRGS , styled Hon. Patrick Maitland from 1953 to 1968, was a British Conservative politician.-Early life:...
, accused Robertson's supporters of spreading defamatory rumours about him. The division in Unionist ranks led to a Liberal gain.