George Younger, 4th Viscount Younger of Leckie
Encyclopedia
George Kenneth Hotson Younger, 4th Viscount Younger of Leckie KT
KCVO
TD
PC
(22 September 1931 in Gargunnock
, Stirlingshire
, Scotland
- 26 January 2003 in Gargunnock, Stirlingshire, Scotland) was a British
politician
and banker.
, was created Viscount Younger of Leckie in 1923. Younger was the eldest of the three sons of Edward Younger, 3rd Viscount Younger of Leckie
.
He was educated at Winchester College
, and New College, Oxford
, where he obtained an Master's degree
. Joining the British Army
, he served in the Korean War
with the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. On 7 August 1954, he married Diana Tuck, daughter of a Royal Navy captain, and had 4 children.
seat in a by-election in late 1963, but agreed to stand aside to allow the new Prime Minister Alec Douglas-Home
the chance to enter the House of Commons. Following in the footsteps of his great-grandfather the 1st Viscount, Younger became Member of Parliament
for Ayr
in 1964. He succeeded Michael Heseltine
as Secretary of State for Defence when Heseltine resigned from the cabinet over a dispute about helicopter
s known as the Westland crisis.
, becoming its chairman in 1992. He was created a life peer
as Baron Younger of Prestwick of Ayr in the District of Kyle and Carrick
on 7 July 1992, five years before succeeding to the viscountcy. As such, he continued to sit in the House of Lords
after the passage of the House of Lords Act 1999
which expelled most of the hereditary peers.
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Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
KCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
TD
Territorial Decoration
The Territorial Decoration was a medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army...
PC
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(22 September 1931 in Gargunnock
Gargunnock
Gargunnock is a small village in the Stirling council area approximately seven miles west of Stirling, in Scotland. The 2001 census population was 944...
, Stirlingshire
Stirlingshire
Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling is a registration county of Scotland, based around Stirling, the former county town. It borders Perthshire to the north, Clackmannanshire and West Lothian to the east, Lanarkshire to the south, and Dunbartonshire to the south-west.Until 1975 it was a county...
, 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...
- 26 January 2003 in Gargunnock, Stirlingshire, Scotland) was a British
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...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and banker.
Family History and Early Life
Younger's great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, George Younger (baptised 1722), was the founder of the family's brewing business, George Younger and Son. Younger's great-grandfather, George YoungerGeorge Younger, 1st Viscount Younger of Leckie
George Younger, 1st Viscount Younger of Leckie Bt was a British politician.He was educated at Edinburgh Academy. In 1897, he became chairman of George Younger and Son, the family brewing business founded by his great-grandfather, George Younger , of Alloa, Clackmannanshire...
, was created Viscount Younger of Leckie in 1923. Younger was the eldest of the three sons of Edward Younger, 3rd Viscount Younger of Leckie
Edward Younger, 3rd Viscount Younger of Leckie
Edward George Younger, 3rd Viscount Younger of Leckie -Family background:Lord Younger of Leckie came from a Scottish family which had been making money from brewing since the 18th century, and which entered the aristocracy in the early years of the 20th century...
.
He was educated at Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
, and New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
, where he obtained an Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
. Joining the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, he served in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
with the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. On 7 August 1954, he married Diana Tuck, daughter of a Royal Navy captain, and had 4 children.
Political career
He was initially selected to stand for the Kinross and West PerthshireKinross and Western Perthshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Kinross and Western Perthshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 1983, representing, at any one time, a seat for one Member of Parliament , elected by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:The constituency was...
seat in a by-election in late 1963, but agreed to stand aside to allow the new Prime Minister Alec Douglas-Home
Alec Douglas-Home
Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel, KT, PC , known as The Earl of Home from 1951 to 1963 and as Sir Alec Douglas-Home from 1963 to 1974, was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1963 to October 1964.He is the last...
the chance to enter the House of Commons. Following in the footsteps of his great-grandfather the 1st Viscount, Younger became 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,...
for Ayr
Ayr (UK Parliament constituency)
Ayr was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 to 2005. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election.- History :...
in 1964. He succeeded Michael Heseltine
Michael Heseltine
Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, Baron Heseltine, CH, PC is a British businessman, Conservative politician and patron of the Tory Reform Group. He was a Member of Parliament from 1966 to 2001 and was a prominent figure in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major...
as Secretary of State for Defence when Heseltine resigned from the cabinet over a dispute about helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s known as the Westland crisis.
Later years
Younger quit the cabinet in 1989, and joined the Royal Bank of ScotlandRoyal Bank of Scotland
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the...
, becoming its chairman in 1992. He was created a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baron Younger of Prestwick of Ayr in the District of Kyle and Carrick
Kyle and Carrick
Kyle and Carrick was one of nineteen local government districts in the Strathclyde region of Scotland from 1975 to 1996....
on 7 July 1992, five years before succeeding to the viscountcy. As such, he continued to sit in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
after the passage of the House of Lords Act 1999
House of Lords Act 1999
The House of Lords Act 1999 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. The Act reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. For centuries, the House of Lords had included several hundred members who inherited their seats;...
which expelled most of the hereditary peers.
Sources
- Torrance, David, The Scottish Secretaries (Birlinn 2006)
- Burke's Peerage & Baronetage (106th edition, 1999). Editor-in-chief: Charles Mosley; publisher: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd.
External links
- Lord Younger dies after cancer battle – BBC News article, dated Sun 26 Jan 2003
- Lord Younger: A career in politics – BBC News article, dated Sun 26 Jan 2003
- Tribute paid to 'Gentleman George' – BBC News article, dated Sun 26 Jan 2003
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