Robert McCrindle
Encyclopedia
Sir Robert Arthur McCrindle, (19 September 1929 – 8 October 1998), known as Robert McCrindle, was a Conservative
politician. He was Member of Parliament
for Billericay
from 1970–74 and Brentwood and Ongar from 1974-92 (following boundary changes).
Born in Glasgow
, McCrindle was educated at Allan Glen's School
. Sir Robert served in the RAF from 1947 - 1949 and spent nearly 2 years at RAF Changi, Singapore at the time of the Malaya emergency. In 1953 he married Myra Anderson with whom he had two sons.
in the 1959 general election
. He moved from Scotland
to Essex
in 1964 and was elected for Billericay in 1970, serving until it was merged into the Basildon constituency
in February 1974
. He was the returned for the new Brentwood and Ongar constituency, which re-elected him until his retirement at the 1992 general election
, when he was succeeded by Eric Pickles
.
and to the left of centre on social policy issues. He was a regular rebel on such issues as the uprating of child benefit and NHS charges. Despite this he was a loyal Tory, and Margaret Thatcher
arranged for him to be knighted in 1990, after her downfall.
For seven days he was a Parliamentary Private Secretary
to Mark Carlisle
, a Home Office
minister in the last days of the Heath
government of 1974, but otherwise spent his career as a back-bencher.
McCrindle was an insurance broker
, he was an associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute
and a parliamentary consultant to the insurance industry, and had a keen interest in pensions reform.
He held a wide range of business interests, including a directorship of the Hogg Robinson travel agency.
He also held a number of travel-related consultancies including the British Caledonian
and Trust House Forte, and was parliamentary adviser to the British Transport Police
Federation.
As the chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Aviation Committee from 1980–92, McCrindle was involved in the aftermath of the Lockerbie disaster appearing on radio and television explaining what he believed should be done to improve the security of airlines after the bombing.
He was also the first chairman of All Parliamentary Group on Insurance and Financial Services and a public affairs consultant to the Federation of Tour Operators from 1994–98
correspondent for Westminster's The House Magazine until the week before his death.
Conservative 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...
politician. He was 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 Billericay
Billericay (UK Parliament constituency)
Billericay was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.It returned Conservative MPs at every election except 1966....
from 1970–74 and Brentwood and Ongar from 1974-92 (following boundary changes).
Born 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...
, McCrindle was educated at 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...
. Sir Robert served in the RAF from 1947 - 1949 and spent nearly 2 years at RAF Changi, Singapore at the time of the Malaya emergency. In 1953 he married Myra Anderson with whom he had two sons.
Electoral history
McCrindle first contested Dundee EastDundee East (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:-Elections in the 1980s:-Elections in the 1970s:-Elections in the 1950s:...
in the 1959 general election
United 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...
. He moved from 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...
to Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
in 1964 and was elected for Billericay in 1970, serving until it was merged into the Basildon constituency
Basildon (UK Parliament constituency)
Basildon was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
in February 1974
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
. He was the returned for the new Brentwood and Ongar constituency, which re-elected him until his retirement at the 1992 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
, when he was succeeded by Eric Pickles
Eric Pickles
Eric Jack Pickles is a British Conservative Party politician. Pickles was appointed Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government of the coalition government headed by Prime Minister David Cameron on 12 May 2010....
.
Parliamentary career
McCrindle was pro-EuropeanEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and to the left of centre on social policy issues. He was a regular rebel on such issues as the uprating of child benefit and NHS charges. Despite this he was a loyal Tory, and Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
arranged for him to be knighted in 1990, after her downfall.
For seven days he was a Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to Mark Carlisle
Mark Carlisle
Mark Carlisle, Baron Carlisle of Bucklow QC DL PC was a Conservative British politician and was Member of Parliament for Runcorn 1964-1983 and Warrington South 1983-1987...
, a Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
minister in the last days of the Heath
Edward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
government of 1974, but otherwise spent his career as a back-bencher.
McCrindle was an insurance broker
Insurance broker
An insurance broker finds sources for contracts of insurance on behalf of their customers. The three largest insurance brokers in the world, by revenue, are Aon, Marsh & McLennan, and Willis Group Holdings.-Purpose of insurance brokers:...
, he was an associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute
Chartered Insurance Institute
The Chartered Insurance Institute is a United Kingdom based professional organisation for those working in the insurance and financial services industries....
and a parliamentary consultant to the insurance industry, and had a keen interest in pensions reform.
He held a wide range of business interests, including a directorship of the Hogg Robinson travel agency.
He also held a number of travel-related consultancies including the British Caledonian
British Caledonian
British Caledonian was a private, British independentindependent from government-owned corporations airline, operating out of Gatwick Airport in the 1970s and 1980s...
and Trust House Forte, and was parliamentary adviser to the British Transport Police
British Transport Police
The British Transport Police is a special police force that polices those railways and light-rail systems in Great Britain for which it has entered into an agreement to provide such services...
Federation.
As the chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Aviation Committee from 1980–92, McCrindle was involved in the aftermath of the Lockerbie disaster appearing on radio and television explaining what he believed should be done to improve the security of airlines after the bombing.
He was also the first chairman of All Parliamentary Group on Insurance and Financial Services and a public affairs consultant to the Federation of Tour Operators from 1994–98
Retirement
In his retirement, McCrindle produced a magazine, Interface, on politics for small businesses and continued to be a regular contributor as the CityCity of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
correspondent for Westminster's The House Magazine until the week before his death.