Michael Ancram

The Marquess of Lothian
Official portrait, 2019
Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party
In office
18 September 2001 – 6 December 2005
Leader
Preceded byPeter Lilley[a]
Succeeded byOffice not in use[b]
Chairman of the Conservative Party
In office
2 December 1998 – 18 September 2001
LeaderWilliam Hague
Preceded byCecil Parkinson
Succeeded byDavid Davis
Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
In office
10 May 2005 – 6 December 2005
LeaderMichael Howard
Preceded byNicholas Soames
Succeeded byLiam Fox
Shadow Foreign Secretary
In office
18 September 2001 – 10 May 2005
Leader
Preceded byFrancis Maude
Succeeded byLiam Fox
Shadow Constitutional Affairs Spokesperson
In office
19 June 1997 – 1 June 1998
LeaderWilliam Hague
Preceded by
Succeeded byLiam Fox
Ministerial offices
Minister of State for Northern Ireland
In office
11 January 1994 – 2 May 1997
Prime MinisterJohn Major
Preceded byRobert Atkins
Succeeded byAdam Ingram
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
In office
27 May 1993 – 11 January 1994
Prime MinisterJohn Major
Preceded byJeremy Hanley
Succeeded byTim Smith
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland
In office
13 June 1983 – 14 June 1987
Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher
Preceded byAlex Fletcher
Succeeded byJames Douglas-Hamilton
Parliamentary offices
Member of the House of Lords
Life peerage
22 November 2010 – 1 October 2024
Member of Parliament
for Devizes
In office
9 April 1992 – 12 April 2010
Preceded byCharles Morrison
Succeeded byClaire Perry
Member of Parliament
for Edinburgh South
In office
3 May 1979 – 18 May 1987
Preceded byMichael Hutchison
Succeeded byNigel Griffiths
Member of Parliament
for Berwick and East Lothian
In office
28 February 1974 – 20 September 1974
Preceded byJohn Mackintosh
Succeeded byJohn Mackintosh
Personal details
Born
Michael Andrew Foster Jude Kerr

(1945-07-07)7 July 1945
London, England
Died1 October 2024(2024-10-01) (aged 79)
Political partyConservative
Spouse
(m. 1975)
Children3
Parent(s)The 12th Marquess of Lothian
Antonella Newland
RelativesNick Hurd (son-in-law)
Alma materChrist Church, Oxford
University of Edinburgh

Michael Andrew Foster Jude Kerr, 13th Marquess of Lothian, Baron Kerr of Monteviot, PC, KC, DL (7 July 1945 – 1 October 2024), commonly known as Michael Ancram, was a British politician and peer who served as Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party from 2001 to 2005. He was formerly styled Earl of Ancram until he inherited the marquessate in 2004.

Born in London and educated at Ampleforth College, Ancram studied History at Christ Church, Oxford and read Law at the University of Edinburgh. After graduating from Edinburgh, he was called to the Scottish Bar and practised as an advocate before entering politics. He unsuccessfully contested West Lothian in 1970, but was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Berwick and East Lothian at the February 1974 general election and served until he lost the seat in the election held in October of that year. He re-entered parliament in 1979, representing Edinburgh South until his defeat in 1987. During this time, he served as a minister at the Scotland Office in Margaret Thatcher's government.

After being elected to represent Devizes at the 1992 general election, Ancram served at the Northern Ireland Office in John Major's government. When Major was defeated at the 1997 general election, the Conservatives entered opposition and Ancram became Chairman of the Conservative Party under William Hague in 1998, having previously covered constitutional affairs in the Shadow Cabinet. This was followed by a period as Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party under Iain Duncan Smith and Michael Howard, during which time he served in the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Foreign Secretary and Shadow Defence Secretary respectively.


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