Archy Kirkwood
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:EngvarB Template:Infobox officeholder Archibald Johnstone Kirkwood, Baron Kirkwood of Kirkhope, Template:Post-nominals (born 22 April 1946), is a British Liberal Democrat politician.
Education
Kirkwood was educated at Cranhill Secondary School<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in Cranhill, Glasgow, and studied pharmacy at Heriot-Watt University, gaining a BSc in 1971. He became a solicitor in Hawick and Notary public.
Parliamentary career
Kirkwood first joined parliament in 1971 as a parliamentary assistant as part of the Joseph Rowntree Social Service Trust (now the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust) Political Fellowship Scheme.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1971 he worked for David Steel MP in the office of the Liberal Chief Whip.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Kirkwood was the Liberal, and later Liberal Democrat, Member of Parliament for Roxburgh and Berwickshire from 1983 until 2005.
In 1986, he with two other MPs, Simon Hughes and Michael Meadowcroft, and the National League of Young Liberals and other parts of the party produced the booklet Across the Divide: Liberal Values on Defence and Disarmament. This was the rally call that defeated the party leadership in the debate over the issue of an independent nuclear deterrent. This led to Kirkwood and the other authors being jeered by other Liberal MPs and Peers at the 1986 Liberal Assembly.<ref name=Defence1986>Template:Cite news</ref>
A Chair of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Work and Pensions, Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope, is listed in the House of Lords Register of Interests (Session 2006–2007)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> as the Chairman of the Unum Customer Advisory Panel for which he received payment from Unum. He received additional payments for other work for Unum.
Personal life
Kirkwood was knighted in the 2003 New Year Honours,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and dubbed by the Queen at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on 3 July 2003.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>
On 13 May 2005 it was announced that he would be created a life peer, and on 10 June 2005 he was created Baron Kirkwood of Kirkhope, of Kirkhope in Scottish Borders.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> He retired from the House of Lords on 2 September 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
He married Rosemary Chester on 30 December 1972. Lady Kirkwood died on 22 October 2019.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> They have a son and daughter.
References
External links
- Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope profile at the site of Liberal Democrats
- Guardian Politics Ask Aristotle – Archy Kirkwood
- TheyWorkForYou.com – Archy Kirkwood
- The Public Whip – Archy Kirkwood voting record
- BBC News – Archy Kirkwood profile 10 February 2005
Template:S-start Template:S-par Template:S-new Template:S-ttl Template:S-non Template:S-ppo Template:Succession box Template:S-prec Template:S-bef Template:S-ttl Template:S-fol Template:S-end Template:Authority control
- 1946 births
- Living people
- Politicians from Glasgow
- Scottish Liberal Party MPs
- Scottish Liberal Democrat MPs
- Liberal Democrats (UK) life peers
- UK MPs 1983–1987
- UK MPs 1987–1992
- UK MPs 1992–1997
- UK MPs 1997–2001
- UK MPs 2001–2005
- Alumni of Heriot-Watt University
- Knights Bachelor
- Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
- Life peers created by Elizabeth II
- Peers retired under the House of Lords Reform Act 2014