- Margaret Herbison
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The Right Honourable
Margaret HerbisonMinister of Social Security
Minister of Pensions and National Insurance (1964–1966)In office
18 October 1964 – 26 July 1967Prime Minister Harold Wilson Preceded by Richard Wood Succeeded by Judith Hart Personal details Born Margaret McCrorie Herbison
11 March 1907
Shotts, Lanarkshire, ScotlandDied 29 December 1996 (aged 89)
Lanark, ScotlandNationality British Political party Labour Alma mater University of Glasgow Occupation Politician Profession Teacher Margaret McCrorie Herbison (11 March 1907 – 29 December 1996) was a Scottish Labour politician.
Educated at Bellshill Academy and the University of Glasgow, her early career was spent as a teacher of English and history and as an economics lecturer for the National Council of Labour Colleges. The daughter of a miner, she would later serve on the Miners' Welfare Commission. She was elected as Member of Parliament for North Lanarkshire at the 1945 general election. She held this seat until her retirement in 1970.
In government, she held office as Joint Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland from 1950 to 1951, as Minister of Pensions and National Insurance from 1964 to 1966, and as Minister of Social Security from 1966 to 1967. She was opposition spokesperson on Scotland (1951–1956, 1959–1962), Education (1956–1959), and Pensions (1958–1959 and 1962–1964).
She was a Member of Labour National Executive Committee, and Labour Party Chairman in 1957. In the House of Commons, she was Chairman of Select Committee on Overseas Aid in 1969-70. She was a British delegate to the Council of Europe.
A lifelong member of the Church of Scotland, from 1970 to 1971 she became the first woman to serve as Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
She died of cancer on 29 December 1996 at St Mary's Hospital, Lanark.
References
- The Times House of Commons 1945. 1945.
- The Times House of Commons 1950. 1950.
- The Times House of Commons 1955. 1955.
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
- Dalyell, Tam (2004). "Herbison, Margaret McCrorie [Peggy] (1907–1996)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/64016. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/64016. Retrieved 2009-09-13. Subscription or UK public library membership required
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Margaret Herbison
Parliament of the United Kingdom Preceded by
William Anstruther-GrayMember of Parliament for North Lanarkshire
1945–1970Succeeded by
John SmithParty political offices Preceded by
Edwin GoochChair of the Labour Party
1956–1957Succeeded by
Tom DribergPolitical offices Preceded by
Richard WoodMinister of Pensions and National Insurance
1964–1966Succeeded by
Herself
as Minister of Social SecurityPreceded by
Herself
as Minister of Pensions and National InsuranceMinister of Social Security
1966–1967Succeeded by
Judith HartCategories:- 1907 births
- 1997 deaths
- People from Shotts
- Alumni of the University of Glasgow
- Cancer deaths in Scotland
- British female MPs
- Labour Party (UK) MPs
- Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
- Members of the United Kingdom Parliament for Scottish constituencies
- UK MPs 1945–1950
- UK MPs 1950–1951
- UK MPs 1951–1955
- UK MPs 1955–1959
- UK MPs 1959–1964
- UK MPs 1964–1966
- UK MPs 1966–1970
- Lords High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
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