- Norman Buchan
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Norman Findlay Buchan (27 October 1922 – 23 October 1990) was a Labour politician, who represented the West Renfrewshire seat from 1964 until 1983 and the Paisley South seat from 1983 to 1990.
A schoolteacher based in Rutherglen, he was interested in the arts, compiling a book entitled 101 Scottish Songs (Glasgow; London: Collins, 1962) before becoming a full time politician in 1964, taking the West Renfrewshire seat from the Conservatives. Whilst a Member of Parliament, he served as Joint Under Secretary of State for Scotland whilst in the 1966-70 Labour government and as Minister of State for Agriculture in the 1974 Labour gvoernment. He later became Shadow Minister for the Arts in opposition.
He died in 1990 whilst a sitting MP (coincidentally, the neighbouring MP for Paisley North, Allen Adams also died that year, resulting in by-elections being held in the same month for the two seats). He was succeeded as MP for Paisley South by Gordon McMaster.
He was married for 44 years (1946 - 1990) to Janey Buchan, Labour Member of the European Parliament for Glasgow from 1979 until 1994.
His only son, Alasdair Buchan, has been a journalist since 1968. He launched the magazine Equality & Diversity Professional in 2008.
Norman Buchan opposed an early day motion to block the televised version of Tony Harrison's poem 'V' on Channel 4, saying that members who opposed the broadcast had either not read or understood the poem.
References
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Norman Buchan
Parliament of the United Kingdom Preceded by
John Scott MaclayMember of Parliament for West Renfrewshire
1964–1983Constituency abolished New constituency Member of Parliament for Paisley South
1983–1990Succeeded by
Gordon McMasterCategories:- 1922 births
- 1990 deaths
- Scottish schoolteachers
- Scottish writers
- Scottish song collectors
- Members of the United Kingdom Parliament for Paisley constituencies
- Members of the United Kingdom Parliament for Scottish constituencies
- Labour Party (UK) MPs
- UK MPs 1964–1966
- UK MPs 1966–1970
- UK MPs 1970–1974
- UK MPs 1974
- UK MPs 1974–1979
- UK MPs 1979–1983
- UK MPs 1983–1987
- UK MPs 1987–1992
- Scottish MP stubs
- Scottish writer stubs
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