Ian Lang

Ian Bruce Lang, Baron Lang of Monkton, PC, (born 27 June 1940) is a Conservative politician.

Educated at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, where he was a member of the Cambridge Footlights, he was MP for Galloway from 1979 to 1983 and for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale from 1983 to 1997, and was a minister for a number of years. He served as a Government whip from 1981 to 1986, Under-Secretary of State for Employment (1986), Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (1986-1987) and Minister of State for Scotland (1987-1990). He joined the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Scotland from 1990 to 1995, and then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and President of the Board of Trade until 1997. He was closely involved in John Major's re-election campaign as leader of the Conservative Party in July 1995.

He lost his seat in the 1997 general election, one of seven Cabinet members to do so (the others being Malcolm Rifkind, Michael Portillo, Michael Forsyth, Roger Freeman, William Waldegrave and Tony Newton). He was made a life peer as Baron Lang of Monkton, of Merrick and the Rhinns of Kells in Dumfries and Galloway in September 1997.

References

* Torrance, David, "The Scottish Secretaries" (Birlinn 2006)