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Sir Nicholas Paul Scott (5 August 1933 – 6 January 2005) was a
British Conservative Party The Conservative Party, officially the Conservative and Unionist Party and also known colloquially as the Tories, is one of the two main political parties in the United Kingdom, along with the Labour Party. It is the current governing party, ...
politician. He was a liberal, pro-European Conservative who became President of the
Tory Reform Group The Tory Reform Group (TRG) is a pressure group associated with the British Conservative Party that works to promote "modern, progressive Conservatism... economic efficiency and social justice" and "a Conservatism that supports equality, divers ...
. During his time in the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
he served in various ministerial roles including for social security and Northern Ireland.


Early life

Scott was born in
Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
,
Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...
, to Percival John Scott, a
Metropolitan Police The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...
officer, and his wife, Teresa Mary Murphy, who was Irish and Catholic. In comparison to many Young Conservatives of Scott's generation who later made it into the cabinet, he stood out as not having gone to
Oxbridge Oxbridge is a portmanteau of Oxford and Cambridge, the two oldest, wealthiest, and most famous universities in the United Kingdom. The term is used to refer to them collectively, in contrast to other British universities, and more broadly to de ...
. His education was modest: at St Andrew's primary school in
Streatham Streatham ( ) is a district in south London, England. Centred south of Charing Cross, it lies mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth, with some parts extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Wandsworth. Streatham was in Surrey ...
, then
Clapham College Clapham College was a Roman Catholic secondary school for boys in South London. Background It opened in 1897 and closed in 1989. Its history falls into three phases: for half a century it was a private school, for three decades it was a publicl ...
, and then part-time at the
City of London College London Guildhall University was a university in the United Kingdom from 1992 to 2002, established when the City of London Polytechnic was awarded university status. On 1 August 2002, it merged with the University of North London to form Londo ...
and the
City Literary Institute City Lit is an adult education college in Holborn, central London, founded by the London County Council in 1919, which has charitable status. It offers part-time courses across four schools and five "centres of expertise", covering humanities an ...
. He later secured jobs as a salesman, executive or director, first with Shell, then in the printing trade.


Political career


1956–1970

Scott began his political career serving as a councillor on Holborn Borough Council 1956–59 and 1962–65. Scott contested Islington South West at the 1959 general election and at the 1964 election. Scott was made national chairman of the Young Conservatives in 1963. He entered the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
on his third attempt, at the 1966 general election. He was returned as
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
(MP) for the Paddington South constituency, defeating
Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...
's
Conrad Russell Conrad Sebastian Robert Russell, 5th Earl Russell, (15 April 1937 – 14 October 2004), was a British historian and politician. His parents were the philosopher and mathematician Bertrand Russell and his third wife Patricia Russell. He was al ...
. Scott quickly became one of the stand out liberal Tory MPs, speaking out against discrimination of foreign students and demanding more nursery education. In 1968 when Labour home secretary
James Callaghan Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, ( ; 27 March 191226 March 2005), commonly known as Jim Callaghan, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980. Callaghan is ...
proposed immigration limits on the entry of East African Asians with UK passports, Scott swam against the tide and refused to join the Conservative shadow government in supporting the limits. He was one of the first Conservative MPs to speak out against
Enoch Powell John Enoch Powell, (16 June 1912 – 8 February 1998) was a British politician, classical scholar, author, linguist, soldier, philologist, and poet. He served as a Conservative Member of Parliament (1950–1974) and was Minister of Health (1 ...
's 1968 anti-immigration speech.


1970–1975

Scott was a protege of
Iain Macleod Iain Norman Macleod (11 November 1913 – 20 July 1970) was a British Conservative Party politician and government minister. A playboy and professional bridge player in his twenties, after war service Macleod worked for the Conservative Researc ...
who made him his parliamentary Private Secretary just one month before Macleod died in 1970. With the advent of the
Heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler ...
government Scott stuck with his principles opposing the sale of arms to apartheid South Africa. When his seat was abolished after boundary changes for the February 1974 election, he stood in the new Paddington seat, but lost to the outgoing Paddington North MP
Arthur Latham Arthur Charles Latham (14 August 1930 – 3 December 2016) was a British Labour Party politician, who was the MP for Paddington North from 1969 to 1974, and its successor seat, Paddington, from that year until 1979. Early life and education L ...
. Shortly after he lost his parliamentary seat in 1974,
Time magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Mar ...
picked Nicholas Scott as one of its 150 "future world leaders". However in October 1974
Marcus Worsley Sir William Marcus John Worsley, 5th Baronet, (6 April 1925 – 18 December 2012) was a British Conservative Party politician. He served as a Member of Parliament in four parliaments between 1959 and 1974, and served as High Sheriff and Lord ...
, the MP for the safe Conservative seat of
Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
, decided to retire. Scott was selected as the new Conservative candidate, and at the October 1974 general election, he was returned with over 60% of the vote. He immediately took a seat on the opposition front bench as Edward Heath appointed him spokesman on housing.


1975–1986

Scott's prospects were greatly curtailed when Margaret Thatcher won the Conservative Party Leadership race. Thatcher was a proponent of a 'tougher', less liberal Conservatism. Scott was offered a more junior position, he refused to serve and became a rallying point for the "
wets During the 1980s, members of the moderate wing of the British Conservative Party who opposed some of the more hard-line policies of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher were often referred to by their opponents as "wets". Thatcher coined the usage in ...
" within the party. He did little to appease Thatcher, opposing sending sports teams to apartheid South Africa, he was also a proponent of
Proportional Representation Proportional representation (PR) refers to a type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to geographical (e.g. states, regions) and political divis ...
, and abstained on new immigration restrictions. Scott's championing of liberal causes led Labour politician
Dick Crossman Richard Howard Stafford Crossman (15 December 1907 – 5 April 1974) was a British Labour Party politician. A university classics lecturer by profession, he was elected a Member of Parliament in 1945 and became a significant figure among the ...
to describe him as "the most liberal Tory of them all". However when
Roy Jenkins Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead, (11 November 1920 – 5 January 2003) was a British politician who served as President of the European Commission from 1977 to 1981. At various times a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Lab ...
tried to enlist him for the newly formed SDP in 1981, Scott remained loyal to the Conservative party and turned down the invitation. He was made a
Privy Councillor A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...
in 1989. A moderate Conservative, he fought to fend off Margaret Thatcher's more radical schemes and was the initial host of "Nick's Diner", the dining club where 'Wets' let off anti-Thatcher steam. In 1981 when
Jim Prior James Michael Leathes Prior, Baron Prior, (11 October 1927 – 12 December 2016) was a British Conservative Party politician. A Member of Parliament from 1959 to 1987, he represented the Suffolk constituency of Lowestoft until 1983 and then ...
, seen as a leader of the 'wet' Conservatives, was transferred to Northern Ireland by Thatcher, Scott joined him as a junior Minister. Scott took charge of prisons and quickly came under criticism when there was a mass break out from the
Maze Prison Her Majesty's Prison Maze (previously Long Kesh Detention Centre, and known colloquially as The Maze or H-Blocks) was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house alleged paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from August 1971 to Sept ...
and faced calls to resign. Prior stood by him, declaring that if Scott was forced to resign he would go as well. Scott became the longest serving minister in Northern Ireland and was rewarded for his service by being made Minister of State. Scott firmly believed in power sharing in Northern Ireland; this stance made him deeply unpopular with the loyalist element in Northern Ireland, many of whom felt that he had greater sympathy for a united Ireland than he admitted. He was a strong supporter of the
Anglo-Irish Agreement The Anglo-Irish Agreement was a 1985 treaty between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland which aimed to help bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The treaty gave the Irish government an advisory role in Northern Irela ...
, and was held in high regard by the Dublin government and by the
SDLP The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) ( ga, Páirtí Sóisialta Daonlathach an Lucht Oibre) is a social-democratic and Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. The SDLP currently has eight members in the Northern Irela ...
.


1987–1996

In 1987 Scott was moved sideways to the Department of Social Security, and soon became Minister for the Disabled as well. The autonomy he had had in Northern Ireland away from Thatcher did not continue in to this role. Scott made no secret of his disquiet at some of the reforms he was forced to put through. His period as Minister for the Disabled saw him come under attack from many campaigners, including his own daughter, a disability campaigner with
RADAR Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...
, when on behalf of the Government he 'talked out' the Civil Rights (Disabled Persons) Bill, a
Private member's bill A private member's bill is a bill (proposed law) introduced into a legislature by a legislator who is not acting on behalf of the executive branch. The designation "private member's bill" is used in most Westminster system jurisdictions, in whi ...
which aimed to outlaw discrimination on grounds of disability. Despite this he could point to provisions for the disabled being over a quarter greater than they had been at the start of the Thatcher government. He was succeeded in this post by
William Hague William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
. Appointed a Member of the
Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
(MBE) in 1964, he was knighted in the same order in 1995. Scott remained MP for Chelsea until the seat was abolished at the 1997 general election. He was initially selected as the Conservative candidate for the new Kensington and Chelsea constituency, but was subsequently deselected after allegations of alcoholism surfaced following an incident in which he was found passed out in a gutter during the party conference in
Bournemouth Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the Southern ...
.


Cricket

Away from politics, Scott was a keen cricketer and widely regarded as a talented opening batsman. He turned out for a number of clubs throughout his career, including MCC,
Free Foresters Free Foresters Cricket Club is an English amateur cricket club, established in 1856 for players from the Midland counties of England. It is a 'wandering' (or nomadic) club, having no home ground. The Free Foresters were founded by the Rev. Willi ...
, and the Lords and Commons Cricket team. ''A Celebration of Lords and Commons Cricket 1850-1988'' (1989) rued the fact that a busy political career had kept him away from the crease for far too many matches. Despite this his
batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
was impressive: during a 16-year playing career for the Lords and Commons he scored over 2,000 runs, and in 1972 posted an average of 238 runs.


Personal life

Scott was twice married. His first marriage to Elizabeth Robinson, by whom he had a son and two daughters, lasted from 1964 to their divorce in 1976. He married secondly to Hon. Cecilia Ann Tapsell, daughter of Bladen Hawke, 9th Baron Hawke, and had another son and daughter Patrick (Paddy) and Amber. Scott died in London on 6 January 2005, aged 71. At the time of his death, he had
Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...
.


Sources

*''Times Guide to the House of Commons'', Times Newspapers Limited, 1992 edition. *''
Whitaker's Almanack ''Whitaker's'' is a reference book, published annually in the United Kingdom. The book was originally published by J Whitaker & Sons from 1868 to 1997, then by The Stationery Office until 2003, and then by A & C Black which became a wholly owned ...
'', 2006 edition.


References


External links

* , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Nicholas 1933 births 2005 deaths Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Deaths from Alzheimer's disease Deaths from dementia in England Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Members of Holborn Metropolitan Borough Council Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Northern Ireland Office junior ministers Politicians of the Pro-Euro Conservative Party UK MPs 1966–1970 UK MPs 1970–1974 UK MPs 1974–1979 UK MPs 1979–1983 UK MPs 1983–1987 UK MPs 1987–1992 UK MPs 1992–1997