Michael Hirst (politician)
Sir Michael Hirst | |
---|---|
Member of Parliament for Strathkelvin and Bearsden | |
In office 9 June 1983 – 18 May 1987 | |
Preceded by | New constituency |
Succeeded by | Sam Galbraith |
Chairman of the Scottish Conservatives | |
In office 1993–1997 | |
Succeeded by | Raymond Robertson |
Personal details | |
Born | 2 January 1946 |
Political party | Conservatives |
Spouse | Naomi Ferguson (m. 1972) |
Children | 3 |
Sir Michael William Hirst (born 2 January 1946) is a former
Early life
Hirst studied at
Political career
Hirst fought several elections before being successful. In February and October 1974 he stood at Central Dunbartonshire without success. At the 1979 general election he contested East Dunbartonshire but was again defeated.
He was elected Member of Parliament for Strathkelvin and Bearsden at the 1983 general election, but lost the seat to Labour's Sam Galbraith at the 1987 election.
He was PPS at the Department of Energy from 1985 to 1987. He attempted to retake Strathkelvin and Bearsden in 1992 election but was beaten again by Galbraith, the same year he was knighted. In 1997 he was forced to resign his position as Scottish Conservative Chairman and Westminster candidate for the seat of Eastwood, in the wake of revelations about his private life, as he had had several previous homosexual affairs with other, younger Scottish Tories.[1][2][3]
After Parliament
Hirst was subsequently the President of the
He was knighted in 1992 for political and public service in 1992. He is chairman of the Scottish Division of ISKB, and a member of its Council.
Hirst joined
He was the first non-medical chairman of the board of trustees of Diabetes UK from 2001–2006 and was elected Vice President of the International Diabetes Federation in 2006, serving in that position until he was elected President-Elect in 2009. He took up office as President at the end of 2012, serving until December 2015.
Personal life
He has two daughters and one son with his wife, Naomi Ferguson, whom he married in 1972. In his spare time he enjoys
References
- ^ "My date with Michael Portillo". www.newstatesman.com. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015.
- ^ "Fallen from grace". www.scotsman.com.
- ^ http://www.qrd.org/qrd/media/radio/thiswayout/summary/newswrap/1997/471-04.07.97 [bare URL plain text file]
- ^ http://www.pagodapr.com/webpages/biog_hirst.htm archived at
- Times Guide to the House of Commons 1992
- Lexis Nexis
- Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages [better source needed]