Murray MacLehose, Baron MacLehose of Beoch

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Crawford Murray MacLehose, Baron MacLehose of Beoch,

Although MacLehose came from a diplomatic background and lacked colonial administrative experience, he was generally regarded as one of the most successful and popular governors of Hong Kong due to the number of social reforms enacted during his time and for Hong Kong's economic success during his time in office. Although his tenure as governor finished before formal British-Sino negotiations over Hong Kong commenced, he sought to improve diplomatic relations with China and held talks with Deng Xiaoping.^[2][3][4][5]

Early life and career

Murray MacLehose was born in

MacLehose was awarded the Order of the British Empire by the British government in 1946 for his wartime service.^[2]

Diplomatic career

At the end of the Second World War, MacLehose served as the British Acting Consul in Fuzhou before becoming Consul General for the British Foreign Office in Hankou in 1948. He developed a keen interest in Chinese culture and learned to speak Mandarin.^[2][8] MacLehose returned to Britain in 1950 in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War in which the Chinese Communist Party took power.^[6]

MacLehose was seconded to the

In 1967, he was appointed the British Ambassador to South Vietnam and held the role until 1969. His career was almost stalled when he left a copy of a confidential telegram in a bank in 1967. The document contained correspondence between then British Prime Minister Harold Wilson and US President Lyndon Johnson concerning the Vietnam War. Another British diplomat was able to recover the telegram before its contents could be leaked. Upon being informed of the potential security breach, Wilson and Brown decided against allowing an investigation into MacLehose's error out of appreciation of his abilities and record. This decision likely saved his career,^[9] and allowed MacLehose to proceed to his next post as British Ambassador to the Republic of Vietnam in 1967.^[9]

Between this time and 1971, MacLehose served in the British Embassy in Beijing and briefly as the

MacLehose became Governor of Hong Kong in November 1971. He held the position until May 1982, making him Hong Kong's longest-serving governor: his 10 years and 6 months in office exceeded Sir Alexander Grantham's record by one month. He was widely and affectionately known as "Jock the Sock", in reference both to his Scottish heritage and to his name, 'hose' being a word meaning sock or stocking.

MacLehose was appointed Governor shortly after the 1967 Hong Kong riots due to his extensive diplomatic background in Asia, perceived skill to analyse political problems and because the British government felt he lacked colonial baggage. MacLehose summarised that Hong Kong had already established sufficient economic capacity and the time had come to reform Hong Kong's social policies.^[10]

MacLehose stood well over six feet tall. He avoided wearing his gubernatorial uniform, as he felt very ill at ease in it but wore a traditional colonial office uniform after arriving on a

A diplomat with a

These changes required approval from the UK Government Treasury for increased expenditure, and it was against some opposition that, in his first two years in office, Hong Kong government expenditure grew by over 50%.^[13]

In private, MacLehose was a supporter of gay rights and was urged by activist Elsie Tu and members of the Hong Kong Anglican Church to reform laws that made homosexual acts illegal in line with international human rights standards. However, MacLehose chose not to change the laws out of concern that it would be met with hostility by the more socially conservative Chinese population. Homosexuality was later decriminalized in Hong Kong by the British administration and Legislative Council in 1991.^[14]

MacLehose was convinced China would eventually reclaim Hong Kong and opposed any significant move towards constitutional democracy in Hong Kong.^[15]

Under MacLehose's tenure, Hong Kong faced significant problems with illegal immigration from mainland China due to political turmoil following the

• The introduction of nine years of compulsory education.[16]
• The introduction of the Ten-year Housing Programme in 1972 to alleviate housing problems.^[17]
• The establishment of satellite 'new towns',^[18] such as Sha Tin and Tuen Mun.
• The establishment of the
  Country Parks.^[18]
• The introduction and approval of a Labour Ordinance.[19]
• The establishment of the social assistance scheme.^[20]
• The construction of the
  Mass Transit Railway.^[21]
• An expansion of community facilities.[22]
• The adoption of Chinese as an official language.^[23]
• The introduction of paid holidays.^[24]
• An increase in social service provision for the elderly.^[20]
• The introduction of infirmity and disability allowances.^[25]
• The introduction of redundancy payments for workers.^[24]
• The introduction of the Home Ownership Scheme to encourage owner-occupation.^[26]
• The introduction of a major rehabilitation programme for the disabled and disadvantaged.^[27]
• An increase in the number of schools and hospitals.^[28]
• The introduction of Criminal and Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation.^[29]
• The introduction of Traffic Accident Victims Assistance.^[29]
• The introduction of special needs allowances for the elderly.^[29]
• The introduction of sickness allowances for eligible manual and lower-paid non-manual workers.^[29]
• The introduction of weekly rest days.^[29]
• The introduction of Labour Tribunals.^[29]
• The establishment of the Junior Secondary Education Assessment (JSEA) system to increase the number of subsidised places in senior secondary education.^[29]
• The establishment of Geotechnical Engineering Office (part of Civil Engineering and Development Department) to ensure safeties of slopes and hillside to avoid further loss of lives due to landslides and slips of Sau Mau Ping in 1972 and 1976.^[30]
• The establishment of the Jubilee Sports Centre
• The establishment of the
  Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts

Relations with China

In order to cooperate with the improvement of Sino-British relations, MacLehose took a series of actions to repair the tense relations between China and Hong Kong since the Cultural Revolution and the June 7th riots. MacLehose was the first Governor of Hong Kong to make an official visit to China since the founding of the People's Republic of China. Alexander Grantham had been the first Hong Kong governor had visited Beijing in 1955, but in a private capacity.^[4][31]

Hong Kong sovereignty negotiations

In 1979, MacLehose raised the question of Britain's 99-year lease of the New Territories (an area that encompasses all territories north of Boundary Street on the Kowloon Peninsula), with Deng Xiaoping.^[32] After returning to Hong Kong with the talks, MacLehose wished to avoid a public panic and did not publicly disclose the nature of the talks. He only quoted Deng Xiaoping as "telling Hong Kong investors to rest assured" but abandoned plans to reform Hong Kong's democratic model out of fear of provoking the Chinese government.^[33] The talks, although inconclusive at the time, eventually involved top British Government officials and paved the way for the handover of Hong Kong in its entirety, including those parts ceded to the UK in perpetuity, to the People's Republic of China on 1 July 1997.

Legacy and assessment

The MacLehose Trail near Tai Mo Shan Road

Lady MacLehose Resort, Pak Tam Chung

MacLehose is generally regarded as one of the most beloved governors in Hong Kong's history. His various policies were credited with changing the original appearance of Hong Kong, transforming it from a relatively traditional colony into a rapidly developing large region. He was particuarly praised for his efforts to improve education, medical care, public transportation and anti-corruption measures.^{[2][3][4][34][35]}

When MacLehose finished his term as Governor of Hong Kong in 1982, the South China Morning Post and the chief unofficial member of the Legislative Council Roger Lobo unanimously used the term "MacLehose Era" to describe the entire 1970s and 1980s of Hong Kong under MacLehose's rule. In the early 1990s, it was believed that his more than 10 years as governor of Hong Kong had a profound impact on Hong Kong. In an interview in his later years, MacLehose admitted that during his tenure, he was "committed to rapidly expanding social services and housing supply" in response to the dissatisfaction expressed by citizens during the 1967 leftist riots. He believed that these policies could not only effectively bring the public and the people closer, but also accelerate the modernization of society and was therefore an important and correct policy for Hong Kong. Due to his fondness for hiking and promotion of outdoor pursuits various nature sites and picnic spots were named after him and his wife in Hong Kong, including the MacLehose Trail and the Lady MacLehose Holiday Village in Sai Kung^[6][34]

However, MacLehose's tenure has faced some criticism due to his perceived failure to enact democratic reforms. MacLehose was critical of attempted democratic reforms enacted by

MacLehose married Margaret Noël Dunlop, the daughter of Scottish cricketer Thomas Dunlop in 1947. They had twin daughters born in 1949. One of his daughters Sylvia became an activist for the rights of disabled people after being paralyzed in a car accident and is a member of the Scottish Council on Disability.^[2]

Outside of his diplomatic career, MacLehose and his wife had a love of sailing and hiking. In recognition of his fondness for outdoor pursuits. MacLehose was a member of the

MacLehose died in Ayrshire, Scotland, in May 2000 at the age of 82. After he passed away, then Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa and Chief Secretary for Administration Anson Chan both expressed their sadness. Tung Chee-hwa stated "his passing has caused us to lose a close friend."^{[citation needed]}

Honours and recognition

• Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) (1946)^[37]
• Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (CMG) (1964)^[38]
• Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (KCMG) (1971)^[39]
• HKnight of the
  Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (KStJ) (1972)^[40]
• Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) (1975)^[41]
• Knight Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (GBE) (1976)^[42]
• Life Peerage (1982) (Barony of MacLehose of Beoch, of Maybole in the District of Kyle and Carrick and of Victoria in Hong Kong)^[43]
• Knight of the Thistle (KT) (1983)^[44]
• Honorary
  Doctor of Laws, University of Hong Kong
• The 100-kilometre MacLehose Trail, stretching from Sai Kung Peninsula to Tuen Mun in the New Territories, was named after him (Maclehose was an enthusiastic hiker)
• The MacLehose Medical Rehabilitation Centre, the MacLehose Dental Centre, the Lady MacLehose Holiday Village, and the Sir Murray MacLehose Trust Fund was also named to commemorate him or his wife

References