Tom Fraser

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the English footballer, see Tommy Fraser. For people with a similar name, see Thomas Fraser.

Duncan Macgregor Graham
Succeeded byWinnie Ewing
Personal details
Born18 February 1911 (1911-02-18)
Died21 November 1988 (1988-11-22) (aged 77)
Political partyLabour

Thomas Fraser PC (18 February 1911 – 21 November 1988) was a Scottish coal miner and trade unionist, who was a Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for the Hamilton constituency between 1943 and 1967.[1]

Life

He was the son of Thomas and Mary Fraser of Kirkmuirhill, Lanarkshire.[2] He was educated at Lesmahagow Higher Grade School until the age of 14, when he began work as a miner, working underground until his entry to parliament.[3] The economist Sir Alec Cairncross, also a pupil at the school, remembered Fraser as "rather shy, quiet spoken, friendly and unassertive ... not a very conspicuous member of the class, nor one who ever showed the gifts one associates with a political career".[4]

Fraser served as a branch official for his union from 1938 until 1943 and, from 1939 until 1943, was secretary of the

Joint Under-Secretary of State for Scotland and held the post until his party lost power in 1951 general election.[5]

In opposition, Fraser served as

Oxford to Cambridge Line, that Beeching had not considered closing.[10] On the other hand, he also rejected closure proposals for such lines as the West Highland Line between Fort William and Mallaig.[11]

In May 1967, he resigned from Parliament to become chairman of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board.[12][13] His resignation caused a by-election, which resulted in a historic victory for the Scottish National Party candidate, Winnie Ewing.[7]

He was made a

Privy Counsellor in 1964. He later served on the Wheatley Commission and was in part responsible for the resulting reforms in Scottish local government. He retired to Lesmahagow, where he had previously been employed as a miner, and died in Law Hospital in 1988 after a brief illness.[7] When he died, one of his successors for the seat, George Robertson, noted there was still "immense respect" for him in Hamilton.[7]

Family

In 1935, Fraser married Janet Scanlon of Lesmahagow. They had a son and a daughter.[2]

Notes

  1. ^ "Candidates and Constituency Assessments: Hamilton South". Archived from the original on 16 August 2005.
  2. ^ a b "Fraser, Rt. Hon. Thomas". Who's Who. A & C Black. Retrieved 27 August 2021. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  3. ISBN 978-0-415-37824-6
    . Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  4. ISBN 0953541304
  5. ^ a b The Times House of Commons 1951. London: The Times Office. 1951. p. 201.
  6. ISBN 978-0-900178-01-6
    .
  7. ^
    Evening Times
    . 22 November 1988. p. 4. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  8. ^ Harris, Walter (13 December 2005). "Politicians and the pleasures of fast cars". The Independent. Archived from the original on 26 December 2005.
  9. ^ Benson, David (1966). "Four of the reasons why there's a good time coming". The Daily Express. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. ISBN 978-0-957651 1-0-4
  11. ISBN 0521264804
    . Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  12. ISBN 9780415195249
    . Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  13. ISBN 9780230554764
    . Retrieved 22 August 2017.

External links
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Duncan Macgregor Graham
 Member of Parliament for Hamilton
1943–1967 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Transport
1964–1965 		Succeeded by
Barbara Castle


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