Archy Kirkwood, Baron Kirkwood of Kirkhope
Archibald " Archy " Johnstone Kirkwood, Baron Kirkwood of Kirkhope of Kirkhope in Scottish Borders Kt ( born April 22, 1946) is a British politician of the Liberal Party and now the Liberal Democrats, who almost 22 years Member of the House of Commons was and since 2005, is a life peer member of the House of Lords.
Life
After visiting the Cranhill School Kirkwood holds a degree in pharmacy at the Heriot -Watt University, from which he graduated in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science ( B.Sc.Pharm. ). Then he studied law and then worked as a solicitor.
In the general election on 9 June 1983, he was first elected as a candidate of the Liberal Party for MPs in the House of Commons and represented most recently for the Liberal Democrats almost 22 years until the general election on 5 May 2005 the constituency of Roxburgh and Berwickshire.
During his long parliamentary membership, he was then for a short time spokesperson for overseas development, before he acted first 1985-1987 Spokesman of the Group of the Liberal Party of Welfare, Health and Social Security from 1987 to 1988 as a spokesman on Scotland. Following the merger of the Liberal Party and much of Social Democratic Party ( SDP) to the Liberal and Social Democrats ( SLD) and the name change to Liberal Democrats, he was from 1988 to 1989 spokesperson on welfare, health and education, before 1989-1994 acted as spokesman for welfare and social security. During this period, he laid the Access to Personal Files Act 1987 and the Access to Medical Reports Act prior to 1988, two important bills of social legislation.
After Kirkwood between 1989 and 1992 at the same time first deputy Parliamentary Secretary ( Deputy Whip ) was, he served from 1992 to 1997 as Parliamentary General Manager ( Chief Whip ) the Group of the Liberal Democrats. He also was a spokesman for his group for community care, before he acted up between 1994 and 1997 from 1997 to his retirement from the House of Commons in 2005 as a member of the so-called House of Commons Commission, the oversight committee of the House. During this time he was between 1997 and 2001 first chairman of the House Committee on Social Security, and following 2001-2005 Chairman of the House Committee on Work and Pensions.
Kirkwood, who was 1985-2007 Chairman of the Rowntree Reform Trust and from 1989 to 1992 and chairman of the election committee of the Liberal Democtrats, was beaten to the Knight Bachelor in 2002 and led henceforth the additional name "Sir".
By Letters Patent of 10 June 2005 Kirkwood was raised after his retirement from the House of Commons as a life peer with the title Baron Kirkwood of Kirkhope of Kirkhope in Scottish Borders in the peerage. Shortly afterwards, was his introduction ( Introduction) as a member of the House of Lords. In the upper house he belongs to the Group of the Liberal Democrats.