Menzies Campbell

Categories: 1941 births | Members of the Privy Council | British MPs | Scottish politicians | UK Liberal Party politicians | UK Liberal Democrat politicians | University of Glasgow alumni

Image:Menzies Campbell.jpg
Menzies Campbell

The Right Honourable Sir Walter Menzies Campbell, CBE, QC (born 22 May 1941) is a Scottish advocate and the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for North East Fife. "Menzies" is correctly pronounced mingis (IPA: [ˈmɪŋɪs]) and Campbell is thus usually known as "Ming" for short.

Campbell studied law at University of Glasgow receiving an MA and an LLB. He was made President of the Glasgow University Union and later later received a scholarship to Stanford University. A sprinter at University, he competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Campbell's contemporaries at University of Glasgow included Donald Dewar and John Smith, who attempted to recruit him for the Labour Party.

He became chairman of the Scottish Liberals in 1975, and was a candidate at various general elections between 1974 and 1983, finally being elected as member for North East Fife in 1987. He was made the Liberal Democrat chief spokesman on foreign affairs and defence in 1992, and since the Liberal Democrats in 1997 decided to operate a proper Shadow Cabinet he has served as the Shadow Foreign Secretary. Since October 2003 he has also been deputy leader. On 12 April 2005 took over in the election campaign whilst Kennedy took three days paternity leave.

Campbell was awarded a knighthood in 2004 for 'services to Parliament', having previously been appointed CBE in 1999. He is also a Privy Counsellor. He has honorary degrees from Glasgow and Strathclyde universities.

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