Ian MacArthur

The former Conservative MP for Perth and East Perthshire, Ian MacArthur, has died at the age of 82. A former advertising executive, MacArthur challanged the former Scottish Secretary Hector McNeil in Greenock at the 1955 general election (and the same seat in December 1955 after McNeil died), and finally entered Parliament in 1959. He was a government whip towards the end of the Macmillan/Douglas-Home government, and again in opposition before joining Michael Noble's shadow Scottish front bench when Ted Heath became leader in 1965. He lost his seat to the SNP in the October 1974 general election. The Times carried a short obituary recently, as did the Scotsman, while today's Herald has one by me. Untypically belatedly, today's Telegraph also carries a well-researched piece.