Michael Forsyth, Baron Forsyth of Drumlean

The Right Honourable The Lord Forsyth of Drumlean PC
Official portrait, 2024
Chairman of the Association of Conservative Peers
Incumbent
Assumed office September 2021
Chair of theEconomic Affairs Committee
In office 27 June 2017 – 19 January 2022
Preceded by	The Lord Hollick
Succeeded by	The Lord Bridges of Headley
Secretary of State for Scotland
In office 5 June 1995 – 2 May 1997
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	Ian Lang
Succeeded by	Donald Dewar
Minister of State for Home Affairs
In office 20 July 1994 – 5 June 1995
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	The Earl Ferrers
Succeeded by	Ann Widdecombe
Minister of State for Employment
In office 14 April 1992 – 20 July 1994
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	Eric Forth
Succeeded by	Ann Widdecombe
Minister of State for Scotland
In office 7 September 1990 – 14 April 1992
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher John Major
Preceded by	The Lord Sanderson of Bowden
Succeeded by	The Lord Fraser of Carmyllie
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office 15 July 1999 Life peerage
Member of Parliament forStirling
In office 9 June 1983 – 8 April 1997
Preceded by	Constituency created
Succeeded by	Anne McGuire
Personal details
Born	(1954-10-16)16 October 1954 Montrose,Scotland
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Susan Clough ​ (m.1977)​
Children	3
Alma mater	University of St Andrews

Michael Bruce Forsyth, Baron Forsyth of Drumlean,PC(born 16 October 1954), is a British financier andConservativepolitician, who was theMember of Parliament(MP) forStirlingfrom 1983 to 1997 and served in thecabinetofJohn MajorasSecretary of State for Scotlandfrom 1995 to 1997.

He is Chairman ofSecure Trust Bank,and a Director ofJ&J Denholmand of Denholm Logistics Ltd. He was a director and Chairman of Hyperion Insurance Group until its merger with RKH Group in 2015. A former Deputy Chairman ofJPMorganUK andEvercore PartnersInternational, he wasknightedin 1997 and appointed to theHouse of Lordsin 1999. He is a member of thePrivy Counciland served on the Development Boards of theRoyal Societyand theNational Portrait Gallery.He is also a past president of theRoyal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland.

He was appointed for a second term to the House of Lords' Economic Affairs Committee in 2015, and as its chairman following the election in 2017. He was elected as Chairman of the Association of Conservative Peers in September 2021 (the House of Lords' equivalent to the House of Commons'1922 Committee). He is president of theSteamboat Association of Great Britain.

Early life

Forsyth was born inMontrose, Angus,the eldest son of John T. and Mary Forsyth. He was educated atArbroath High Schooland theUniversity of St Andrews(1972–76). He was President of the Conservative Association at St Andrews University from 1973 to 1976. At St Andrews Forsyth developed a passion for debating, history, science and campaigning.

Parliamentary career

After leaving university Forsyth was first elected toWestminster City Councilfrom 1978 to 1983.

He was then elected at the1983 General Electionas the MP for theStirling constituency.His first job in government was asParliamentary Private Secretaryto the then Foreign SecretaryGeoffrey Howefrom 1986 to 1987. In 1987, he was appointed to theScottish Office,first as an Under-Secretary of State (1987–90), then as Minister of State (1990–92) with responsibility over health, education, social work and sport. He was also the chair of theScottish Conservative Partyfrom 1989 to 1990.In 1996, he was named Parliamentarian of the Year.

He was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Employment (1992–94), then theHome Office(1994–95), he became a member ofJohn Major's cabinet in 1995 asSecretary of State for Scotland.In 1996, as Scottish Secretary, Forsyth was credited with transferring theStone of Scone,also known as the Stone of Destiny, fromWestminster Abbeyto (ultimately)Edinburgh Castle.He also established the University of the Highlands, crofters' rights to buy their land, promoted the Gaelic language and commissioned the restoration of the Great Hall atStirling Castle.

Forsyth was re-elected in 1987 and 1992 with small majorities of less than a thousand, but lost his seat in1997 United Kingdom general election.

Politics in Scotland

Forsyth campaigned against theScottish Parliamenthaving the power to vary the basic rate of income tax by up to three pence in the pound, which he dubbed the "Tartan Tax".Forsyth's persistence was widely credited with prompting theLabour Party'sunexpected decision – bitterly criticised by theLiberal Democratsand theScottish National Party– to separate out the tax-varying issue in atwo-question referendum on devolution.

In 2009–10 he was a member of the Sanderson Commission that reported on Conservative Party organisation, and in 2010–11 a member of the independent Philips inquiry into the1994 Scotland RAF Chinook crashon theMull of Kintyre,established by theSecretary of State for Defence.

In 2011, Forsyth criticised the plans of Conservative MSPMurdo Fraserto disband the Scottish Conservatives and establish a wholly new centre-right party, should he win the forthcomingleadership election.Forsyth later declared his backing for a rival candidate,Ruth Davidson.

House of Lords

Forsyth was nominated to thePrivy Councilin 1995, wasknightedin 1997and was raised to the peerage asBaron Forsyth of Drumlean,of Drumlean in Stirling(Drumlean is a small area near Aberfoyle in the district of Stirling) on 14 July 1999.

Following his elevation to the Lords, he has held a number of positions. He was a member of the Commission on Strengthening Parliament (1999–2000), the Select Committee on the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England, the Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament on Reform of the House of Lords, and the Select Committee on the Barnett Formula.

From October 2005 to October 2006, he was Chairman of the Conservative Party's Tax Reform Commission, established by then Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer,George OsborneMP. He served as a member of the House of Lords select committee on Economic Affairs from 2007 to 2011. He has also been a member of the joint committee on National Security Strategy and a member of the special select committee on soft power. He was appointed for a second term to the House of Lords' Economic Affairs Committee in 2015,and as its chairman following the election in 2017. In 2021, he was elected as Chairman of the Association of Conservative Peers.

Business career

After leaving the House of Commons Forsyth has undertaken posts in theCity of London.He joinedFlemingsas a director of Corporate Finance and, following the bank's sale toJPMorgan Chasehe became vice-chairman Investment Banking Europe at JPMorgan (1999–2001) and then Deputy Chairman of JPMorgan (2002–05).

He joinedEvercore PartnersInternational LLP, an investment bank, in 2005 – leaving his post as deputy chairman in March 2012. He was a director of NBNK Investments PLC, and a director and Chairman of Hyperion Insurance Group until its merger with RKH Group in 2015. He is currently Chairman of Secure Trust Bank, and a Director of J&J Denholm Ltd and of Denholm Logistics Ltd.

Philanthropy and personal life

Forsyth married Susan Clough in Cumbria in 1977 and they have three grown-up children. He is the founder of the Pimlico Tree and Preservation Trust, now the Westminster Tree Trust. In 2010 he climbed the highest mountain in Antarctica,Mount Vinson,in support of CINI andMarie Curie Cancer Care,having previously climbedMount AconcaguaandMount Kilimanjaro,the highest mountains in the Americas and Africa respectively.

His charitable fund-raising achievements are substantial and include £220,000 forDebRAfor climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, £420,000 for CINI and Marie Curie Cancer Care for climbing Mount Vinson, and £500,000 to support the families of victims of 9/11 through organising a dinner in the City of London.

Bibliography

• Reservicing Britain(London:Adam Smith Institute,1980)
• The Myths of Privatisation(London: Adam Smith Institute, 1983)

Arms

Coat of arms of Michael Forsyth, Baron Forsyth of Drumlean

Crest A griffin sergeant Azure armed and membered Gules crowned Or and charged on the shoulder with a mascle Argent. Escutcheon Argent a chevronnel engrailed Gules between in chief two griffins respectant Azure armed and membered Gules crowned Or and supporting a square block of roughly dressed sandstone Proper with a ring at each end Sable and in base a hurt charged with a mascle Argent. Supporters Two griffins Azure armed and membered Sable crowned Or and each charged on the shoulder with a mascle Argent. Motto Learn From The Past

Bibliography

• Torrance, David,The Scottish Secretaries(Birlinn 2006)

External links

• Hansard1803–2005:contributions in Parliament by Michael Forsyth
• Tax Reform Commission
• Economic Affairs Committee reports published as Chair:

Employment and COVID-19: time for a new deal(2020)

Universal Credit isn't working: proposals for reform(2020)

Social care funding: time to end a national scandal(2019)

Measuring inflation(2019)

Treating Students Fairly: The Economics of Post-School Education(2018)

Brexit and the Labour Market(2017)

• Finance Bill Sub-Committee reports published as Chair:

Off-payroll working: treating people fairly(2020)

The Powers of HMRC: Treating Taxpayers Fairly(2018)

Making Tax Digital for VAT: Treating Small Businesses Fairly(2018)