Alexander Fletcher (British politician)

He was born in Greenock in western Scotland. He was married to Christine Anne Buchanan (1926-2008).

Fletcher first stood for Parliament in the 1970 General Election at West Renfrewshire. He was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Edinburgh North at a by-election in 1973, serving there until 1983, when after boundary changes he became MP for Edinburgh Central. However, at the 1987 general election he lost his seat to future Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling.

Fletcher was Under-Secretary of State for Scotland from 1979 to 1983, where had responsibility for Scottish education and industry as well as sport and the arts.[1] He was Minister for Corporate and Consumer Affairs at the Department of Trade and Industry from 1983 to 1985, after which he returned to the back benches.[1][2]

On Fletcher's death, the journalist Harry Reid, who had been a constituent of Fletcher in Edinburgh, described him as "a Scottish Tory of the decent school; he was warm affable and gregarious" and also stated his opinion that Fletcher was "a Scot first, and a Tory second."[1]

At Conservative meeting in Fife in 1977 Fletcher described himself as a supporter of Scottish devolution, but warned that "exaggerated claims" were being made by some campaigners about the benefits of a Scottish Assembly.[3] Following the result of the 1979 Scottish devolution referendum Fletcher stated that he did not see how parliament could now proceed with the Scotland Act 1978, which would have set up an Assembly, citing the fact that so many regions of Scotland had voted against the assembly.[4]

He died in Westminster but was returned to Edinburgh for burial. He and his wife are buried together in the 20th century (north) extension to Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh.

• Times Guide to the House of Commons 1987
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Alexander Fletcher