Andrew Dunlop, Baron Dunlop Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Right Honourable
The Lord Dunlop
Office:Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland and Northern Ireland
Primeminister:David Cameron
Theresa May
Term Start:11 May 2015
Term End:10 June 2017
Predecessor:David Mundell
Successor:The Lord Duncan of Springbank (Scotland)
The Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Northern Ireland)
Office1:Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Term Start1:28 May 2015
Life Peerage
Birth Date:21 June 1959
Birth Place:Dunbartonshire
Nationality:Scottish
Alma Mater:University of Edinburgh
Children:3
Party:Conservative

Andrew James Dunlop, Baron Dunlop (born 21 June 1959)[1] is a British politician and life peer. From May 2015 to June 2017, he was the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland and Northern Ireland.[2] He sits in the House of Lords on the Conservative benches.[3]

Education

Dunlop was born at Helensburgh in Dunbartonshire and went to school at Glenalmond College and The Glasgow Academy.[4] He then read Politics and Economics at the University of Edinburgh under the tutorship of Professor John Mackintosh, formerly Labour MP for Berwick and East Lothian,[5] graduating with an MA degree. He subsequently completed a Postgraduate Diploma in European Competition Law at King's College, London.[6]

Political career

Dunlop's first political job was as head of research for the Scottish Conservative Party from 1981 until 1984. He then joined the Conservative Research Department, first holding the Trade and Industry brief before becoming head of the political section.[7]

He served as a special adviser to the Defence Secretary, then George Younger MP in Margaret Thatcher's cabinet.[8]

Dunlop worked at 10 Downing Street under PM Margaret Thatcher.[9] He covered a range of policy areas during his stint in the No 10 Policy Unit including Scotland (a key policy development was the establishment of Scottish Enterprise), UK Defence procurement, employment and training policy.[10]

In 2012, Dunlop was appointed chief adviser to Prime Minister David Cameron.[11] He played a key role in devising the British Government's response to the Scottish Independence campaign.[12]

Dunlop previously served as a Horsham District Councillor representing Cowfold, Shermanbury and West Grinstead Ward.[13] Appointed Minister for Scotland[14] on 26 May 2015 by David Cameron, he was created by Letters Patent as Baron Dunlop, of Helensburgh in the County of Dunbarton,[15] being introduced to the House of Lords on 28 May 2015.[16]

During his term as a minister for Scotland, Dunlop was tasked with promoting Scottish trade and investment, as well as the unofficial title of "Minister for Dundee", being tasked with promoting the regeneration of the city.[17]

In 2019 Prime Minister Theresa May set up the Dunlop Review, a report led by Dunlop that said that a cabinet position for "intergovernmental and constitutional affairs" should be created to strengthen the Union.[18]

PR career

After leaving 10 Downing Street in 1991, Andrew Dunlop became managing director of leading lobbying firm Politics International, now part of European firm Interel,[19] where he advised a range of corporate clients including Virgin, Airbus owner EADS and SAB Miller.

Family and personal life

Andrew Dunlop married Lucia (née Murfitt) in 1991. The couple have three daughters and live at Jolesfield Partridge Green, near Horsham, West Sussex.[20]

A great-grandson of Sir Thomas Dunlop Bt GBE,[21] Lord Dunlop is in remainder to the family baronetcy and maintains close links with his Scottish relatives.[22]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Person Page 39336 . thePeerage.com . 2015-06-01.
  2. News: PM's adviser Andrew Dunlop gets Scotland Office job . BBC . 2015-05-14. 2015-06-01.
  3. Web site: Spokespersons in the House of Lords - UK Parliament . Parliament of the United Kingdom . 2010-04-21 . 2015-06-01.
  4. Web site: House of Lords Hansard of 1 June 2015: Column 163 . Parliament . 2017-02-05.
  5. Web site: Cameron defends move for Thatcher poll tax adviser . The Scotsman . 2015-05-16 . 2017-02-05.
  6. 'DUNLOP', Who's Who 2016, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2016
  7. Web site: Conservative Party Archive: Conservative Research Department . Bodleian Library, University of Oxford . 2012 . 2017-02-05.
  8. Web site: Kate. Devlin . Former Thatcher adviser Andrew Dunlop made a Peer to become Scotland Office Minister . The Herald. Glasgow . 2015-05-14 . 2015-06-01.
  9. Web site: Borland . Ben . Questions over Cameron's new independence adviser's link to poll tax . Daily Express . 18 March 2012 . 2015-06-01.
  10. Web site: Kate . Devlin . Former Thatcher adviser Andrew Dunlop made a peer to become Scotland Office minister . The Herald . 2015-05-14 . 2017-02-05.
  11. Web site: The latest news from Holyrood and Westminster . Daily Record. Scotland . 2015-06-01.
  12. Web site: Tories in Scotland: A tale of two parties . Leftfootforward.org . 2012-03-20 . 2015-06-01.
  13. Web site: Horsham District Council . 2017-02-05.
  14. Web site: Election 2015 . GOV.UK . 2015-03-30 . 2015-06-01.
  15. Web site: Burke's Peerage - The Official Website . BurkesPeerage.com . 2015-06-01.
  16. Web site: New members of the Lords . Parliament . 2015-06-03 . 2017-02-05.
  17. Web site: EXCLUSIVE: Defeated would-be Tory MP to quit Brussels for the Lords and the Scotland Office. The Courier. 19 June 2017.
  18. News: New cabinet post proposed to strengthen the Union. BBC News. 24 March 2021. 25 March 2021.
  19. News: Politics International Ltd.: Private Company Information - Businessweek . Bloomberg L.P. . 2008-02-11 . 2015-06-01.
  20. Book: Mosley. Charles . . London . Burke's Peerage & Gentry Ltd . 1231 (DUNLOP, Bt) . 2003 . 0-9711966-2-1.
  21. Web site: Thomas Dunlop & Sons . Glasgow West-end Addresses . 2017-02-05.
  22. Web site: Record View - Daily Record . Daily Record. Scotland . 2015-06-01.