Donald Cameron, Baron Cameron of Lochiel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Lord Cameron of Lochiel
Official portrait, 2024
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland
In office 9 February 2024 – 5 July 2024 Serving with John Lamont
Prime Minister	Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	The Lord Offord of Garvel
Succeeded by	Kirsty McNeill
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 March 2024 Life peer
Member of the Scottish Parliament for Highlands and Islands (1 of 7 Regional MSPs)
In office 5 May 2016 – 9 February 2024
Succeeded by	Tim Eagle
Scottish Conservative portfolios
2017–2018	Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform
2018–2020	Shadow Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy
Feb–Aug 2020	Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance
2020–2021	Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport
2021–2024	Shadow Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture
Personal details
Born	Donald Andrew John Cameron of Lochiel (1976-11-26) 26 November 1976 (age 48) London, United Kingdom
Political party	Scottish Conservatives
Spouse	Sarah Maclay ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	5
Parent	Donald Angus Cameron of Lochiel (father)
Alma mater	Oriel College, Oxford City Law School
Occupation	Lawyer

Donald Andrew John Cameron of Lochiel (born 26 November 1976) is a politician from the Scottish Conservative party. He is also a Life Peer, which means he is a member of the House of Lords for life. From February to July 2024, he served in the UK government as a minister for Scotland.

Before joining the House of Lords, Cameron was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Highlands and Islands region from 2016 to 2024. During his time as an MSP, he held several important roles for his party.

In 2023, he also became the 28th Lochiel. This is a special title passed down in his family, making him the chief of Clan Cameron, a historic Scottish clan.

Early Life and Education

Donald Cameron was born in 1976 in London. His father was Donald Angus Cameron of Lochiel, the 27th Lochiel, and his mother is Lady Cecil Cameron. He went to the famous Harrow School.

After Harrow, he studied modern history at Oriel College, Oxford, and he did very well, earning a top degree. He then decided to study law at City University. In 2005, he officially became a type of lawyer called a barrister.

For ten years, Cameron worked as an advocate, which is a type of lawyer in Scotland. He specialized in cases about public, farming, and crofting law. A croft is a small farm in Scotland.

Political Career

Entering the Scottish Parliament

Cameron first tried to get elected to the UK Parliament in 2010 and 2015 but was not successful.

In the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, he was elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Highlands and Islands region. After his election, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Ruth Davidson, gave him an important job in the party's "Shadow Cabinet." A shadow cabinet is a team of politicians from the main opposition party who follow the work of the government ministers.

Roles as an MSP

From 2020 to 2024, Cameron held several key "Shadow Cabinet Secretary" roles for the Scottish Conservatives. These included being in charge of topics like finance, health, and the constitution. This meant he was the party's main spokesperson on these important issues.

Cameron was also involved in groups at the Scottish Parliament that brought together MSPs from different parties. He helped lead groups focused on health, the Gàidhlig language, and multiple sclerosis (MS).

In 2022, Cameron and most of his fellow Scottish Conservative MSPs called for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to resign. This was because of a controversy over gatherings held at government offices during COVID-19 lockdowns.

Joining the House of Lords

In October 2023, after his father passed away, Cameron inherited the title of Lochiel and became the chief of Clan Cameron.

On February 9, 2024, he was appointed to a government job as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland. On the same day, he stepped down from his seat in the Scottish Parliament.

To serve in the UK government, he was made a Life Peer. This gave him a lifetime seat in the House of Lords, one of the two houses of the UK Parliament. On March 4, 2024, he received the official title Baron Cameron of Lochiel. He was formally introduced to the House of Lords the next day.

Personal Life

In 2009, Cameron married Sarah Elizabeth Maclay. Together, they have four sons and one daughter.

Ancestry

Coat of arms

Arms of the Baron Cameron of Lochiel

Adopted In use from a "remote period"; matriculated 1795 Coronet That of a Baron Crest A Sheaf of five Arrows Proper tied with a Band Gules Helm That of a Peer Escutcheon Gules three Bars Or Supporters Two Savages wreathed head and middle with Oak each holding in his exterior hand a Lochaber Axe all Proper Motto (Above) Aonaibh Ri Chéile (Gaelic: "Let us unite") (Below) Pro Rege et Patria (Latin: "For King and Country") Previous versions The 28th Lochiel's arms displayed a Gentleman's helm prior to his creation as a Life Peer in 2024.

See also

• Lord Lochiel