Menzies Campbell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Campbell of Pittenweem
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Official portrait, 2019
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| Chancellor of the University of St Andrews | |
| Assumed office 9 January 2006 |
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| Vice-Chancellor |
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| Preceded by | Kenneth Dover |
| Leader of the Liberal Democrats | |
| In office 2 March 2006 – 15 October 2007 Acting: 7 January 2006 – 2 March 2006 |
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| Deputy | Vince Cable |
| President | Simon Hughes |
| Preceded by | Charles Kennedy |
| Succeeded by | Vince Cable (acting) |
| Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats | |
| In office 12 February 2003 – 2 March 2006 |
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| Leader | Charles Kennedy |
| Preceded by | Alan Beith |
| Succeeded by | Vince Cable |
| Liberal Democrats Spokesperson for Defence | |
| In office 12 October 2017 – 21 August 2019 |
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| Leader | Sir Vince Cable Jo Swinson |
| Preceded by | The Baroness Jolly |
| Succeeded by | Jamie Stone |
| Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 7 May 1992 – 7 January 2006 |
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| Leader | Paddy Ashdown Charles Kennedy |
| Succeeded by | Michael Moore |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| Assumed office 13 October 2015 Life Peerage |
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| Member of Parliament for North East Fife |
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| In office 11 June 1987 – 30 March 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Barry Henderson |
| Succeeded by | Stephen Gethins |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Walter Menzies Campbell
22 May 1941 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Political party | Liberal (before 1988) Liberal Democrats (1988–present) |
| Spouse |
Elspeth Urquhart
(m. 1970; died 2023) |
| Alma mater | University of Glasgow< Stanford University |
| Signature |  |
Walter Menzies Campbell, often called Ming Campbell, was born on 22 May 1941. He is a Scottish politician, lawyer, and a former athlete. He was a member of the Liberal Democrats political party.
Menzies Campbell served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for North East Fife from 1987 to 2015. He also led the Liberal Democrats party from 2006 to 2007.
Before his political career, Campbell was a very fast runner. He held the British record for the 100-metre sprint for seven years. He was also the captain of the Great Britain athletics team. Since 2006, he has been the Chancellor of the University of St Andrews. In 2015, he became a member of the House of Lords, which is part of the UK Parliament.
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Early Life and Education
Menzies Campbell was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He went to Hillhead High School and then studied at the University of Glasgow. He earned degrees in Arts and Law.
While at university, he was very involved in student life. He became the President of the Glasgow University Liberal Club in 1962. He also led the Glasgow University Union from 1964 to 1965. In 1970, he married Elspeth Urquhart. She sadly passed away in 2023.
Amazing Athlete: Menzies Campbell's Sports Career
| Medal record | ||
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| Men's athletics | ||
Representing  Great Britain |
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| Summer Universiade | ||
| Gold | 1963 Porto Alegre | 4 x 400 m |
| Silver | 1967 Tokyo | 200 m |
| Silver | 1967 Tokyo | 4 x 400 m |
| Bronze | 1961 Sofia | 4 x 400 m |
| Bronze | 1965 Budapest | 200 m |
| Bronze | 1967 Tokyo | 4 x 100 m |
Menzies Campbell was a talented sprinter during his university years. In 1961, he broke a Scottish record for the 300 yards race. This record had stood for 53 years!
He competed for the Great Britain team at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo. He ran in the 200 metres and the 4x100 metres relay races. He also captained the Scotland team at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.
Campbell was the captain of the Great Britain athletics team in 1965 and 1966. He held the British 100 metres record from 1967 to 1974. At one point, people called him "the fastest white man on the planet." He ran the 100m in an amazing 10.2 seconds twice in 1967. In one of these races, he even beat O. J. Simpson, who was a promising athlete at the time.
Life as a Member of Parliament
Menzies Campbell served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for North East Fife for many years. An MP is a person elected to represent a specific area in the UK Parliament.
Working for the Liberal Democrats
As the Liberal Democrats' spokesperson for foreign affairs, Campbell played a big role. He spoke out against the 2003 Iraq War. He believed the British government should share its legal advice on the war. He also disagreed with Prime Minister Tony Blair's strong support for President George W. Bush.
Campbell felt that Britain's close relationship with the United States should not mean always agreeing with them. He said that a friendship based on "my ally right or wrong" was not fair or sustainable.
Leading the Liberal Democrats
On 7 January 2006, Menzies Campbell became the temporary leader of the Liberal Democrats. This happened after the previous leader, Charles Kennedy, resigned. Campbell then decided to run for the full leadership role.
On 2 March 2006, he won the leadership election. He received more votes than the other candidates. As leader, he brought many younger MPs into important roles. These included Nick Clegg and Jo Swinson.
Challenges as Leader
Leading a political party can be tough, and Campbell faced some challenges. His early performances during weekly Prime Minister's Questions were sometimes criticised. However, he felt confident in his ability to lead the party.
He gained support when he spoke about issues like "extraordinary rendition" (sending people to other countries for questioning), the NatWest Three case, and the conflict in Lebanon.
In 2006, some polls showed that more voters preferred the previous leader, Charles Kennedy. This led to more questions about Campbell's leadership. However, Kennedy said he was not planning to challenge for the leadership again.
In 2007, there was talk that Gordon Brown, who was about to become Prime Minister, might ask some Liberal Democrats to join his government. Campbell was invited to a meeting where Brown suggested this. After thinking about it, Campbell said no. He felt the two parties had too many differences, especially on foreign policy.
Later in 2007, there was a lot of talk about a possible general election. When it was announced there would be no election, questions about Campbell's leadership came up again. Some in the party felt it was time for a younger leader.
Resignation of Leadership
Menzies Campbell resigned as leader of the Liberal Democrats on 15 October 2007. He said that questions about leadership were stopping the party from making progress. His deputy, Vince Cable, became the acting leader.
After his resignation, some people, including Nick Clegg, said that Campbell had been treated unfairly because of his age. A charity called Age Concern also spoke out against media coverage that seemed to focus on his age. They said it showed age discrimination.
Retirement from Parliament
On 9 October 2013, Menzies Campbell announced he would step down as a Member of Parliament. He decided not to run in the 2015 general election. Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat Leader at the time, praised Campbell for his great service to the country and the party.
In October 2015, Campbell became a life peer and joined the House of Lords. This means he became a member of the House of Lords for life. He has said he believes the House of Lords should be mostly elected by the public.
Political Beliefs
Menzies Campbell believed in changing the tax system. He wanted to tax things that harm the environment, like pollution, more. He also wanted to reduce taxes for people with lower incomes. He felt that the poorest people in Britain paid a higher percentage of their income in tax than the very rich. His goal was to make the tax system fairer.
His main interest was foreign policy. He strongly supported international groups like the European Union and the United Nations. He believed these groups should work together to solve global problems. However, he also thought they needed to improve and become more democratic.
He was critical of military actions that he felt were too extreme. He argued that such actions could make tensions worse and lead to human rights abuses. While he supported cooperation between Britain and the United States, he believed their relationship should be balanced.
Campbell also stressed the importance of supporting women, disabled people, and ethnic minorities who wanted to become politicians.
In 2018, he spoke at a People's Vote rally. This group wanted the public to have a vote on the final Brexit deal between the UK and the European Union.
Honours and Awards
Menzies Campbell has received many honours for his public and political service.
- In 1987, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
- In 1999, he became a Privy Counsellor.
- In 2004, he was knighted, which means he received the title "Sir."
- In 2013, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH).
- In 2015, he was made a life peer and given the title Baron Campbell of Pittenweem.
He also has honorary degrees from the University of Glasgow and the University of Strathclyde. In 2006, he became the Chancellor of the University of St Andrews. This is an important ceremonial role at the university.
