Andrew Dunlop, Baron Dunlop

"Andrew Dunlop" redirects here. For the guitarist, see Andy Dunlop.

The Right Honourable
The Lord Dunlop
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland and Northern Ireland
In office
11 May 2015 – 10 June 2017
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
Theresa May
Preceded byDavid Mundell
Succeeded byThe Lord Duncan of Springbank (Scotland)
The Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Northern Ireland)
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office
28 May 2015
Life Peerage
Personal details
Born (1959-06-21) 21 June 1959 (age 65)
Dunbartonshire
NationalityScottish
Political partyConservative
Spouse
Lucia Murfitt
​
(m. 1991)​
Children3
Alma materUniversity of Edinburgh

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][16] being introduced to the House of Lords on 28 May 2015.[17]

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.[18]

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.[19]

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,[20] 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.[21]

A great-grandson of Sir Thomas Dunlop Bt GBE,[22] Lord Dunlop is in remainder to the family baronetcy and maintains close links with his Scottish relatives.[23]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Person Page 39336". thePeerage.com. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  2. ^ "PM's adviser Andrew Dunlop gets Scotland Office job". BBC. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  3. ^ "Spokespersons in the House of Lords - UK Parliament". Parliament of the United Kingdom. 21 April 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  4. ^ "House of Lords Hansard of 1 June 2015: Column 163". Parliament. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  5. ^ "Cameron defends move for Thatcher poll tax adviser". The Scotsman. 16 May 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  6. ^ 'DUNLOP', Who's Who 2016, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2016
  7. ^ "Conservative Party Archive: Conservative Research Department". Bodleian Library, University of Oxford. 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  8. ^ Devlin, Kate (14 May 2015). "Former Thatcher adviser Andrew Dunlop made a Peer to become Scotland Office Minister". The Herald. Glasgow. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  9. ^ Borland, Ben (18 March 2012). "Questions over Cameron's new independence adviser's link to poll tax". Daily Express. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  10. ^ Devlin, Kate (14 May 2015). "Former Thatcher adviser Andrew Dunlop made a peer to become Scotland Office minister". The Herald. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  11. ^ "The latest news from Holyrood and Westminster". Daily Record. Scotland. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  12. ^ "Tories in Scotland: A tale of two parties". Leftfootforward.org. 20 March 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  13. ^ "Horsham District Council". Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  14. ^ "Election 2015". GOV.UK. 30 March 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  15. ^ "Burke's Peerage - The Official Website". BurkesPeerage.com. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  16. ^ "No. 61241". The London Gazette. 1 June 2015. p. 9968.
  17. ^ "New members of the Lords". Parliament. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  18. ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Defeated would-be Tory MP to quit Brussels for the Lords and the Scotland Office". The Courier. 19 June 2017.
  19. ^ "New cabinet post proposed to strengthen the Union". BBC News. 24 March 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  20. ^ "Politics International Ltd.: Private Company Information - Businessweek". Bloomberg L.P. 11 February 2008. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  21. ^ Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage & Baronetage, 107th edn. London: Burke's Peerage & Gentry Ltd. p. 1231 (DUNLOP, Bt). ISBN 0-9711966-2-1.
  22. ^ "Thomas Dunlop & Sons". Glasgow West-end Addresses. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  23. ^ "Record View - Daily Record". Daily Record. Scotland. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by Gentlemen
Baron Dunlop 		Followed by