Tam Galbraith

Sir Thomas Galloway Dunlop Galbraith KBE (10 March 1917 – 2 January 1982), usually known as Tam Galbraith, was a Scottish Unionist politician.

Biography

The eldest son and heir of Thomas Dunlop Galbraith, 1st Baron Strathclyde, Galbraith was educated at Aytoun House, Glasgow; Wellington College; Christ Church, Oxford (MA) and at the University of Glasgow (LL.B).

He served as a Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve 1939–1946. He unsuccessfully contested Paisley in July 1945, and Edinburgh East in October 1945 before being elected for Glasgow Hillhead in 1948.

He was Assistant Conservative Whip, 1950; a Government Whip from 1951–57; Civil Lord of the Admiralty, 1957–59; Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, 1959–62; and Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, 1963–64.

During Galbraith's time at the Admiralty, questions were raised about his connection to the Soviet spy John Vassall, a former Admiralty employee, after letters from Galbraith were found in Vassall's possession. It was thought odd that a minister would communicate by post with an official of his own department, and there was considerable speculation of impropriety in the press. Given Vassall's known homosexuality, rumours began to circulate that Vassall and Galbraith were involved with each other, and that Galbraith might have shielded Vassall from discovery. The committee of civil servants originally established to probe the Vassall affair investigated the correspondence and declared it innocent, but this verdict was not universally accepted. Eventually, the Prime Minister was compelled to open a wider inquiry, conducted by three jurists. Eventually, the inquiry determined that Vassall had not been helped or favoured by any of his seniors.

Galbraith was President of the Scottish Georgian Society from 1970–1980 and was a Member of the Royal Company of Archers. He was knighted (KBE) in 1981.

His death in 1982 triggered the Hillhead by-election which saw the election of Roy Jenkins, leader of the new Social Democratic Party.

Styles of address

• 1917-1948: Mr Thomas Galloway Dunlop Galbraith
• 1948-1955: Mr Thomas Galloway Dunlop Galbraith MP
• 1955-1981: The Honourable Thomas Galloway Dunlop Galbraith MP
• 1981-1982: The Honourable Sir Thomas Galloway Dunlop Galbraith KBE MP

Marriage & Family

Galbraith married Simone Clotilde Fernande Marie Ghislaine Blicquy on 11 April 1956. They had three children:

• (Anne Marie) Ghislaine du Roy Galbraith (born 14 December 1957)
• Thomas Galloway Dunop du Roy de Blicquy Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde (born 22 February 1960)
• Charles William Du Roy De Blicquy Galbraith (born 20 May 1962)

Galbraith predeceased his father, the 1st Baron. His elder son succeeded as 2nd Baron in 1985 and was subsequently a Conservative junior Minister, Chief Whip in the Lords and Leader of the House of Lords.