Scottish peer and Tories stalwart Michael Ancram dies aged 79

Michael Ancram - the former deputy leader of the Conservative party and a Scottish peer - has died at the age of 79.

The 13th Marquis of Lothian, the politician died in hospital early on Tuesday after a short illness.

A graduate of law from the University of Edinburgh, Lord Lothian served as the Conservatives deputy leader under Iain Duncan Smith and then Michael Howard from 2001 to 2005. But his political career spanned far longer, covering five decades.

Michael Ancram arrives for a Service of Thanksgiving at St Margaret's Church in central London. Picture: PA | PA

He was first elected to Parliament as a MP at the 1974 general election, when he contested and won the seat of Berwickshire and East Lothian.

Although he lost this seat in the second of the same year, Lord Lothian would return to the Commons in 1979 as the MP for Edinburgh South, defeating future prime minister Gordon Brown.

Lord Lothian would go on to serve as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Scottish Office and was later promoted to Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office.

In the latter role, the Scottish MP would play a major role in the formative stages of the Northern Ireland peace process until 1997, and was the first British government minister to sit across a negotiating table with the IRA.

Michael Ancram (right) talks with Michael Mates (left) on the day that the Intelligence and Security Committee's review of intelligence on the July 7 bombings is published, during a press conference in central London. Picture: PA | PA

Lord Lothian joined the House of Lords as a life peer in November 2010.

A statement issued on behalf of his family said: “Beyond his political achievements, Lord Lothian was known for his intellectual curiosity and his passion for the arts, particularly country and folk music.

“He was often seen playing the acoustic guitar at Conservative Party conferences, bringing a touch of levity to the often serious world of politics, and on stage performing - on more than once occasion with one or both of his daughters singing alongside him - in the Macmillan Cancer Support Parliamentary Palace of Varieties.

“He was a keen ski racer; captain of both the Oxford University and British Universities ski teams.”

The statement added: “Lord Lothian's aristocratic heritage, together with his personal humility and geniality, and his modern conservative values made him a unique figure in public life.”

In his later years, Lord Lothian remained active in public life, serving on the Intelligence and Security Committee from 2006 and founding the Global Strategy Forum, a bi-partisan international and security affairs think tank.

Up until the time of his death, Lord Lothian was Grand Prior of the Grand Priory of England and Wales, The Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem, reflecting his commitment to his Catholic faith.

He was also deeply committed to his landscaped gardens at Monteviot, his home in the Borders.

Lord Lothian is survived by his wife, Lady Jane Fitzalan-Howard, the 16th Lady Herries of Terregles, and daughters Lady Clare and Lady Mary.

His family said funeral arrangements will be announced in due course, with a private Requiem Mass in Scotland in the coming weeks, to be followed by a Service of Thanksgiving in London at a later date.