Norman Buchan (1922 - 1990)

Labour Party MP, socialist and political activist

Norman Buchan was a Labour politician, who represented the parliamentary constituency of West Renfrewshire from 1964 until 1983, and the Paisley South constituency from 1983 to 1990.

While a Member of Parliament, he served as Joint Under Secretary of State for Scotland in the 1966-70 Labour government and as Minister of State for Agriculture in the 1974 Labour government. He later became Shadow Minister for the Arts in opposition.

He died in 1990 while still a sitting MP.

Prior to serving as a parliamentarian, Norman was a schoolteacher, and throughout his life displayed a keen and eclectic interest in all the arts, as well as politics. In 1962 he compiled a book titled ‘101 Scottish Songs’. His major passion, shared with his wife Janey, was folk music and traditional Scottish music, which they championed tirelessly.

The breadth and depth of his life is reflected in the wide-ranging subject coverage of the collection.

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