Constituency : Caithness and Sutherland 1964-66
The 1964 election at last showed some advance as the Liberals doubled their vote and went up to 9 seats. This masked a greater turnover as the two Northern MPs were defeated as their pacts expired. There was a major breakthrough in the Highlands with Jo Grimond bringing three new Scottish colleagues down to Westminster. Few Tories now bothered with the National Liberal label and only 6 were elected.
George took Caithness and Sutherland from the Tories, helped by a split in the Unionist ranks which led them to finish third and fourth. The Liberals had not contested the seat in 1959. His brother John was already in the Commons as a Labour MP.
George was a farmer's son. He was educated at Aberdeen Grammar School.He served in World War Two as a Squadron leader in Bomber Command. He was awarded both the DFC and the DSO. He then set up a cattle ranch in Inverness-shire. He later set up a glass factory and a hotel in the constituency. He contested South Angus in 1959 coming second in a three-cornered contest.
George became the Scottish Liberal whip. He enjoyed badgering his brother who was junior minister for agriculture. He helped David Steel get selected in Roxburghshire. He never liked Jeremy Thorpe.
In 1966, George was defeated by Labour's Robert Mclennan by 64 votes. He fought again in 1970 but fell further behind.
In 1974 George became Baron Mackie and served as spokesman on agricultural and Scottish Affairs for the rest of the century. He was the president of the Scottish Liberal party from 1983 to 1988. He was a keen European.He came second for North East Scotland in the 1979 European elections. He supported Scottish devolution. He lost out to Nancy Seear as eader in the Lords in 1984. From 1986 to 1997 he serverd on the Council of Europe.
George was 6 ft four with a ruddy complexion.
He died in 2015 aged 95.
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