Editing Michael Ancram (section)

{{Short description|British politician and peer (1945–2024)}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix  = [[The Most Honourable]]
| name              = The Marquess of Lothian
| image             = Official portrait of The Marquess of Lothian crop 2.jpg
| caption           = Official portrait, 2019
| honorific-suffix  = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|PC|KC|DL}}
| office            = [[Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party (UK)|Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party]]
| leader            = {{ubl|[[Iain Duncan Smith]]|[[Michael Howard]]}}
| term_start        = 18 September 2001
| term_end          = 6 December 2005
| predecessor       = [[Peter Lilley]] (1999){{efn|Office vacant between 15 June 1999 and 18 September 2001.}}
| successor         = ''Office not in use''{{efn|[[William Hague]] subsequently served as [[Senior Member of the Shadow Cabinet]].}}
| office1           = [[Chairman of the Conservative Party]]
| leader1           = [[William Hague]]
| term_start1       = 2 December 1998
| term_end1         = 18 September 2001
| predecessor1      = [[Cecil Parkinson]]
| successor1        = [[David Davis (British politician)|David Davis]]
{{Collapsed infobox section begin|last = yes|[[Shadow cabinet]] posts
| titlestyle        = border:1px dashed lightgrey;}}{{Infobox officeholder
| embed             = yes
| office5           = [[Shadow Secretary of State for Defence]]
| leader5           = Michael Howard
| term_start5       = 10 May 2005
| term_end5         = 6 December 2005
| predecessor5      = [[Nicholas Soames]]
| successor5        = [[Liam Fox]]
| office6           = [[Shadow Foreign Secretary]]
| leader6           = {{ubl|Iain Duncan Smith|Michael Howard}}
| term_start6       = 18 September 2001
| term_end6         = 10 May 2005
| predecessor6      = [[Francis Maude]]
| successor6        = Liam Fox
| office7           = [[Shadow Cabinet of William Hague|Shadow Constitutional Affairs Spokesperson]]
| leader7           = William Hague
| term_start7       = 19 June 1997
| term_end7         = 1 June 1998
| predecessor7      = {{ubl|William Hague|Michael Howard}}
| successor7        = Liam Fox
{{collapsed infobox section end}}
}}
{{Collapsed infobox section begin|last = yes|Ministerial offices
| titlestyle        = border:1px dashed lightgrey;}}{{Infobox officeholder
| embed             = yes
| office2           = [[Minister of State for Northern Ireland]]
| primeminister2    = [[John Major]]
| term_start2       = 11 January 1994
| term_end2         = 2 May 1997
| predecessor2      = [[Robert Atkins (politician)|Robert Atkins]]
| successor2        = [[Adam Ingram (Labour politician)|Adam Ingram]]
| office3           = [[Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland]]
| primeminister3    = John Major
| term_start3       = 27 May 1993
| term_end3         = 11 January 1994
| predecessor3      = [[Jeremy Hanley]]
| successor3        = [[Tim Smith (British politician)|Tim Smith]]
| office4           = [[Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland]]
| primeminister4    = [[Margaret Thatcher]]
| term_start4       = 13 June 1983
| term_end4         = 14 June 1987
| predecessor4      = [[Alexander Fletcher (British politician)|Alex Fletcher]]
| successor4        = [[James Douglas-Hamilton]]
{{collapsed infobox section end}}
}}
{{Collapsed infobox section begin|last = yes|Parliamentary offices
| titlestyle        = border:1px dashed lightgrey;}}{{Infobox officeholder
| embed             = yes
| office8           = [[Member of the House of Lords]]
| status8           = [[Lord Temporal]]
| termlabel8        = [[Life peer]]age
| term_start8       = 22 November 2010
| term_end8         = 1 October 2024
| predecessor8      = 
| successor8        = 
| parliament9       = United Kingdom
| constituency_MP9  = [[Devizes (UK Parliament constituency)|Devizes]]
| term_start9       = 9 April 1992
| term_end9         = 12 April 2010
| predecessor9      = [[Charles Morrison]]
| successor9        = [[Claire Perry]]
| constituency_MP10 = [[Edinburgh South (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh South]]
| term_start10      = 3 May 1979
| term_end10        = 18 May 1987
| predecessor10     = [[Michael Hutchison (politician)|Michael Hutchison]]
| successor10       = [[Nigel Griffiths]]
| constituency_MP11 = [[Berwick and East Lothian]]
| term_start11      = 28 February 1974
| term_end11        = 20 September 1974
| predecessor11     = [[John Mackintosh (Scottish politician)|John Mackintosh]]
| successor11       = John Mackintosh
{{collapsed infobox section end}}
}}
| birthname         = Michael Andrew Foster Jude Kerr
| birth_date        = {{birth date|1945|7|7|df=y}}
| birth_place       = London, England
| death_date        = {{death date and age|2024|10|1|1945|7|7|df=y}}
| death_place       = 
| party             = [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
| spouse            = {{marriage|[[Jane Kerr, Marchioness of Lothian|Lady Jane Fitzalan-Howard]]|1975}}
| children          = 3
| parents           = {{ubl|[[Peter Kerr, 12th Marquess of Lothian|The 12th Marquess of Lothian]]|[[Antonella Kerr, Marchioness of Lothian|Antonella Newland]]}}
| relatives         = [[Nick Hurd]] (son-in-law)
| alma_mater        = {{ubl|[[Christ Church, Oxford]]|[[University of Edinburgh]]}}
}}

'''Michael Andrew Foster Jude Kerr, 13th Marquess of Lothian, Baron Kerr of Monteviot''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|PC|KC|DL}} (7 July 1945 – 1 October 2024), commonly known as '''Michael Ancram''', was a British politician and peer who served as [[Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party (UK)|Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party]] from 2001 to 2005. He was formerly styled '''Earl of Ancram''' until he inherited [[Marquess of Lothian|the marquessate]] in 2004, upon the death of his father.

Born in London and educated at [[Ampleforth College]], Ancram studied History at [[Christ Church, Oxford]], and read Law at the [[University of Edinburgh]]. After graduating from Edinburgh, he was called to the [[Scottish Bar]] and practised as an [[Advocate (Scotland)|advocate]] before entering politics. He unsuccessfully contested [[West Lothian (UK Parliament constituency)|West Lothian]] in [[1970 United Kingdom general election|1970]], but was elected as [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Berwick and East Lothian]] at the [[February 1974 United Kingdom general election|February 1974 general election]] and served until he lost the seat in [[October 1974 United Kingdom general election|the election]] held in October of that year. He re-entered Parliament in [[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]], representing [[Edinburgh South (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh South]] until his defeat in [[1987 United Kingdom general election|1987]]. During this time, he served as a minister at the [[Scotland Office]] in [[Margaret Thatcher]]'s government.

After being elected to represent [[Devizes (UK Parliament constituency)|Devizes]] at the [[1992 United Kingdom general election|1992 general election]], Ancram served at the [[Northern Ireland Office]] in [[John Major]]'s government. When Major was defeated at the [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997 general election]], the Conservatives entered opposition and Ancram became [[Chairman of the Conservative Party]] under [[William Hague]] in 1998, having previously covered constitutional affairs in the [[Shadow Cabinet of William Hague|Shadow Cabinet]]. This was followed by a period as deputy party leader under [[Iain Duncan Smith]] and [[Michael Howard]], during which time he served in the Shadow Cabinet as [[shadow foreign secretary]] and [[shadow defence secretary]] respectively.