Michael Ancram MP: Memories of defeating Gordon Brown in 1979

Michael Ancram, MP for Devizes since 1992, was MP for Berwick and East Lothian between Feburary and October 1974, and then successfully contested Edinburgh South in 1979, where he defeated a future Prime Minister.

Election night May 1979 was memorable for me for a number of reasons. I was elected MP for Edinburgh South having defeated one Gordon Brown in the process, thereby delaying the onset of his political career for another four years.

It was my second election to Parliament, having served for a short seven months between February and October 1974. I had got a taste for it, and I was desperate to get back in again. 

Most importantly it was the night when the country voted for commitment rather than compromise, for clarity rather than fudge, for boldness rather than timidity by electing a Conservative Government led by
Margaret Thatcher.

There was a 'new era' feeling about that night even in Edinburgh.  We all felt that we were at the start of a challenging adventure, one that would change our country for the better and for good - and we were right.

This is the final in a series of contributions we have been posting throughout the day from politcal figures recalling the 1979 election. Earlier we published recollections from Lord Hurd, Eric Pickles, John Bercow, Bernard Jenkin and Lord Alton.