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| − | '''Robert John Graham Boothby, Baron Boothby''', [[Order of the British Empire|KBE]] (also known as ''Bob Boothby'') ([[1900]] [[February 12]] – [[1986]] [[July 16]]) was a British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] politician.
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| − | The only son of Sir [[Robert Tuite Boothby]], KBE, of [[Edinburgh]] and a cousin of the [[broadcaster]] [[Ludovic Kennedy|Sir Ludovic Kennedy]], Boothby was educated at [[Eton College]] and at [[Magdalen College, Oxford]]. He became a partner in a firm of [[stockbroker]]s.
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| − | He was an unsuccessful parliamentary candidate for [[Orkney and Shetland (UK Parliament constituency)|Orkney and Shetland]] in 1923 and was elected as [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Aberdeenshire East (UK Parliament constituency)|East Aberdeenshire]] in 1924, holding the seat until 1958.
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| − | He was Parliamentary Private Secretary to [[Winston Churchill]] as [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]] from 1926 to 1929 and held junior ministerial office as [[Parliamentary Secretary]] to the [[Ministry of Food]] in 1940–41. During [[World War II]], he joined the [[Royal Air Force]] Volunteer Reserve, retiring with the rank of [[Flight Lieutenant]].
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| − | Boothby advocated the [[United Kingdom|UK]]'s entry into the [[European Community]] (now the [[European Union]]) and was a British delegate to the Consultative Assembly of the [[Council of Europe]] from 1949 until 1957. He was a prominent commentator on public affairs on radio and television. He also advocated the virtues of [[herring]] as a food.
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| − | He was Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Economic Affairs, 1952–56; Honorary President of the Scottish Chamber of Agriculture, 1934, [[Rector]] of [[St Andrew's University]] , 1958–61; Chairman of the [[Royal Philharmonic Orchestra]], 1961–63, and President, Anglo-[[Israel]] Association, 1962–75. He was awarded an Honorary LLD by St Andrew's, 1959 and was made an Honorary Burgess of the Burghs of [[Peterhead]], [[Fraserburgh]], [[Turriff]] and [[Rosehearty]]. He was appointed an Officer of the [[Legion of Honour]] in 1950, a [[Order of the British Empire|KBE]] in 1953.
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| − | Boothby was raised to the peerage as a life peer with the title '''Baron Boothby''' of Buchan and Rattray Head in the County of Aberdeen, on 22 August 1958.
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| − | There is a [[blue plaque]] on his house in [[Eaton Square]], London.
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| − | ===Private life===
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| − | Boothby had a colourful, if reasonably discreet private life. He was described as "a bounder but not a cad" by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.<ref>Cullen, Pamela V., "A Stranger in Blood: The Case Files on Dr John Bodkin Adams", London, Elliott & Thompson, 2006, ISBN 1-904027-19-9</ref> He was twice married; in 1935 to [[Diana Cavendish]] (marriage dissolved in 1937) and in 1967 to Wanda Sanna. He also had a long affair with [[Lady Dorothy Cavendish|Dorothy Macmillan]], wife of his fellow Conservative politician [[Harold Macmillan]] and they had a daughter [[Sarah Macmillan|Sarah]], who was raised by the Macmillans as their own daughter.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} He also had an alleged homosexual relationship with [[Ronald Kray]], one of the notorious Kray brothers. The writer and broadcaster [[Ludovic Kennedy|Sir Ludovic Kennedy]] has said "... to my certain knowledge he [Boothby] fathered at least three children by the wives of other men (two by one woman, one by another)."{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
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| − | After his death his ashes were scattered at [[Rattray Head]] near [[Crimond]], [[Aberdeenshire]].
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| − | == References ==
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| − | ===Cited references===
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| − | <div class="references-small">
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| − | <references/>
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| − | </div>
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| − | ==Publications==
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| − | *''The New Economy'', 1943;
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| − | *''I Fight to Live'', 1947;
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| − | *''My Yesterday, Your Tomorrow'', 1962;
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| − | *''Boothby: recollections of a rebel'', 1978.
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| − | {{lgbt|Robert Boothby, Baron Boothby}}
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| − | [[Category:Members of the United Kingdom Parliament from Scottish constituencies]]
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| − | [[Category:Conservative MPs (UK)]]
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| − | [[Category:Anglo-Scots]]
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| − | [[Category:Bisexual politicians]]
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| − | [[Category:Old Etonians]]
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| − | [[Category:Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford]]
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| − | [[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire]]
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| − | [[Category:LGBT politicians from the United Kingdom]]
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| − | [[Category:LGBT people from Scotland]]
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| − | [[Category:UK MPs]]
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