Sir Godfrey Pattison Collins, (26 June 1875 – 13 October 1936) was a Scottish

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

(and later National Liberal Party) politician. He entered the

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in 1888 and was a midshipman, East Indian Station from 1890 to 1893. He was elected as

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

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(MP) for Greenock in 1910 and sat for the constituency until his death (from 1931 as a Liberal National). He was Parliamentary Private Secretary to J. B. Seely, as Secretary of State for War from 1910 to 1914, and to J. W. Gulland, Chief Liberal Whip from 1915. He served in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

, Gallipoli, and

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from 1915 to 1917, and was appointed a Lieutenant-Colonel in September 1916. He was a Junior

Lord of the Treasury In the United Kingdom there are at least six Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, serving as a commission for the ancient office of Treasurer of the Exchequer. The board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second Lord of th ...

from 1919 to 1920 and Chief Liberal Whip from November 1924 to 1926. From 1932 to 1936 he served as Secretary of State for Scotland. As Secretary of State for Scotland he was responsible for over thirty Bills affecting Scotland, chiefly: a scheme for the creation of smallholdings, the Herring Industry Act of 1935 (establishing the Herring Industry Board), the Illegal Trawling (Scotland) Act, the Education (Scotland) Bill of 1936, which sought to raise the school leaving age to fifteen from 1939, and the Housing (Scotland) Act of 1935, which laid down a statutory standard of overcrowding and sought to effect widespread slum clearances and the building of low-rent accommodation for low-wage earners. He was appointed a CMG in 1917, KBE in 1919 and a

Privy Counsellor The Privy Council (PC), officially His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its membership mainly comprises senior politicians who are current or former members of ei ...

in 1932.

References

* Torrance, David, ''The Scottish Secretaries'' (Birlinn 2006) *Pottinger, George, ''The Secretaries of State For Scotland, 1926-1976'' (Scottish Academic Press, 1979)

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Godfrey 1875 births 1936 deaths Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Scottish Liberal Party MPs Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Scottish constituencies National Liberal Party (UK, 1922) politicians National Liberal Party (UK, 1931) politicians Royal Navy officers Secretaries of State for Scotland UK MPs 1910 UK MPs 1910–1918 UK MPs 1918–1922 UK MPs 1922–1923 UK MPs 1923–1924 UK MPs 1924–1929 UK MPs 1929–1931 UK MPs 1931–1935 UK MPs 1935–1945