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	'''Sir James Riley Holt Hutchison, 1st Baronet''', [[Distinguished Service Order\|DSO]], [[Territorial Decoration\|TD]], [[Justice of the Peace\|JP]] (10 April 1893 – 24 February 1979) was a British [[British Army\|army]] officer, company director and politician. He was the son of a Scottish shipowner and spent his commercial life in the same field and as a director of shipbuilders, but fought in both World Wars during a long military career. He distinguished himself as the principal British liaison officer with the [[French Resistance]] during the [[World War II\|Second World War]] in which he needed [[plastic surgery]] to disguise his appearance from the Germans; he was nicknamed the "[[The Scarlet Pimpernel\|Pimpernel]] of the [[Maquis (World War II)\|Maquis]]". At the end of the [[Second World War]] he was elected as a [[Unionist Party (Scotland)\|Unionist]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)\|Member of Parliament]] in Glasgow, and although the city was turning against his party he enjoyed a 14-year Parliamentary career.		'''Sir James Riley Holt Hutchison, 1st Baronet''', [[Distinguished Service Order\|DSO]], [[Territorial Decoration\|TD]], [[Justice of the Peace\|JP]] (10 April 1893 – 24 February 1979) was a British [[British Army\|army]] officer, company director and politician. He was the son of a Scottish shipowner and spent his commercial life in the same field and as a director of shipbuilders, but fought in both World Wars during a long military career. He distinguished himself as the principal British liaison officer with the [[French Resistance]] during the [[World War II\|Second World War]] in which he needed [[plastic surgery]] to disguise his appearance from the Germans; he was nicknamed the "[[The Scarlet Pimpernel\|Pimpernel]] of the [[Maquis (World War II)\|Maquis]]". At the end of the [[Second World War]] he was elected as a [[Unionist Party (Scotland)\|Unionist]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)\|Member of Parliament]] in Glasgow, and although the city was turning against his party he enjoyed a 14-year Parliamentary career.

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{{Use British English|date=December 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
'''Sir James Riley Holt Hutchison, 1st Baronet''', [[Distinguished Service Order|DSO]], [[Territorial Decoration|TD]], [[Justice of the Peace|JP]] (10 April 1893 – 24 February 1979) was a British [[British Army|army]] officer, company director and politician. He was the son of a Scottish shipowner and spent his commercial life in the same field and as a director of shipbuilders, but fought in both World Wars during a long military career. He distinguished himself as the principal British liaison officer with the [[French Resistance]] during the [[World War II|Second World War]] in which he needed [[plastic surgery]] to disguise his appearance from the Germans; he was nicknamed the "[[The Scarlet Pimpernel|Pimpernel]] of the [[Maquis (World War II)|Maquis]]". At the end of the [[Second World War]] he was elected as a [[Unionist Party (Scotland)|Unionist]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] in Glasgow, and although the city was turning against his party he enjoyed a 14-year Parliamentary career.

==First World War service==
Hutchison's father, Thomas Holt Hutchison (1861-1918), was a shipowner and [[Glasgow]] [[magistrate]]<ref name="1945 election campaign">"Quickening Pace in Glasgow", ''The Times'', 21 June 1945, p. 4.</ref> who had a love of the sea and the shipping business; he was to pass on the same attitudes to his son.<ref name="Times obituary">"Sir James Hutchison" (Obituary), ''The Times'', 19 November 1979, p. 26.</ref> He was sent to Stanmore Park Preparatory School<ref name="Times Guide 1951">"The Times House of Commons, 1951", p. 191.</ref> followed by [[Harrow School]] for his education, followed by some study in France,<ref name="Who Was Who">"Who Was Who", A & C Black.</ref> before joining the family firm at the age of 19 in 1912. He was still learning the trade when the outbreak of the [[World War I|First World War]] led him to obtain a commission in the [[Lanarkshire Yeomanry]]. Hutchison was later attached to the [[19th Lancers (Fane's Horse)]] in France and in 1917 to the 17th Cavalry of the [[British Indian Army|Indian Army]] in India, and served throughout the war.<ref name="Times obituary" /><ref>The Star and Crescent by F. C. C. Yeats Brown</ref> Hutchison kept up his connections with the Lanarkshire Yeomanry and three decades later was appointed as the regiment's honorary colonel.<ref name="Who Was Who" />

==Business life==
On his return from the war, Hutchison resumed business life, where he rose to senior management positions. He was the representative of [[Glasgow]] to the [[Chamber of Shipping]] from 1933 to 1935,<ref name="Stenton and Lees">M. Stenton and S. Lees, "Who's Who of British MPs" vol. IV (Harvester Press, 1981), p. 184.</ref> and became chairman of the [[Ailsa Shipbuilding Company]], Hutchison and Craft Ltd, and Grampian Holdings, and also a Director of the Tayside Floorcloth Company Ltd.<ref name="Times obituary" /> He was also an insurance broker.<ref name="Times Guide 1951" /> In 1928 Hutchison married Winefryde Craft, who bore him a son and a daughter (who predeceased her father).<ref name="Who Was Who" />

==Second World War==
Although he was in his late 40s, Hutchison enlisted again at the start of the Second World War. In the early part of the war he served in [[France]] and North Africa, before joining the [[Staff (military)|Staff]].<ref name="Who Was Who" /> There he was appointed as the principal link between the British forces and the French section of the [[Special Operations Executive]], the secretive and daring body who undertook [[sabotage]] operations behind enemy lines.

==French resistance==
Despite turning 50, Hutchison was instructed to go to France to continue liaison work with the [[French Resistance]] after the [[Normandy Landings|Normandy landings]]. However, the face of 'Colonel Hutchison' was well known to the [[Gestapo]], who shot saboteurs after capture. He therefore went to London [[Plastic surgery|plastic surgeons]] to have his appearance disguised before going to France. When the surgery was complete, he was dropped by [[parachute]] in [[Normandy]] and resumed his work. So effective was Hutchison that he was nicknamed the "[[The Scarlet Pimpernel|Pimpernel]] of the [[Maquis (World War II)|Maquis]]"; he was not captured during four months in France, and at the end of the war he received the [[Distinguished Service Order]] from the British. The French awarded him the [[Croix de Guerre]] and made him a Chevalier of the [[Légion d'honneur]].<ref name="Times obituary" />

==MP for Glasgow==
Immediately on leaving the Army, Hutchison pitched into the political world as [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] candidate in [[Glasgow Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Glasgow Central]]. The previous election had seen a relatively narrow Conservative majority of 3,521, and was regarded as close enough to be a test of opinion among the Glasgow business community.<ref name="1945 election campaign" /> Conservative Party leader [[Winston Churchill]] (who was somewhat late arriving) addressed a mass meeting at Blythswood Square in the division and received a warm reception from a large crowd.<ref name="1945 Churchill speech">[[R.B. McCallum]] and Alison Readman, "The British General Election of 1945" ([[Oxford University Press]], 1947), p. 168-169.</ref> In the circumstances of the election (where the Conservatives lost 180 seats), Hutchison did well to win by 1,516 although the swing in Glasgow was much less than elsewhere.<ref name="Times Guide 1945">"The Times House of Commons, 1945", p. 113.</ref>

Without delay Hutchison made his [[maiden speech]] in the debate on the [[Speech from the Throne|King's Speech]], lauding the United Kingdom for leading the progress of the peoples of the world along the road of social improvement, and calling for a [[minimum wage]] and maximum working day to be imposed on the defeated nations.<ref name="Maiden speech">"Parliament", ''The Times'', 21 August 1945, p. 8.</ref> In the crunch vote in December 1945 on whether to accept the [[Anglo-American loan]], Hutchison abstained, explaining in a letter to ''[[The Times]]'' that the legislation was "disgracefully rushed" and there was too little time for examination and debate.<ref name="Loan abstention">"The Vote on the Loan" (letter), ''The Times'', 17 December 1945, p. 5.</ref>

==Attitude to nationalisation==
Hutchison was concerned by the Government's [[Civil Aviation Act 1946|Civil Aviation Bill]], particularly in its effect on [[Glasgow Prestwick Airport|Prestwick Airport]] which he feared would be "[chucked] overboard".<ref name="Civil Aviation Bill">"Parliament", ''The Times'', 7 May 1946, p. 2.</ref> In July 1946 Hutchison reminded Prime Minister [[Clement Attlee]] that there were hundreds of ex-officers who had trained with the resistance movements, and suggested using some to help defeat terrorism in [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]] by both Arabs and Jews.<ref name="Palestinian terrorism">"Action To Cope With Terrorists", ''The Times'', 24 July 1946, p. 4.</ref> He was an instinctive opponent of [[nationalisation]], particularly of the [[electricity generation]] industry which he regarded as efficient and prudent.<ref name="Electricity nationalisation">"Parliament", ''The Times'', 5 February 1947, p. 8.</ref>

==Industry==
When the Government announced the end of the British mandate in Palestine, Hutchison thought the territory would be dynamite, and foresaw an impossible position with a Jewish police in [[Tel Aviv]] and an Arab police force in [[Jaffa]].<ref name="Palestine mandate">"Termination of Palestine Mandate", ''The Times'', 12 December 1947, p. 2.</ref> He was an active opponent of the nationalisation of Iron and Steel, serving on the Standing Committee examining the Iron and Steel Bill where he unsuccessfully pressed for a requirement that one member of the corporation running the industry should be from Scotland and one from Wales.<ref name="Iron and Steel Corporation">"The Iron And Steel Corporation", ''The Times'', 15 December 1948, p. 2.</ref>

Hutchison had concentrated on industrial matters during his time in Parliament, opposing regulations which restricted business freedom on matters such as price control. He insisted that these Orders were "full of vice" and questioned their legality.<ref name="Domestic pottery">"Parliament", ''The Times'', 8 July 1949, p. 2.</ref> He had continued his business career and was National President of the Incorporated Sales Managers' Association from 1949.<ref name="Who Was Who" /> His shipbuilding connections led to an appointment as Parliamentary chairman of the Dock and Harbour Authorities Association, which was regarded as a successful choice.<ref name="Times obituary" /> Hutchison was well-enough known to be referenced in [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] propaganda of the time, being given as one of four examples of the "industrial magnates, landowning aristocrats, dealers and professional politicians" making up the Conservative Party in an article in ''[[Trud (Russian newspaper)|Trud]]''.<ref name="Trud">Quoted in H.G. Nicholas, "The British General Election of 1950" (Macmillan, 1951), p. 278-279.</ref>

==Defeat and quick return==
At the [[1950 United Kingdom general election|1950 general election]], Hutchison found his undersized constituency expanded to the east, taking in mostly Labour voters, but he was thought to be in much more difficulty from the abolition of the vote for business premises.<ref name="1950 election">"Thoroughness in Scotland", ''The Times'', 6 February 1950, p. 3; see also "Safe Labour Seats in Glasgow", ''The Times'', 10 February 1950, p. 5.</ref> Hutchison ended up losing by 3,004 votes.<ref name="Times Guide 1950">"The Times House of Commons, 1950", p. 248.</ref>

In August 1950, Sir [[Sir Arthur Young, 1st Baronet|Arthur Young]], Unionist MP for the [[Glasgow Scotstoun (UK Parliament constituency)|Scotstoun]] division in the north-west of Glasgow, died. Hutchison was selected to follow him in defending a majority of 239. After a close contest, Hutchison held the seat with an increased majority of 1,319.<ref name="Scotstoun byelection">"Conservatives Hold Scotstoun", ''The Times'', 26 October 1950, p. 4.</ref> He pitched back into partisan debate, arguing at the 1951 budget that the Government would not have had to increase income tax if it had been able to collect all the taxes which were due.<ref name="Tax evasion">"Parliament", ''The Times'', 11 April 1951, p. 5.</ref> He later insisted that enterprise and commercial courage were threatened by the budget.<ref name="1951 budget">"Parliament", ''The Times'', 4 July 1951, p. 4.</ref>

==War Office==
Although his majority was reduced to 625 in the [[1951 United Kingdom general election|1951 general election]],<ref name="Times Guide 1951" /> Hutchison was appointed as [[Financial Secretary to the War Office|Financial Secretary]] and [[Under-Secretary of State for War|Under-Secretary of State]] to the [[War Office]].<ref name="War Office post">"New Government Nearly Completed", ''The Times'', 6 November 1951, p. 6.</ref> With his post he was ''ex-officio'' Vice-Chairman of the Army Council<ref name="Who Was Who" /> and he occasionally deputised for the Secretary of State by attending [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|Cabinet]].<ref name="Cabinet attendee">"Two-Hour Meeting of the Cabinet", ''The Times'', 23 January 1952, p. 4.</ref> Hutchison supported the controversial move to German rearmament in 1952, arguing that Germany should bear some of the burden of providing her own defence.<ref name="German rearmament">"German Rearmament", ''The Times'', 6 October 1952, p. 2.</ref>

In 1953 Hutchison initiated a reorganisation of British Anti-Aircraft Command, which reduced the number of heavy anti-aircraft units, and transferred some [[Territorial Army (United Kingdom)|Territorial Army]] anti-aircraft units to the field force.<ref name="Anti-aircraft">"Parliament", ''The Times'', 18 November 1953, p. 3.</ref> He left office in October 1954, succeeded by fellow Scottish military officer [[Sir Fitzroy Maclean, 1st Baronet|Fitzroy Maclean]].<ref name="Ministry changes">"24 Government Changes", ''The Times'', 18 October 1954, p. 6.</ref> After his return to the backbenches, Hutchison resumed making partisan speeches; in December 1954 he attacked Labour MPs for politicising military subjects in order to seek political kudos.<ref name="Political kudos">"Parliament", ''The Times'', 21 December 1954, p. 9.</ref> In March 1955, after a report about the activities of some British Communists in Korea, he urged their prosecution for [[treason]].<ref name="Korean treason">"Parliament", ''The Times'', 8 March 1955, p. 11.</ref>

==Death penalty==
After a narrow re-election in the [[1955 United Kingdom general election|1955 general election]] in which he had a majority of 428,<ref name="Times Guide 1955">"The Times Guide to the House of Commons, 1955", p. 216.</ref> Hutchison became President of the UK Council of the [[European Movement]].<ref name="Who Was Who" /> He opposed agitation for equal pay for women in November 1955, arguing that "they might work themselves completely out of jobs".<ref name="Equal pay">"Parliament", ''The Times'', 2 November 1955, p. 4.</ref> In early 1956 he tabled a motion to retain the [[Capital punishment in the United Kingdom|death penalty]] for murderers of police officers.<ref name="Death penalty">"Little Change in Voting", ''The Times'', 13 March 1956, p. 10.</ref>

==Cold war incidents==
In the New Years' Honours list of 1956, Hutchison was awarded a [[Hutchison baronets|baronetcy]].<ref name="Who Was Who" /> When diver Commander [[Lionel Crabb|"Buster" Crabb]] disappeared near the ship carrying [[Nikita Khrushchev]] and other Soviet leaders, Hutchison appealed for realism and noted that the Russians seemed more prepared to allow the matter to fade than were the British opposition. He noted that Britain was not the only nation with a secret service.<ref name="Buster Crabb">"Parliament", ''The Times'', 15 May 1956, p. 15.</ref> In December 1956 Hutchison was elected as chairman of the Scottish Unionist members' committee.<ref name="Chair of Unionist members">"Bill To Stop Hanging", ''The Times'', 6 December 1956, p. 7.</ref>

In January 1957, Hutchison was the first British MP to visit [[Hungary]] after the uprising the previous year was put down.<ref name="Hungary visit">"British M.P.'s Visit", ''The Times'', 15 January 1957, p. 5.</ref> On his return he praised the Hungarian people, saying that they were determined not to back the [[János Kádár|Kádár]] régime.<ref name="Hungary return">"M.P. Returns From Visit to Budapest", ''The Times'', 19 January 1957, p. 4.</ref> After some years as a delegate, in May 1957 Hutchison became President of the Assembly of the [[Western European Union]].<ref name="Who Was Who" />

==Atomic research==
Hutchison increasingly concentrated on defence issues in the late 1950s, and also urged more investment in atomic research. He pressed in December 1957 for the United Kingdom to join the [[Nuclear Energy Agency|European Nuclear Energy Agency]].<ref name="Atomic research">"Parliament", ''The Times'', 20 December 1957, p. 4.</ref> His efforts saw success in May 1958 when the Government announced that a technical collaboration agreement with [[Euratom]] would be negotiated.<ref name="Euratom">"Parliament", ''The Times'', 23 May 1958, p. 13.</ref> The agreement was signed in February 1959. Hutchison was one of the sponsors of a Conservative backbench motion which rejected unilateral nuclear disarmament, which attracted over 100 signatories.<ref name="No unilateralism">"H-Bomb Motion By 100 Conservatives", ''The Times'', 12 March 1958, p. 10.</ref>

==Later business career==
[[File:The grave of Sir James Riley Holt Hutchison, Glasgow Necropolis.jpg|thumb|The grave of Sir James Riley Holt Hutchison, Glasgow Necropolis]]
In 1958 Hutchison announced that he would not seek re-election,<ref name="Standing down">"News in Brief", ''The Times'', 12 December 1958, p. 6.</ref> and left Parliament at the [[1959 United Kingdom general election|1959 general election]]. He became deputy president of Associated British Chambers of Commerce that year, and stepped up to be president from 1960 to 1962. He also served as a member of the Export Council for Europe from 1960. Hutchison was president of the Westminster Chamber of Commerce in 1963.<ref name="Who Was Who" /> He also held some political appointments, including as a member of a small committee examining applications from servicemen to be released from the forces in order to fight Parliamentary byelections.<ref name="Servicemen candidates">"Forces By-Election Advisers", ''The Times'', 19 February 1963, p. 10.</ref>

Hutchison's work was honoured when he was made an Officer of the [[Venerable Order of Saint John]] in 1972, and he received an [[Honorary degree|honorary]] [[Doctor of Laws]] degree from the [[University of Glasgow]] in 1973.<ref name="Who Was Who" />

Hutchison is buried with his parents east of the summit in the [[Glasgow Necropolis]].

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
*{{Hansard-contribs | mr-james-hutchison | Sir James Hutchison }}

{{S-start}}
{{s-par|uk}}
{{succession box
|title=[[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Glasgow Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Glasgow Central]]
|years=[[1945 United Kingdom general election|1945]] – [[1950 United Kingdom general election|1950]]
|before=[[William Alexander (Glasgow MP)|William Alexander]]
|after=[[James McInnes]]}}
{{succession box
|title=[[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Glasgow Scotstoun (UK Parliament constituency)|Glasgow Scotstoun]]
|years=[[1950 Glasgow Scotstoun by-election|1950]] – [[1959 United Kingdom general election|1959]]
|before=Sir [[Sir Arthur Young, 1st Baronet|Arthur Young]]
|after=[[William Small (Scottish politician)|William Small]]}}
{{s-off}}
{{succession box
|title=[[Under-Secretary of State for War]]
|years=1951 – 1954
|before=[[Woodrow Wyatt]]
|after=[[Sir Fitzroy Maclean, 1st Baronet|Fitzroy Maclean]]}}
{{s-reg|uk-bt}}
{{s-new|creation}}
{{s-ttl| title=[[Hutchison Baronets|Baronet]]<br />'''(of Rossie)''' | years=1956–1979}}
{{s-aft| after= [[Peter Hutchison]] }}
{{S-end}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hutchison, James}}
[[Category:1893 births]]
[[Category:1979 deaths]]
[[Category:Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Scottish shipbuilders]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Indian Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:British Indian Army officers]]
[[Category:British Yeomanry officers]]
[[Category:British Special Operations Executive personnel]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Glasgow constituencies]]
[[Category:Unionist Party (Scotland) MPs]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1945–1950]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1950–1951]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1951–1955]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1955–1959]]
[[Category:People educated at Harrow School]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France)]]
[[Category:Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur]]
[[Category:Lanarkshire Yeomanry officers]]
[[Category:20th-century Scottish businesspeople]]

Sir James Hutchison, 1st Baronet - Revision history

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