Christian Peer Retires After 40 Years of Faithful Service
This week, Lord Mackay of Clashfern retired after 43 years of service working as Member of the House of Lords.
Lord Mackay, who turned 95 years old on 2 July was first made a Peer in 1979. He’s also been on the Court of Session bench, then a Lord Appeal before being named Lord Chancellor in October 1987.
He is also a committed Christian and in his final speech in the House of Lords, he said:
“I believe that I have been sustained until now by answers to what we pray at our opening every day.”
His story is truly remarkable. He was the son of a railway worker from Clashfern in Sutherland. Educated at the universities of Edinburgh, St Andrews and Cambridge, his incredibly abilities as a lawyer resulted in him first becoming Lord Advocate of Scotland and later Lord High Chancellor.
In the House of Lords, Lord Mackay spoke out on a wide range issues, doing so with great tact and courage. In 2010 for example he warned against a 'hierarchy of rights' across the UK, with the right to religious belief relegated to a lower status compared with other rights.
He's also spoken out about the value of life, saying in one debate:
"In my view, respect for and protection of human life are a defining characteristic of a civilised society."
Commenting on his retirement, CARE’s James Mildred said:
“Lord Mackay has been a faithful presence in the House of Lords where his wisdom, kindness and intellectual abilities have been noted by all.
“CARE’s been immensely privileged to work with Lord Mackay on a wider variety of causes, perhaps especially in relation to our work on reforming the tax system so it better recognises families.
“We are deeply grateful for his strong Christian witness in the House of Lords, and we all wish him well in his retirement.
"For any Christian serving in public life, his is undoubtedly a superb example to follow."
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