William Darling (politician)

For other people named William Darling, see William Darling (disambiguation).

Sir William Young Darling CBE FRSE LLD MC (8 May 1885 – 4 February 1962) was the Unionist Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons for the Edinburgh South constituency from 1945 to 1957. He was a director of the Royal Bank of Scotland 1942-57.

Life

He was born in Carlisle the second son of William Darling of Edinburgh. He was educated firstly at James Gillespie’s School then Daniel Stewart’s College and Heriot-Watt College. Edinburgh University later awarded him an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD).

In the First World War he joined the Black Watch as a private in 1914 and then after receiving a commission and joined the Royal Scots in 1915 as a 2nd Lieutenant. He saw much action and was wounded five times. He was awarded the Military Cross with bar and was Mentioned in Dispatches. From 1920 to 1922 he served in Eire as part of the Irish War of Independence. During this period, together with Hugh Pollard (1888-1966) he jointly printed the Weekly Summary: a synopsis of the war from a British perspective. On leaving the army he became Director of the family drapers firm.

He became a member of Edinburgh City Council in 1933 and was City Treasurer, 1937–40.

He was Lord Provost of Edinburgh, 1941–44; National Government Candidate for West Lothian, 1937; and Chairman, Scottish Council on Industry, 1942–46.

He was appointed CBE in 1923 and knighted in 1943. In the Second World War he was Chief Air Raid Warden for Edinburgh from 1939-1941.

He died on 4 February 1962. He is buried in Traquair Parish Churchyard.

Publications

He was the author of Private Papers of a Bankrupt Bookseller (1931); Hades the Ladies (1933); The Old Mill (1934); Down but not Out (1935); Bankrupt Bookseller Speaks Again (1938); Why I Believe in God and King’s Cross to Waverley (1944); A Book of Days (1951); So it Looks to Me (1952); and A Westminster Lad (Poems) (1955).

Family

He married Agnes Olive Simpson (1885-1962) in 1914.

He was the great uncle of Alistair Darling, an Edinburgh MP from 1987 to 2015 who held various ministerial and Cabinet posts in the Labour government from 1997 to 2010.

Artistic Recognition

His portrait (as Lord Provost of Edinburgh), by Herbert James Gunn is held by the City of Edinburgh Council.

References

• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by William Darling

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Samuel Chapman	Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South 1945–1957	Succeeded by Michael Clark Hutchison