Major Sir Murdoch McKenzie Wood OBE, DL (19 July 1881Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950London, England, Freedom of the City Admission Papers, 1681-1930 – 11 October 1949) was a Scottish Liberal politician.
Early life and career He was the second son of James Wood of Cullen, Banffshire, and Christina McKenzie. He was educated at Fordyce Academy and Edinburgh University.
Military career He served with the Gordon Highlanders during World War I, being appointed a Second Lieutenant in the 6th (Banff and Donside) Battalion in 1914. By then ranked as a Captain (Acting Major), he was awarded the OBE in the 1919 New Year Honours in recognition of valuable services rendered in connection with the War. In 1924 he married Muriel Davis. He was knighted in 1932'WOOD, Major Sir Murdoch McKenzie', Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012; online edn, Oct 2012 accessed 22 April 2014 and was a Deputy Lieutenant for Banffshire from 1948.
Professional career He received a call to the bar by Gray's Inn in 1910. He was on the editorial staff of the Daily Mail. In World War I he served with the Gordon Highlanders and was severely wounded. He later served with the administrative staff of the Royal Air Force.
Political career He was the unsuccessful Liberal Party parliamentary candidate for the Unionist seat of Ayr Burghs in 1918 where the intervention of a Labour Party candidate prevented what would otherwise have been a rare gain for the Liberals.
He entered Parliament as Liberal MP for Aberdeen and Kincardine Central at a by-election in April 1919. This was a notable gain for the opposition Liberals against a Unionist candidate supported by the Coalition Government.
He served as the Scottish Liberal Whip from 1923 to 1924.The Times House of Commons, 1929 At the 1924 general election, a Labour candidate intervened and split the anti-Unionist vote, which cost him his seat.
He switched to contest Banffshire for the 1929 United Kingdom general election. He comfortably re-gained a seat the Liberals had lost in 1924.
In 1931, following the formation of the National Government, he was returned unopposed at the general election as a supporter of the new administration. He was an unpaid Assistant Government Whip from 1931 to 1932. When the Liberal party left the National Government he continued in the role of Scottish Liberal Whip from 1932 to 1934. In 1935 he was defeated at Banffshire and did not stand for parliament again.
Elections contested UK Parliament elections Date of election Constituency Party Votes % Result 1918 Ayr Burghs Liberal 5,410 27.7 Not Elected (2nd) 1919 Aberdeen and Kincardine Central Liberal 4,950 37.5 Elected 1922 Aberdeen and Kincardine Central Liberal 9,779 60.1 Elected 1923 Aberdeen and Kincardine Central Liberal 9,818 53.6 Elected 1924 Aberdeen and Kincardine Central Liberal 7,639 37.2 Not Elected (2nd) 1929 Banffshire Liberal 9,278 44.3 ElectedThe Times, 1 June 1929 1931 Banffshire Liberal Unopposed Elected 1935 Banffshire Liberal 11,168 48.7 Not Elected (2nd)Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
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