Lord Steel and Goldie take pride of place at Brunel
Lord Steel and Goldie take pride of place at Brunel
GOLDIE and David Steel are normally at opposite ends of Scottish politics, but Tuesday saw both come together to be honoured by Brunel University.
However, it was the well known DJ - nicknamed because of his gold teeth - not the leader of the Scottish Conservative Party, who was given an honorary degree alongside the former Liberal Party leader.
Goldie may have been picking up his first honorary doctorate, but for Lord Steel of Aikwood it was his 10th, this time becoming a Doctor of Laws for his "outstanding services to the national and international community".
Addressing the graduation audience at the West London university, Professor Dixon said Lord Steel's numerous honours speak volumes for his "integrity and passionate commitment to national and international affairs".
Professor Dixon added: "A true conviction politician, in the UK he has been a major social reformer, a strategic broker of historic political alliances, a pioneer and architect of Scottish devolution, and the man who restored to Liberal politics its public popularity and its credibility as a potential party of government.
"The Liberal Democrat's current power sharing in Parliament owes much to David's legacy. Throughout his career he has also been centre stage in international political affairs, tirelessly pursuing racial justice, democracy and human rights in developing nations across the world. In doing so, it is characteristic that he has fought both with tenacity and great subtlety: advocating and persuading affably, carefully and incisively. "
Professor Dixon claimed Lord Steel has changed minds and history through collaboration and intricate persuasion.
He said: "As his friend and mentor Ludovic Kennedy once wrote of him: ‘his success and longevity are founded in his reasonableness and a cool control of his emotions'.
"In his remarkable career, it is David's deep sincerity and calmness, combined with his unshakeable belief in fairness, progress and social justice that has made him the most important and influential Liberal politician of a generation."
Among the universities Lord Steel has received previous honours are Edinburgh, Stirling and Aberdeen.
Receiving his latest, he said: "When I made my oft-quoted speech to my party conference in 1981 stating ‘Go back to your constituencies and prepare for government', I did not expect them to take quite so long."
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Selkirk
Sunday 12 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 7 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North west
