Politician. Born in Cromarty (Highland), Maclean was educated at Fortrose Academy and at the University of Aberdeen. In 1983, he was elected as Conservative Member of Parliament for the English constituency of Penrith and the Border. In 1989, he was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by Margaret Thatcher. He went on to serve as Minister of State for Environment and Countryside (1992-93) and Minister of State for Home Affairs (1993-97) and finally, as Opposition Chief Whip (2001-05). He stood down from Parliament in 2010, due to his worsening multiple sclerosis, than now confines him to a wheel-chair. He was raised to the peerage as Lord Blencathra in 2011 and is active in the House of Lords, taking part in the BBC television behind-the-scenes documentary Meet the Lords (2017).
