| George Robertson, Baron Robertson Of Port Ellen |
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in June 2001]] George Islay MacNeill Robertson, Baron Robertson of Port Ellen, KT , GCMG , FRSA , PC (born 12 April 1946 , in Port Ellen , Isle Of Islay , Scotland ) was the Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation , between October 1999 and early January 2004; he succeeded Javier Solana in that position. He served as Defence Secretary for the United Kingdom from 1997 to 1999, before taking up his NATO position and becoming a Life Peer as Baron Robertson of Port Ellen, of Islay in Argyll And Bute . EARLY LIFE He was educated at Dunoon Grammar School and later the University Of Dundee , graduating in 1968 with a Master's Degree ( M.A. ) in Economics . He is the father of three children, they are called Malcom, Martin and Rachel. He married Sandra on 1 June 1970 . Robertson survived a serious car crash in January 1977 with a Navy Land Rover carrying 100lb of gelignite and a box of detonators, which hit his car head-on in the Drumochter Pass , leaving him two with wrecked knees and a broken jaw. Robertson was wearing a seat belt at the time and attributes his survival to this factor. POLITICAL CAREER He was six times elected to the United Kingdom House Of Commons , was Chairman of the Labour Party In Scotland , and was appointed to the Privy Council .1 Infamous quote on devolution Robertson infamously said that "'' Devolution will kill Nationalism stone dead''"2 while he was Shadow Secretary Of State For Scotland before the 1997 General Election . This quote was designed to assuage fears that devolution would provide a greater platform for the SNP . Robertson's quote has been frequently recalled (usually in a mocking fashion), particularly after the SNP's victory in the 2007 Scottish Election . Allegations surrounding the Dunblane massacre | |||||||||||||||
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