Caithness and Sutherland
At the 1950 general election, Robertson moved constituencies from Streatham to fight Caithness and Sutherland, the northernmost part of mainland Scotland. The constituency had a long Liberal tradition but the Conservatives had won the seat from Liberal leader Sir Archibald Sinclair in 1945 on a pledge by the candidate Eric Gandar Dower to seek re-election after the capitulation of Japan; as a result of breaking that promise (among other things), Gandar Dower had fallen out with his Unionist Association.
Robertson faced a rematch against Sir Archibald Sinclair, who was Lord Lieutenant of Caithness. He objected that Sinclair was bringing the Lieutenancy into politics, although Sinclair pointed out that he had held the office since 1919 and had first been elected in 1922. Sinclair described Robertson's objections as "exceptionally silly pre-election stuff". Robertson won his seat, but only by 269 votes; Sinclair accepted a Viscountcy rather than try to win the seat again, and Robertson had easy re-elections thereafter.
Read more about this topic: David Robertson (UK Politician)