SIR James Marjoribanks was a committed European who, as UK ambassador to the European Economic Community, helped to negotiate Britain's entry as a member state.
Retirement to Edinburgh in 1975 did not see an end to his commitment to the European ideal, however, and he continued at every opportunity to argue the case for Europe.
He was of a generation of officials which had been inspired by the vision of Jean Monnet, the French statesman who was a principal architect of the EEC in the post-war era.
Sir James's enthusiasm for the European ideal shone through in his public speeches and in his writings. He spoke with the commitment of the politician, rather than the cold logic and detachment of the diplomat or civil servant.
James Alexander Milne
Marjoribanks was born in 1911, the son of the Rev Dr Thomas Marjoribanks. He was educated at Merchiston, Edinburgh Academy, and Edinburgh University where he graduated MA.
From university he went into the foreign office in 1934, and by the following year he had been posted to Peking. Subsequent postings took him to Marseilles and then to America where, from 1942, he served for two years as vice-consul in New York.
After the Second World War, he represented the United Kingdom from 1947-49 in the
Austrian treaty negotiations.
His first deep involvement in European community affairs came in 1952 when he was appointed number two in the UK delegation to the European Coal and Steel Community.
There then followed a spell in London in the cabinet office before his return to Europe as economics minister at the UK embassy in Bonn. A further spell in London as an assistant secretary at the foreign office preceded his appointment as head of the UK delegation to the EEC, a post which he held from 1965-71.
Always the consummate
professional in representing the interests of the UK, Sir James was still ever mindful of his own Scottish background and longed for Scotland to play its full part in Europe.
More than 20 years ago, before even the first, abortive, referendum on devolution, he was outlining his vision for Scotland to be directly represented in Europe. Scotland, he argued, should be able to send three
or four people representing
various interests such as agriculture, education, industry, and culture.
He saw no reason why some institutions, such as the European Development Bank, should not be located in Edinburgh. A college of regional representatives could be based in Glasgow or Edinburgh and commute to and from the continent, he said. ''Scotland should get a full share of EC departments.''
In retiral he headed a committee set up by the Scottish Council (Development and Industry) to report on the application of European regional policy.
Sir James detested the use of the word region in relation to Scotland, and his committee's report tended to adopt quotation marks when forced to use
the term. He served as a director and latterly vice-president of
the SCDI.
In his retiral Sir James served for five years on the board of the Distillers Company and he was also a governing member of Inveresk Research International.
Sir James was pre-deceased by his wife Sonya in 1981.
He is survived by his daughter, Patricia, and two grandsons.
Sir James Marjoribanks,
diplomat; born May 29, 1911, died January 29, 2002.
Diplomat who forged close links with Europe
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