MacGregor was educated at Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh,[1] then at the University of St Andrews (MA economics and history, 1959) and at King's College London (LLB, 1962).

[2] MacGregor became an MP at the February 1974 General Election,[3] and served as a Tory whip from 1977 to 1981, when he became a junior minister at the Department of Trade and Industry, moving to MAFF in 1983.

MacGregor entered the Cabinet on 2 September 1985 as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and was made Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in 1987 – during the BSE crisis.

[4] MacGregor was appointed Secretary of State for Transport in 1992, remaining in the post until July 1994 when was dismissed from the cabinet.

[8] MacGregor was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1971 New Year Honours for political services.