Lawson was educated at elementary schools in North Merchiston, Edinburgh.
From 1966 to 1967 he was Deputy Chief Government Whip, serving under John Silkin.
[3] Ironically, Lawson was most noted for being one of 69 rebel Labour MPs who disobeyed a three-line whip to vote with the then Conservative Government in securing Britain's accession into the European Economic Community (EEC) in October 1971.
Unlike most other pro-EEC Labour 'moderates', however, he was an opponent of Scottish devolution, and following his retirement from the House of Commons he was made campaign director of the anti-Home Rule group "Scotland is British", remaining so until his death.
This article about a Labour Party member of Parliament representing a Scottish constituency is a stub.