Eric Gandar Dower

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Eric Leslie Gandar Dower (1894–4 October 1987) was a Scottish Unionist politician and businessman. He was educated at Brighton College and Jesus College, Cambridge, and trained for the stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, touring with theatre companies. He founded Aberdeen Airport and Aberdeen Airways, which served routes from Aberdeen to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Wick, Thurso, Kirkwall and Stromness. The airline later became Allied Airways (Gandar Dower) Ltd and, in 1937, opened what was the first British–Norwegian air route, Newcastle to Stavanger. He served as a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve from 1940 to 1943.

After World War II, Gandar Dower was elected as the Conservative Member of Parliament for Caithness and Sutherland at the 1945 general election, winning by only 61 votes over Liberal leader Archibald Sinclair. He campaigned on serving as a wartime MP until Japan was defeated and then resigning to seek re-election. He stated that if elected, he would resign at the end of the Japanese war and stand again in a by-election so voters could decide whether to keep him.

When Japan was defeated in August 1945, he did not resign but said he would do so later. He repeatedly announced intentions to resign, in February 1946 and again in December 1946, but each time withdrew. In 1947 The Times said there would likely be no by-election and that he would probably hold the seat until the next general election. At a 1948 Conservative association meeting he tried to win renomination for a by-election, but was overwhelmingly defeated, with many members opposing him. He then said he would stand as an Independent at the next election and, from 3 October 1948, left the Conservative whip. In December 1948 the local party chose a replacement, David Robertson. Gandar Dower did not run again and retired at the 1950 general election.

His brother Alan also served as a Conservative MP, while another brother, Kenneth, was an explorer and navigator. They used different spellings of their surname: Gandar Dower, Dower, and Gandar-Dower.