Alan Haselhurst, Baron Haselhurst

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Alan Haselhurst
)

Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Assumed office
3 July 2018
Life Peerage
Member of Parliament
for Saffron Walden
In office
8 July 1977 – 3 May 2017
Preceded bySir Peter Kirk
Succeeded byKemi Badenoch
Member of Parliament
for Middleton and Prestwich
In office
18 June 1970 – 8 February 1974
Preceded byDenis Coe
Succeeded byJim Callaghan
Personal details
Born (1937-06-23) 23 June 1937 (age 86)
South Elmsall, Yorkshire, England
Political partyConservative
Spouse
Angela Bailey
​
(m. 1977)​
Children2 sons, 1 daughter
Alma materOriel College, Oxford
OccupationPolitician
Websitewww.siralanhaselhurst.net

Alan Gordon Barraclough Haselhurst, Baron Haselhurst,

Life Peer in May 2018, sitting in the House of Lords as Baron Haselhurst.[5]

Early life and career

Insignia of a Knight Bachelor

Haselhurst was born at South Elmsall, near Hemsworth, Yorkshire, and educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham, then Cheltenham College in Gloucestershire, before going up to Oriel College, Oxford.

Elected President of the Oxford University Conservative Association in 1958, for two years,[6] he also served as Secretary and Treasurer of the Oxford Union from 1959. Before his election to parliament, Haselhurst worked in management in the chemicals industry and became an unremunerated director when his father's pharmacy was incorporated.

Haselhurst was the election agent to Robin Balniel, Conservative MP for Hertford, at both the 1964 and 1966 general elections. Haselhurst was elected Chairman of the National Young Conservatives in 1964, serving for two years, later becoming Chairman of the Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council (1978–1981).[7]

Parliamentary career

1970–1997

Haselhurst was elected to the

Sir Peter Kirk, died on 17 April 1977. Haselhurst was selected to contest the resulting by-election
on 7 July. Haselhurst retained the seat for the Conservatives with a majority of 12,437, and was returned as the constituency's MP at every following election until his retirement in 2017.

Following the Conservatives' return to power at the

Secretary of State for Education and Science Mark Carlisle and served for two years from 1979. He served on the European Legislation Select Committee for fifteen years from 1982, and was a member of the Transport Select Committee from 1992 to 1997. He was invited to ask the first question in Margaret Thatcher's final Prime Minister's Questions on 27 November 1990.[9]

1997–2017

Following the

Deputy Speaker), remaining in that post under successive Speakers Betty Boothroyd, Michael Martin, and John Bercow until May 2010. Haselhurst was a nominated candidate to succeed Michael Martin after Martin's resignation as Commons Speaker on 19 May 2009. However, Haselhurst was among those who became embroiled in the MPs' expenses controversy being highlighted by The Daily Telegraph for claiming £12,000 in gardening expenses over four years, in the sum of £249 every month,[10] despite receiving advice from the Fees Office to simplify the submission of his expenses in this way;[11] he made endeavours to wipe the slate clean by refunding his gardening expenses "out of respect to his constituents",[12] withdrawing from the Commons Speakership election having received 66 votes in the first round of voting, and 57 in the second.[13]

Haselhurst chose not to seek re-election as a Commons Deputy Speaker after the

Deputy Speakers. On 27 July 2010, Haselhurst was elected Chairman of the House of Commons Administration Committee,[14][15] having been defeated in the election for Chairman of the Backbench Business Committee by Natascha Engel.[16]

In July 2010, Haselhurst became

Executive Committee,[17] serving until October 2014, and overseeing parliamentary procedure throughout the Commonwealth. He succeeded the Malaysian Datuk Seri Haji Shafie Apdal; the previous British parliamentarian to be elected to this post was Sir Colin Shepherd in 1996.[18]

Haselhurst was re-selected as the Conservative candidate for the next election at a meeting of the local party association on 13 February 2014, and re-elected at the 2015 general election.[19] Haselhurst was opposed to Brexit prior to the 2016 referendum.[20]

In April 2017, Haselhurst announced that he would not be contesting the 2017 general election, having initially announced his intention to stand. About his change of mind he commented: "I feel now that my initial instinctive response was premature... I have begun to recognize that it might test the friendship and goodwill of so many people whose support I have enjoyed if I sought to do so for a further five years!"[21]

A supporter of community-based projects he was for a time a Director of Turning Point, a charity working with socially-excluded young people. A europhile and ally of Kenneth Clarke, he is widely regarded as a one-nation Conservative.

House of Lords

Nominated for elevation to the

Life Peer on 22 June, as Baron Haselhurst, of Saffron Walden in the County of Essex,[23] entering the House of Lords
where he sits on the Conservative benches.

Personal life

Alan Haselhurst married Angela Margaret Bailey on 16 April 1977; the couple have two sons and a daughter.

All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cricket and as a Council Member of Essex County Cricket Club from 1996 to 2008, he is a member of Marylebone Cricket Club
, well-known for writing cricketing stories.

Lord and Lady Haselhurst live in Essex.

Publications

References

  1. ^ "Sir Alan Haselhurst". Hansard. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Parliamentary career for Lord Haselhurst – MPs and Lords". UK Parliament. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  3. ^ "Commons Debates > Daily Hansard – Debate 8 June 2010". Hansard. UK Parliament. 8 June 2010. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  4. ^ "Sir Alan Haselhurst steps down after 40 years as MP". ITV Anglia. ITV News. 25 April 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  5. ^ www.debretts.com
  6. ^ www.ouconservatives.com
  7. ^ www.commonwealtheducation.org
  8. ^ www.manchester.gov.uk
  9. ^ "Margaret Thatcher's last Prime Minister's Questions: 27 November 1990". UK Parliament. 27 November 1990. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2020 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ Rayner, Gordon (12 May 2009). "MPs' expenses: Alan Haselhurst's £12,000 gardening bill". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 15 May 2009.
  11. ^ "About the House of Commons Enquiry Service". UK Parliament. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  12. ^ "MP to pay back Gardening Expenses". Saffron Walden Conservatives. May 2009. Archived from the original on 29 June 2009. The expense claims I made over recent years have been strictly in accordance with Parliamentary rules. The designation of my constituency home as my second home instead of my rented flat in London was obligatory on my becoming Deputy Speaker. In terms of total expense claims I currently rank 582nd out of 646 MPs. However, my claim for gardening help has caused concern. Out of respect to my constituents I am this week repaying the sum of £12,000
  13. ^ www.telegraph.co.uk
  14. ^ "Chair of Administration Committee elected". UK Parliament. 27 June 2010. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  15. ^ "Sir Alan to head two committees". Saffron Walden Weekly News. 6 August 2010. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  16. ^ www.parliament.uk
  17. ^ "Commonwealth Parliamentary Association elects new chairperson". UK Parliament. July 2011. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  18. ^ "Chairpersons". Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  19. ^ Barrett, Hywel (8 May 2015). "Election: Conservative's Sir Alan Haselhurst retains Saffron Walden seat". Dunmow Broadcast. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  20. ^ Goodenough, Tom (16 February 2016). "Which Tory MPs back Brexit, who doesn't and who is still on the fence?". The Spectator. Archived from the original on 22 October 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  21. ^ "General election 2017: Tory MPs Tyrie and Haselhurst to stand down". BBC News. 25 April 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  22. ^ "Pickles and Lilley among former Tory ministers to get peerages". BBC News. 18 May 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  23. ^ "No. 62338". The London Gazette. 28 June 2018. p. 11484.
  24. ^ "No. 54287". The London Gazette. 12 January 1996. p. 571.

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for
Middleton and Prestwich
1970 – February 1974 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for
Saffron Walden
1977–2017 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairman of Ways and Means
1997–2010 		Succeeded by
Sir Lindsay Hoyle
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by
The Lord McNicol of West Kilbride
 Gentlemen
Baron Haselhurst 		Followed by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alan_Haselhurst,_Baron_Haselhurst&oldid=1212673140"