Doreen Gorsky
Doreen Marjorie Gorsky | |
---|---|
West London , England | |
Died | 20 March 2001 | (aged 88)
Occupation(s) | Politician, feminist, television producer, executive |
Doreen Marjorie Gorsky née Doreen Stephens (12 October 1912 – 20 March 2001), was a British Liberal Party politician, feminist and television producer and executive who during her career specialised in women's and children's programmes.
Background
Doreen Stephens was born in Hammersmith. She was educated at a private boarding school in Folkestone, before attending finishing schools in Brussels and Wimbledon.[1]
In 1933, at the age of 19, she married a stockbroker, Richard Holden, with whom she had two children, though after five years, the couple divorced. During the war, she was a commandant in the
Political career
Gorsky joined the Liberal party in 1944. In 1945 she was Liberal candidate for the
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Henry Edwin Goodrich | 17,337 | 65.0 | +16.9 | ||
Conservative | Austin Uvedale Morgan Hudson | 5,771 | 21.7 | -30.2 | ||
Liberal | Doreen Marjorie Gorsky | 3,546 | 13.3 | N/A | ||
Majority | 11,566 | 43.4 | ||||
Labour gain from Conservative |
In 1945, she was a Liberal candidate, alongside Francis Beaufort-Palmer for Holland ward in the Kensington Metropolitan Borough Council elections.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Hon. Anthony Neil Wedgwood-Benn | 19,367 | 56.7 | −5.9 | |
Conservative | J. L. Lindsay | 12,018 | 35.2 | +8.4 | |
Liberal | Doreen Marjorie Gorsky | 2,752 | 8.1 | −1.4 | |
Majority | 7,349 | 21.5 | −14.3 | ||
Turnout | 34,137 | 61.1 | −23.9 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | −7.2 |
In 1951, she was Liberal candidate for the Carlisle Division of Cumberland at the 1951 General Election. Again this was not a promising seat. The Liberals had not won here since 1918 though at the last election, the Liberal candidate polled nearly 20%. She could not match this and again finished third.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Alfred Hargreaves (aka Alex)
|
19,648 | 46.8 | ||
Conservative | N.T. O'Reilly | 16,456 | 39.2 | ||
Liberal | Doreen Marjorie Gorsky | 5,886 | 14.0 | ||
Majority | 3,192 | 7.6 | |||
Turnout | 87.4 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
She did not stand for parliament again.
Media career
In 1953, she was appointed to the newly created post of Editor of Women's Television Programmes at the BBC. In 1963, she became head of family programmes, and one of the first women to hold an executive position in the corporation. She spearheaded programmes which introduced cookery personality
She was persuaded to join London Weekend Television by David Frost, along with her BBC junior Joy Whitby, at the future ITV contractor's beginnings in 1967, and the two women were appointed to run the children's programmes department,[9] although Stephens resigned after only two years when the company ran into difficulties.[10] Before departing Stephens (with Whitby) commissioned Catweazle (1970–71).[11]
Liberal party again
In 1969, she returned to active involvement when Jeremy Thorpe got her to take over from Pratap Chitnis as head of the Liberal Party Organisation. However, due to the lack of funds in the Liberal party, she agreed to work unpaid. Her work involved preparing the party for the next general election which took place in 1970. During the election, she took over responsibility for the party's three election broadcasts for television.[12]
References
- ^ a b c Butler, John (24 April 2001). "Obituary: Doreen Stephens". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ The Times House of Commons, 1950
- University of Keele. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
- ^ a b Twentieth Century Local Election Results Volume 2
- ^ a b A Radical Life by Mervyn Jones
- ^ The Times House of Commons, 1950
- ^ The Times House of Commons, 1951
- ^ a b c British parliamentary election results 1950–1974, Craig, F.W.S.
- ^ Alistair McGown "Children's TV in the 1960s", BFI screenonline
- ^ John Butler Obituary: Doreen Stephens, The Guardian, 24 April 2001
- ^ Alistair McGown "Catweazle (1970–71)", BFI screenonline
- ^ The British General Election of 1970 by David Butler