Edward Short, Baron Glenamara

Newcastle upon Tyne Central
Newcastle upon Tyne Central
	In office; 25 October 1951 – 12 October 1976
Preceded by	Lyall Wilkes
Succeeded by	Harry Cowans
Personal details
Born	Edward Watson Short; 17 December 1912; Warcop, England
Died	4 May 2012 (aged 99); Hexham, England
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Jennie Sewell (m. 1941; died 2008)
Children	2
Second World War

Edward Watson Short, Baron Glenamara,

Newcastle upon Tyne Central and served as a minister during the Labour governments under Harold Wilson, before being appointed to the House of Lords shortly after James Callaghan

became Prime Minister.

Following the death of

British House of Commons. He died just under a year later, aged 99. At the time of his death he was the oldest member of the House of Lords.^[1]

Early career

Short was born in

Second World War.^[3] After leaving the army, he returned to teaching, becoming Newcastle branch secretary of the National Union of Teachers and in 1947, head of Princess Louise Boys' School, Blyth.^[2] He married Jennie Sewell in 1941, and they had two children.^[4]

Short joined the Labour Party in 1942 and was elected a councillor on

Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour in 1976.^[5]

Postmaster General

Short was responsible for the outlawing of pirate radio stations such as Radio Caroline. Following the government campaign against the pirates previously led by Tony Benn, his predecessor in the post of Postmaster-General (then the minister with responsibility for broadcasting), Short was responsible for introducing the bill^[6] which became the Marine, &c., Broadcasting (Offences) Act 1967. In a 1982 interview for BBC Radio's The Story of Pop Radio, Short admitted having enjoyed listening to some of those stations, particularly Radio 390.

As Postmaster General, Short ordered the creation of the 1966 England Winners stamp to celebrate England's victory in the 1966 FIFA World Cup.

Education Secretary

He subsequently served as Education Secretary 1968–70, and became Labour's deputy leader on 25 April 1972 after Roy Jenkins resigned over differences on European policy.^[7] Short was seen at the time as a "safe pair of hands". His main rival for the job was the left-winger Michael Foot who was viewed by many on the centre and right of the party as a divisive figure. Short defeated Foot and Anthony Crosland in the same vote.

Lord President of the Council

Short's new seniority was reflected in 1974 as his appointment as

prime minister's questions, he did not have the stature to mount a leadership bid himself upon the prime minister's retirement in 1976.^[4] He was not offered a Cabinet post on James Callaghan's election as Prime Minister. His resignation letter said that the time had come for him to step aside for a younger man; this was sarcasm, as he was replaced by Michael Foot, who was only seven months younger than himself. Short was also nine months younger than Callaghan, who had dropped him from the cabinet. Barbara Castle

Peerage

He was made a life peer as Baron Glenamara, of Glenridding in the County of Cumbria on 28 January 1977,^[8] a few months after he had left the Commons. One year before, he was appointed Chairman of Cable and Wireless Ltd, which was at the time a nationalised industry. He served in that post until 1980.

As a life peer he was a member of the House of Lords, although he stopped attending regularly a few years before his death.

His name lives on in the House of Commons with the term "Short Money". This refers to funds paid by the Government to help run the Parliamentary office of the Leader of the Opposition. The then Mr Short pioneered this idea during his time in the House.^[4]

He was made a

University of Northumbria, a post he retired from in 2005. Short died in Hexham on 4 May 2012, at the age of 99.^[4]

Coat of arms of Edward Short, Baron Glenamara
	Crest Out of the Top of a Tower proper two Trefoils Vert volant therefrom a Bee proper; Escutcheon Sable four Portcullises each dimidiating a Covered Cup two in chief one in base that in fess between two Bars Gemel Gold; Supporters Dexter: a Stag guardant proper the dexter foreleg supporting a Board Vert; Sinister: a Sea-Horse proper; Motto Levavi Oculos Meos (I have lifted up mine eyes) ^[9]

References

^ "Lord Glenamara of Glenridding, 1912–2012 – Northumbria University, Newcastle UK". Northumbria.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 13 May 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
^ ^a ^b "Lord Glenamara". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
^ "Lord Glenamara obituary". Guardian. 10 May 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
^
doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/105080. (Subscription or UK public library membership
required.)

^ "No. 46916". The London Gazette. 1 June 1976. p. 7823.
^ "Marine, & C., Broadxasting (OffencesFFENCES)", HC Deb 27 July 1966, Hansard, vol 732 c1720
^ "Unity call as Short wins by 29 votes". The Glasgow Herald. 26 April 1972. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
^ "No. 47138". The London Gazette. 1 February 1977. p. 1427.
^ "Life Peerages – G". Cracroft's Peerage. Retrieved 15 December 2019.

"Baron Glenamara". Archived from the original on 8 June 2008. Retrieved 8 September 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
Debrett's People of Today 2006
Who's Who 2006
Times Guide to the House of Commons October 1974

External links

Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Edward Short

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Lyall Wilkes	Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne Central 1951–1976	Succeeded by Harry Cowans
Political offices
Preceded by Herbert Bowden	Government Chief Whip in the House of Commons 1964–1966	Succeeded by John Silkin
Preceded by Martin Redmayne	Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury 1964–1966	Succeeded by John Silkin
Preceded by Tony Benn	Postmaster General 1966–1968	Succeeded by Roy Mason
Preceded by Patrick Gordon Walker	Secretary of State for Education and Science 1968–1970	Succeeded by Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by James Prior	Leader of the House of Commons 1974–1976	Succeeded by Michael Foot
Preceded by James Prior	Lord President of the Council 1974–1976	Succeeded by Michael Foot
Party political offices
Preceded by Roy Jenkins	Deputy Leader of the Labour Party 1972–1976	Succeeded by Michael Foot
Academic offices
New office	Chancellor of Northumbria University 1992–2005	Succeeded by The Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington

[1] "Lord Glenamara of Glenridding, 1912–2012 – Northumbria University, Newcastle UK". Northumbria.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 13 May 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2012.

[:0-2] "Lord Glenamara". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 9 May 2017.

[3] "Lord Glenamara obituary". Guardian. 10 May 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2012.

[Radice-4] 
doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/105080. (Subscription or UK public library membership
required.)

[5] "No. 46916". The London Gazette. 1 June 1976. p. 7823.

[6] "Marine, & C., Broadxasting (OffencesFFENCES)", HC Deb 27 July 1966, Hansard, vol 732 c1720

[7] "Unity call as Short wins by 29 votes". The Glasgow Herald. 26 April 1972. Retrieved 24 August 2012.

[8] "No. 47138". The London Gazette. 1 February 1977. p. 1427.

[9] "Life Peerages – G". Cracroft's Peerage. Retrieved 15 December 2019.

[1]

[3]

[2]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

v t e 1972 Labour Party deputy leadership election
Outgoing Deputy Leader: Roy Jenkins
Elected	Edward Short
Defeated	Anthony Crosland Michael Foot

Authority control databases
International	FAST ISNI VIAF
National	United States Netherlands
People	UK Parliament
Other	SNAC IdRef