William van Straubenzee
Sir William van Straubenzee MBE | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of Parliament for Wokingham | |
| In office 8 October 1959 – 18 May 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Peter Remnant |
| Succeeded by | John Redwood |
| Member General Synod of the Church of England | |
| In office 1975–1985 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 January 1924 London, England, UK |
| Died | 2 November 1999 (aged 75) London, England, UK |
| Political party | |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch/service | Royal Artillery |
| Rank | Major |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Sir William Radcliffe van Straubenzee MBE (27 January 1924 – 2 November 1999) was a British Conservative Party politician.[1][2]
Background
The family name had come to the United Kingdom when Philip William Casimir van Straubenzee, a Belgian captain in the
Becoming a member of the
Early life
William van Straubenzee was the only son of Brigadier Arthur Bowen van Straubenzee DSO MC (the eighth generation of the family to serve in the military), and his wife, Margaret Joan Radcliffe.[1][2] He had a sister, Vivien Isabel Ruth van Straubenzee (1934-2016).[4]
Van Straubenzee was educated at
Military career
Van Straubenzee's family had a noted military background (eight generations to his father), and Van Straubenzee himself served in his father's regiment, the Royal Artillery (1942–47), including two years in the Far East at staff level. He left the military in 1947 with the rank of Major.[1][2]
Professional career
Van Straubenzee became a solicitor in 1952, and later a partner in a law firm.[1][2]
Political career
Van Straubenzee later commented that World War II had "matured" his politics, and he became active in the
Westminster
Van Straubenzee unsuccessfully contested Clapham in 1955,[1][2] after which he was elected to serve as a councillor of Richmond Borough Council 1955–58.[1][2] He was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Wokingham from 1959 to 1987, when he retired and was succeeded by John Redwood.[1][2]
David Eccles appointed him as his Parliamentary Private Secretary from 1960 to 1962.[1] In opposition from 1964, he served as spokesman on labour and social services, and then as an education spokesman where his views were heavily influenced by Sir Edward Boyle.[1]
Van Straubenzee served in
With his political career blunted, especially after Thatcher replaced Heath as leader in 1975 and sacked him from the shadow cabinet,[1][2] van Straubenzee focused on his work with the Church of England and backbench efforts.[1][2] As a "One Nation" conservative and noted "wet" amongst the Conservative party, his complimentary flat in Lollard's tower of Lambeth Palace became the meeting place for the "wet" dissident Conservative grouping, "The Lollards".[2] Van Straubenzee chaired the Conservative backbench Education Committee from 1979 until he stepped down, and was personally recommended for a knighthood by Thatcher in 1981.[1]
In government documents released in July 2015, van Straubenzee was named in connection to child sexual abuse, but the context of the reference is not known.[6][7]
Church of England
Van Straubenzee was a member of the
A
In 1992 after stepping down from the House of Commons, he chaired a Synod inquiry which recommended that the Prime Minister should lose his right to advise the Queen on senior Church appointments, and that vacancies for bishoprics should be advertised. The recommendation and most of the report was quickly dismissed by senior members of the episcopate.[1]
Personal life
Van Straubenzee never married and had no children.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Obituary: Sir William van Straubenzee". The Independent.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Roth, Andrew (8 November 1999). "William van Straubenzee". The Guardian.
- ^ a b c "Philip William Casimir van Straubenzee". thepeerage.com.
- ^ "Vivien Isabel Ruth van Straubenzee 1934-2016". PeerageNews. 17 August 2016.
- ^ The Times, 10 June 1954, "Official Appointments and Notices", p5
- ^ Johnston, Ian (23 July 2015). "Westminster child abuse allegations: MP with 'penchant for small boys' gave his word he was not a paedophile, newly discovered documents show". The Independent. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
- ^ Parmenter, Tom (23 July 2015). "Key Westminster Figures in Child Abuse Papers". Sky News. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
Sources
- Times Guide to the House of Commons, 1955, 1966 & 1983