Desmond Banks, Baron Banks

Desmond Banks, Baron Banks
The Right Honourable
The Lord Banks
Personal details
Born Desmond Anderson Harvie Banks
23 October 1918(1918-10-23)
Ascot, Surrey, England
Died 15 June 1997(1997-06-15) (aged 78)
Nationality British
Political party Liberal
Occupation Politician

Desmond Anderson Harvie Banks, Baron Banks (23 October 1918 – 15 June 1997) was a British Liberal Party politician.

Banks was born in Ascot, Surrey. He was educated at prep school in Harrow and University College School in Hampstead. During the Second World War he served as an officer in the Royal Artillery. In 1948 he married Barbara Wells who in 1987 was awarded the OBE for services to the Women's Liberal Federation. Banks was a life insurance broker and pensions consultant.

He was Chairman of the Liberal Party Executive from 1961 to 1963 and from 1969 to 1970, and President of the Liberal Party from 1968 to 1969. In 1972, he was awarded the CBE for political service in the New Years Honours list.[1][2] He was created a life peer in January 1975 as Baron Banks, of Kenton in Greater London.[3] In the House of Lords he was Liberal Deputy Chief Whip from 1977to 1983.

Banks had joined the Liberals while at school. He joined the staff at Liberal Party HQ in 1949 and was at one time editor of the party newspaper Liberal News. He first stood as a parliamentary candidate in the 1950 election in Harrow East,[4] then in St Ives in 1955 election[5] and Hertfordshire South West in the 1959 election.[6] He was sometime speechwriter for Jo Grimond and a frequent contributor to Liberal News as well as author of many pamphlets and policy papers.[7]

In 1952, together with Peter Grafton who had been Liberal parliamentary candidate in Bromley in 1950 in opposition to Harold Macmillan, Banks co-founded the Radical Reform Group, a social liberal pressure group within the Liberal Party to prevent what many saw as a rightward drift by the party, and its potential capture by the economic liberals. The Group campaigned under the slogan 'social reform without socialism'.

Banks was a strong pro-European, a founder member and one time chairman of the Liberal European Action Group and was President of the British Council of the European Movement from 1986 to 1994.

References

  1. ^ The Times, 1.1.72
  2. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 45554. p. 8. 31 December 1971. Retrieved 2009-05-26.
  3. ^ London Gazette: no. 46459. p. 309. 9 January 1975. Retrieved 2009-05-26.
  4. ^ The Times, 11.2.50
  5. ^ G Tregigda, The Liberal Party in South West Britain since 1918, p.154
  6. ^ The Times, 7.10.59
  7. ^ The Political Insight of Elliott Dodds, author information

Bibliography

  • Vernon Bogdanor, Liberal Party Politics, Oxford University Press, 1983
  • Graham Lippiatt, entry on Banks in Dictionary of Liberal Biography, Brack et al. (eds.): Politico’s, 1998
  • Gary Tregidga, The Liberal Party in South West England since 1918, University of Exeter Press, 2000
  • Donald Wade & Desmond Banks, The Political Insight of Elliott Dodds, Liberal Publications Dept., 1977
  • Alan Watkins, The Liberal Dilemma, MacGibbon & Key, 1966
Party political offices
Preceded by
Leonard Behrens
Chairman of the Liberal Party
1961–1963
Succeeded by
Basil Wigoder
Preceded by
Donald Wade
President of the Liberal Party
1968–1969
Succeeded by
Timothy Beaumont
Preceded by
Michael Eden
Chairman of the Liberal Party
1969–1970
Succeeded by
Richard Wainwright

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Desmond Banks, Baron Banks of Kenton — Desmond Anderson Harvie Banks, Baron Banks of Kenton (23 October 1918 – 15 June 1997) was a British Liberal Party politician. Banks was born at Ascot in Surrey. He was educated at prep school in Harrow and University College School in Hampstead.… …   Wikipedia

  • Michael Eden, 7th Baron Henley — Michael Francis Eden (13 August 1914 – 20 December 1977)[1] was a British peer active in Liberal Party politics. Eden succeeded as Baron Henley and Baron Northington in 1962. He served as President of the Liberal Party from 1966–1967, then as… …   Wikipedia

  • Donald Wade, Baron Wade — Donald William Wade, Baron Wade, DL (16 June 1904 – 6 November 1988) was a British solicitor who became a Liberal Party Member of Parliament. Wade s time in Parliament coincided with the time the Liberals were at their lowest ebb but his job as… …   Wikipedia

  • Second Desmond Rebellion — The Second Desmond rebellion (1579 1583) was the more widespread and bloody of the two Desmond Rebellions launched by the Fitzgerald dynasty of Desmond in Munster, southern Ireland, against English rule in Ireland. The second rebellion began in… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Privy Counsellors (1952–present) — This is a List of Privy Counsellors of the United Kingdom appointed since the accession of Queen Elizabeth II in 1952. Due to political ties, some Prime Ministers from Commonwealth realms also are ascended to the British Privy Council as… …   Wikipedia

  • Deaths in 1997 — For earlier deaths, see Deaths in 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992 1991, ... For later deaths, see Deaths in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, ... Contents 1 …   Wikipedia

  • Elliott Dodds — George Elliott Dodds (4 March 1889 20 February 1977) was a British journalist, newspaper editor, Liberal politician and thinker.Education and CareerElliott Dodds was born in Sydenham, in Kent, the son of a tea merchant. He was educated at Mill… …   Wikipedia

  • Ireland — Irelander, n. /uyeur leuhnd/, n. 1. John, 1838 1918, U.S. Roman Catholic clergyman and social reformer, born in Ireland: archbishop of St. Paul, Minn., 1888 1918. 2. Also called Emerald Isle. Latin, Hibernia. a large western island of the British …   Universalium

  • performing arts — arts or skills that require public performance, as acting, singing, or dancing. [1945 50] * * * ▪ 2009 Introduction Music Classical.       The last vestiges of the Cold War seemed to thaw for a moment on Feb. 26, 2008, when the unfamiliar strains …   Universalium

  • literature — /lit euhr euh cheuhr, choor , li treuh /, n. 1. writings in which expression and form, in connection with ideas of permanent and universal interest, are characteristic or essential features, as poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays. 2.… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”