Gerald Howarth

Infobox MP
honorific-prefix =
name = Gerald Howarth
honorific-suffix =

---

caption =
constituency_MP = Aldershot
parliament =
term_start = 1 May 1997
term_end =
majority = 5,334 (11.1%)
predecessor = Julian Critchley
successor =
constituency_MP2 = Cannock and Burntwood
parliament2 =
term_start2 = 9 June 1983
term_end2 = 9 April 1992
majority2 =
predecessor2 = Gwilym Roberts
successor2 = Tony Wright
birth_date = Birth date and age|1947|09|12|df=yes
birth_place = Hurley, Berkshire
death_date =
death_place =
nationality = British
spouse = Elizabeth Jane Squibb
party = Conservative
relations =
children =
residence =
alma_mater = University of Southampton
occupation =
profession =
religion =


website =
footnotes =

James Gerald Douglas Howarth known as Gerald Howarth (born 12 September 1947, Guildford, Surrey) is a British politician in the Conservative Party. He is the Member of Parliament for Aldershot. On the right-wing of the Conservative party, he currently serves as Shadow Defence Minister.

Howarth had previously been MP for Cannock and Burntwood from 1983 to 1992, when he lost his seat at the General Election that year. He then was re-elected at the 1997 General Election as MP for Aldershot. Howarth was Parliamentary Private Secretary to Michael Spicer, M.P., when Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Energy 1987-90, and as Minister of State, Department of the Environment in 1990.

The son of James and Mary Howarth, he was educated at Bloxham School and the University of Southampton (BA Hons), and married in 1973, Elizabeth Jane, née Squibb. They have two sons and a daughter. A qualified pilot, he was commissioned into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in 1968, and 20 years later, in 1988 received the Britannia Airways Parliamentary Pilot of the Year Award. In 1971 was employed by the Bank of America International Ltd., where he remained until 1977, when he moved to the European Arab Bank until 1981 (Manager 1979-81). He then became the Syndication Manager for the Standard Chartered Bank for the next two years, when he was elected to parliament.

In March 1968 Howarth took part in a Vietnam War protest at Grosvenor square, waving a banner backing the Americans, though he ensured he stood behind hoards of policeman when doing so. Howarth was General Secretary of the Society for Individual Freedom 1969-1971, and was once an active member of the Conservative Monday Club. He and Graham Webster Gardiner (the UKIP Candidate for Epsom and Ewell in the 2001 General Election), representing the Club's Universities Group, spoke at the Club's all-day Conference on Subversion, at Church House, Westminster, in January 1970. On 16 April 1970 he took part in a protest in London demanding the abolition of exchange controls, which Sir Geoffrey Howe eventually abolished in December 1980.

In 1971 and 1972 he is recorded as a member of the National Monday Club's Executive Council. From 1973-77 he was Director of the Freedom Under The Law Group. He served as an elected councillor on the London Borough of Hounslow 1982-3, and sat on their Environmental Planning, and Finance and General Purposes Committees.

Allegations of far-right sympathies were made against Howarth in a controversial January 1984 "Panorama" programme, "Maggie's Militant Tendency". Howarth and his close friend Neil Hamilton both sued the BBC and were awarded £20,000 damages for libel in October 1986, with their court costs paid. Howarth was also targeted by Chris Morris on the satirical television programme, "Brass Eye".

He is known for his strong views on limiting immigration, and on the freedom of the economy; he is a member of the Thatcherite 'No Turning Back' group and the Freedom Association. He was a vocal opponent of the arrest of the former Chilean leader Augusto Pinochet in September 1998.

Howarth has a consistent record of defending family values, a stance reflected in his voting patterns, having voted against the repeal of Clause 28 of the Local Government Act, and also opposing change to the established age of consent.

He was one of those who attacked the conclusion of the Macpherson report (into Stephen Lawrence's death) that the Metropolitan police are institutionally racist as "a grotesque over-reaction." Further comments in the parliamentary debate on the report were: "I will leave aside whether people coming to this country should be more sensitive to our customs and practices...rather than us having to constantly duck and weave to every changing nuance."Fact|date=March 2008

On 2 August 2005 Howarth said of British Muslims who resent the British way of life: "If they don't like our way of life, there is a simple remedy: go to another country, get out". When asked what if these people were born in Britain, Howarth responded: "Tough. If you don't give allegiance to this country, then leave. There are plenty of other countries whose way of life would appear to be more conducive to what they aspire to. They would be happy and we would be happy". [ [http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/Muslims-who-hate-us-can.2648548.jp Gerri Peev, 'Muslims who hate us can get out, says Tory', "The Scotsman", 3 August 2005] ] After British Airways in November 2006 indicated that a member of its check-in staff would not be permitted to display a cross over her uniform, Howarth announced his decision to boycott the flag carrier and claimed that "firstly, this is not a Muslim country, it is a Christian country, and the idea that somehow it has become unacceptable to demonstrate that faith is bizarre. Secondly, the cross is a modest symbol. It is not an aggressive or provocative gesture like a veil or a burqa. It is a quiet demonstration of faith". [ [http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23375379-details/Second%20minister%20to%20boycott%20BA%20in%20growing%20row%20over%20Christian%20worker/article.do Second minister to boycott BA in growing row over Christian worker| News | This is London ] ]

He called for Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed to be deported, calling him a "thief, a crook and liar" during a Commons debate in April 2008.

Notes

References

* Copping, Robert, "The Story of the Monday Club - The First Decade", Current Affairs Information Service, London, April 1972, (P/B).

* "Dod's Parliamentary Companion" 1991, 172nd edition, London. ISBN 0-905702-17-4

* Ellis, Dr.Frank, "The Macpherson Report: 'Anti-racist' Hysteria and the Sovietization of the United Kingdom", published by Right Now Press Ltd., London, 2001,(P/B), ISBN 0-9540534-0-0

External links

* [http://www.geraldhowarth.net/ Gerald Howarth MP] official site
* [http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.person.page&personID=5115 Conservative Party - Gerald Howarth MP] official biography
* [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-2544,00.html Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Gerald Howarth MP]
* [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/gerald_howarth/aldershot TheyWorkForYou.com - Gerald Howarth MP]
* [http://publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpn=Gerald_Howarth&mpc=Aldershot The Public Whip - Gerald Howarth MP] voting record
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/mpdb/html/7.stm BBC News - Gerald Howarth] profile 10 February, 2005