Alf Dubs

Alfred Dubs, Baron Dubs (born December 1932) is a Czech-born British Labour Party politician and former Member of Parliament.

Dubs was educated at Cheadle Hulme School and the London School of Economics. He then worked as a local government officer. He was elected at 1979 general election as Member of Parliament (MP) for Battersea South and in 1983 for Battersea, before losing his seat at the 1987 election. From 1988 to 1995 he was Director of the Refugee Council. In 1994 was appointed a Labour Working peerage as Baron Dubs, of Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth. He was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office from May 1997 to December 1999.

Whilst Dubs was an MP, John O'Farrell worked in his office and was a Labour activist in Battersea. O'Farrell described in his book (Things can "only" get better) the events leading up to Dubs' shock defeat by the Conservative candidate John Bowis at the 1987 general election. Dubs stood for Battersea again at the 1992 election, only to see the Conservative majority increase against the national trend. Subsequently, he was given a life peerage.

Lord Dubs has served on an Area Health Authority and more recently on a Mental Health Trust. He was Chair of the Broadcasting Standards Commission until December 2003 and had previously been Deputy Chair of the Independent Television Commission. He is a Trustee of the Open University Foundation.

In the past, he has been a local Councillor, Chair of the Fabian Society, Chair of Liberty, a Trustee of Action Aid, a Trustee of the Immigration Advisory Service and of a number of other voluntary organisations.

Born in Prague, then in Czechoslovakia, Dubs was one of 669 Czech, mainly Jewish, children saved by English stockbroker Nicholas Winton from the Nazis on the 'Kindertransport'. He only discovered that he was one of the "Winton children" a few years ago after a relative saw his name on a television programme by Esther Rantzen. He has a clear memory of leaving Prague station at the age of six and not touching the food pack given to him by his mother for the next two days. But he had no idea who masterminded his escape. He has written and broadcast extensively on the subject, campaigning for Winton to be honoured. Winton was later knighted for his actions.

Lord Dubs is a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association.

References

Times Guide to the House of Commons 1992

Persondata
NAME=Dubs, Alfred
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Alf Dubs; Baron Dubs of Battersea
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Labour Party politician, Member of Parliament 1979–1987
DATE OF BIRTH=December 1932
PLACE OF BIRTH=Prague, Czechoslovakia
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=