Alan Lee Williams
Encyclopedia
Alan Lee Williams OBE (born 29 November 1930) is a former president of the Atlantic Treaty Association, a British
Labour Party
politician, writer and visiting professor of politics at Queen Mary College, London
.
Williams was educated at Roan School, Greenwich
and worked as a journeyman freeman and craft-owning freeman of the Company of Watermen and Lightermen, between 1945 and 1952, before attending Ruskin College, Oxford
. He was elected a borough councillor
in Greenwich in 1952, at the age of twenty-one, serving until 1955. He worked as the national youth officer of the Labour Party between 1955 and 1962 and then as the National Youth Officer of the United Nations Association
between 1962 and 1966. He was chairman of the British National Committee of the World Assembly of Youth
for four years.
He first contested Epsom in 1964. He was three times elected Member of Parliament
(MP) for the marginal seat of Hornchurch
, being elected in 1966. He lost to the Conservative
John Loveridge
in 1970, but regained the seat in the elections of February
and October 1974
. He was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary
to the Rt Hon Denis Healey
MP in his role as Defence Secretary from 1967 to 1970. In 1974 he was again appointed as a PPS to the Rt Hon Roy Mason
, Defence Secretary, remaining his PPS when Mason was appointed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
.
In 1979 he lost again to the Conservative Robin Squire
, and has not been an MP since. In 1979, he was appointed Director-General of the English Speaking Union. In the 1980s, he joined the Social Democratic Party
and became Chairman of the SDP's Defence Committee for four years, later rejoining the Labour Party. He was a long serving member of the Trilateral Commission
and served on the Foreign Office's Advisory Board on Arms Control, and on the Lord Chancellor
's Advisory Board on Public Records.
Williams first served with the European Movement
as Deputy Director from 1970 until 1972, and as Director of the British Atlantic Committee between 1972 and 1974. From 1972 to 1973, he was Director of the Labour Committee for Europe. During this time he was awarded the Order of the British Empire
for services to Europe. In 1978 he was Chairman of Peace through NATO, during the question over the Pershing Cruise Missile Deployment. In 1986 he became Director of the Atlantic Council of the United Kingdom, a member of the Atlantic Treaty Association
. He served in this capacity until 2007. He was elected President of the Atlantic Treaty Association in 2000, serving until 2003, and from 2007 held the title of Honorary Vice-President for Life at the Atlantic Council.
In 1986 he was made Warden and Chief Executive of Toynbee Hall
, the university settlement. He is Chairman of a number of major charities including Transport on Water Association and the Sir William Beveridge Foundation.
Alan Lee Williams has written and contributed to several books and articles, including A Radical Future(1966), Europe and the Open Sea(1966), Crisis in European Defence(1979), and other works on defence with his brother, Prof. Geoffrey Lee Williams.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician, writer and visiting professor of politics at Queen Mary College, London
Queen Mary, University of London
Queen Mary, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
.
Williams was educated at Roan School, Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
and worked as a journeyman freeman and craft-owning freeman of the Company of Watermen and Lightermen, between 1945 and 1952, before attending Ruskin College, Oxford
Ruskin College, Oxford
Ruskin College is an independent educational institution in Oxford, England. It is named after the essayist and social critic John Ruskin and specialises in providing educational opportunities for adults with few or no qualifications...
. He was elected a borough councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
in Greenwich in 1952, at the age of twenty-one, serving until 1955. He worked as the national youth officer of the Labour Party between 1955 and 1962 and then as the National Youth Officer of the United Nations Association
United Nations Association
The United Nations Associations are non-governmental organizations that exist in various countries to enhance the relationship between the people of a member state and the United Nations, raise public awareness of the UN and its work, promote the general goals of the UN and act as an advisory body...
between 1962 and 1966. He was chairman of the British National Committee of the World Assembly of Youth
World Assembly of Youth
The World Assembly of Youth is the coordinating body of national youth councils and organisations of over one-hundred national youth organizations from around the world. It was founded in 1949 in London, England....
for four years.
He first contested Epsom in 1964. He was three times elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for the marginal seat of Hornchurch
Hornchurch (UK Parliament constituency)
Hornchurch was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
, being elected in 1966. He lost to the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
John Loveridge
John Loveridge
Sir John Warren Loveridge was a British Conservative Party Member of Parliament for 13 years, from 1970 to 1983...
in 1970, but regained the seat in the elections of February
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
and October 1974
United Kingdom general election, October 1974
The United Kingdom general election of October 1974 took place on 10 October 1974 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. It was the second general election of that year and resulted in the Labour Party led by Harold Wilson, winning by a tiny majority of 3 seats.The election of...
. He was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to the Rt Hon Denis Healey
Denis Healey
Denis Winston Healey, Baron Healey CH, MBE, PC is a British Labour politician, who served as Secretary of State for Defence from 1964 to 1970 and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1974 to 1979.-Early life:...
MP in his role as Defence Secretary from 1967 to 1970. In 1974 he was again appointed as a PPS to the Rt Hon Roy Mason
Roy Mason
Roy Mason, Baron Mason of Barnsley, PC is a British Labour politician and former Cabinet minister.He was born in Royston, and grew up in Carlton, Barnsley in South Yorkshire...
, Defence Secretary, remaining his PPS when Mason was appointed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, informally the Northern Ireland Secretary, is the principal secretary of state in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State is a Minister of the Crown who is accountable to the Parliament of...
.
In 1979 he lost again to the Conservative Robin Squire
Robin Squire
Robin Clifford Squire was a British politician. He was the Conservative MP for Hornchurch from 1979 until 1997 when he lost the seat to John Cryer....
, and has not been an MP since. In 1979, he was appointed Director-General of the English Speaking Union. In the 1980s, he joined the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
and became Chairman of the SDP's Defence Committee for four years, later rejoining the Labour Party. He was a long serving member of the Trilateral Commission
Trilateral Commission
The Trilateral Commission is a non-governmental, non-partisan discussion group founded by David Rockefeller in July 1973 to foster closer cooperation among the United States, Europe and Japan.-History:...
and served on the Foreign Office's Advisory Board on Arms Control, and on the Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
's Advisory Board on Public Records.
Williams first served with the European Movement
European Movement
The European Movement International is a lobbying association that coordinates the efforts of associations and national councils with the goal of promoting European integration, and disseminating information about it.-History:...
as Deputy Director from 1970 until 1972, and as Director of the British Atlantic Committee between 1972 and 1974. From 1972 to 1973, he was Director of the Labour Committee for Europe. During this time he was awarded the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for services to Europe. In 1978 he was Chairman of Peace through NATO, during the question over the Pershing Cruise Missile Deployment. In 1986 he became Director of the Atlantic Council of the United Kingdom, a member of the Atlantic Treaty Association
Atlantic Treaty Association
The Atlantic Treaty Association is an umbrella organization which acts as a network facilitator in the Euro-Atlantic and beyond. The ATA draws together political leaders, academics, and diplomats in an effort to further the values set forth in the North Atlantic Treaty - Democracy, Freedom,...
. He served in this capacity until 2007. He was elected President of the Atlantic Treaty Association in 2000, serving until 2003, and from 2007 held the title of Honorary Vice-President for Life at the Atlantic Council.
In 1986 he was made Warden and Chief Executive of Toynbee Hall
Toynbee Hall
Toynbee Hall is a building in Tower Hamlets, East London which is the home of a charity working to bridge the gap between people of all social and financial backgrounds, with a focus on eradicating poverty and promoting social inclusion....
, the university settlement. He is Chairman of a number of major charities including Transport on Water Association and the Sir William Beveridge Foundation.
Alan Lee Williams has written and contributed to several books and articles, including A Radical Future(1966), Europe and the Open Sea(1966), Crisis in European Defence(1979), and other works on defence with his brother, Prof. Geoffrey Lee Williams.