Albert Stallard, Baron Stallard
Encyclopedia
Albert William Stallard, Baron Stallard of St. Pancras (5 November 1921 - 29 March 2008), better known as Jock Stallard, was a Labour Party
politician in the United Kingdom
. He served as a councillor in St Pancras
and Camden
, and then as a Member of Parliament
(MP). He retired from the House of Commons at the 1983 general election
and became a life peer
in the Dissolution Honours List
.
. His family had moved to Scotland before his birth, and he retained the nickname
"Jock" in later life. He was educated at Low Waters Public School, winning a place to continue his education at the Hamilton Academy
. His family returned to London in 1937, and he left school aged 16 to become an apprentice in precision engineering
. He was a socialist, becoming a shop steward for the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers. He found himself working in a reserved occupation
during the Second World War.
He was elected to St Pancras Council
in 1953. Along with other councillors from St Pancras led by John Lawrence
, he was expelled from the Labour Party for flying the red flag
from the town hall on May Day
1958, in protest at the exacerbation of endemic Rachmanism by the relaxation of rent controls under the Rent Acts in the post-war years. He left the council in 1959, but rejoined the party and became an alderman
in 1962. He served as a member of Camden London Borough Council
from its formation in 1964 as the successor to St Pancras Council until he became an MP in 1970.
. In both the February 1974
and October 1974
general elections, his Conservative Party
opponent was future Prime Minister
John Major
, who was making his debut as a parliamentary candidate.
When the Labour party returned to government in 1974, Stallard became a Parliamentary Private Secretary
(PPS) to Edward Bishop, minister of state
at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
, and, from October, PPS to Reg Freeson, minister of housing and construction in the Department of the Environment
. He became a government whip
in early 1976, when Jim Callaghan replaced Harold Wilson
. The whips were essential at that period, with a minority government only able to pass legislation thanks to the Lib-Lab pact
. Stallard was promoted to become a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury in 1978, but resigned in January 1979 when the Prime Minister, Callaghan, promoted a Bill which would increase the representation of Northern Ireland
in the House of Commons from 12 seats to 17.
After being passed over for selection for a re-drawn seat of Holborn and St Pancras in the 1983 general election
in favour of Frank Dobson
, the younger Labour candidate from Holborn and St Pancras South
, the other half of the merged constituency, Stallard was appointed to the House of Lords
. There he was made a life peer
as Baron Stallard of St Pancras in the London Borough of Camden
.
In the House of Lords, he opposed compulsory sex education
in schools, the 1990 Embryology bill
and along with many peers of his generation, felt homophobia
was not just acceptable but enshrined in the teachings of his religion. A devout Roman Catholic, during debates in the Lords on the equalisation of the age of consent
in 2000, he compared homosexuality to child abuse and attacked the Blair
government for threatening to impose the will of the House of Commons on the Lords by way of the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949
: The "one thing I cannot come to terms with is the concept that homosexuality must be equated with heterosexuality and that homosexual couples must be equated with married couples".
He married Julia (Sheila) Murphy in 1944. His wife was Irish
, originally from Co Kerry. They had a son and a daughter. His wife died in 2004. Following a long illness, Lord Stallard died in a nursing home in north London.
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 in the United Kingdom
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...
. He served as a councillor in St Pancras
St Pancras, London
St Pancras is an area of London. For many centuries the name has been used for various officially-designated areas, but now is used informally and rarely having been largely superseded by several other names for overlapping districts.-Ancient parish:...
and Camden
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
, and then as a 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). He retired from the House of Commons at the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
and became a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
in the Dissolution Honours List
Dissolution Honours List
The Dissolution Honours List names those individuals receiving Honours from the Monarch at a time following the Dissolution of the United Kingdom Parliament. Typically, the list will include retiring MPs who are to be Life Peers. Sometimes the list will also include knighthoods for others who...
.
Early life
Stallard was born in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, the son of Frederick Stallard, a postman and driver from TottenhamTottenham
Tottenham is an area of the London Borough of Haringey, England, situated north north east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:Tottenham is believed to have been named after Tota, a farmer, whose hamlet was mentioned in the Domesday Book; hence Tota's hamlet became Tottenham...
. His family had moved to Scotland before his birth, and he retained the nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
"Jock" in later life. He was educated at Low Waters Public School, winning a place to continue his education at the Hamilton Academy
Hamilton Academy
Hamilton Academy was a school situated in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.Described as "one of the finest schools in Scotland" in the Cambridge University Press County Biography of 1910, Hamilton Academy featured in the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association Magazine article series on...
. His family returned to London in 1937, and he left school aged 16 to become an apprentice in precision engineering
Precision engineering
Precision engineering is a subdiscipline of electrical engineering, electronics engineering, mechanical engineering, and optical engineering concerned with designing machines, fixtures, and other structures that have exceptionally low tolerances, are repeatable, and are stable over time...
. He was a socialist, becoming a shop steward for the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers. He found himself working in a reserved occupation
Reserved occupation
A reserved occupation is an occupation considered important enough to a country that those serving in such occupations are exempt - in fact forbidden - from military service....
during the Second World War.
He was elected to St Pancras Council
Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras
The Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras was a Metropolitan borough of the County of London between 1900 and 1965, when it was amalgamated with the Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead and the Metropolitan Borough of Holborn to form the London Borough of Camden...
in 1953. Along with other councillors from St Pancras led by John Lawrence
John Lawrence (political activist)
John Gordon Michael Lawrence was a leading far left activitist in a wide variety of groups in Britain.-Early life:...
, he was expelled from the Labour Party for flying the red flag
Red flag
In politics, a red flag is a symbol of Socialism, or Communism, or sometimes left-wing politics in general. It has been associated with left-wing politics since the French Revolution. Socialists adopted the symbol during the Revolutions of 1848 and it became a symbol of communism as a result of its...
from the town hall on May Day
May Day
May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....
1958, in protest at the exacerbation of endemic Rachmanism by the relaxation of rent controls under the Rent Acts in the post-war years. He left the council in 1959, but rejoined the party and became an alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
in 1962. He served as a member of Camden London Borough Council
Camden London Borough Council
Camden London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Camden in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London...
from its formation in 1964 as the successor to St Pancras Council until he became an MP in 1970.
Parliamentary career
Stallard was Member of Parliament for St Pancras North from 1970 until the constituency was abolished in boundary changes at the 1983 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
. In both the February 1974
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...
general elections, his Conservative Party
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...
opponent was future Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
, who was making his debut as a parliamentary candidate.
When the Labour party returned to government in 1974, Stallard became a 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...
(PPS) to Edward Bishop, minister of state
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was a United Kingdom government department created by the Board of Agriculture Act 1889 and at that time called the Board of Agriculture, and then from 1903 the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, and from 1919 the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries...
, and, from October, PPS to Reg Freeson, minister of housing and construction in the Department of the Environment
Secretary of State for the Environment
The Secretary of State for the Environment was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Department of the Environment . This was created by Edward Heath as a combination of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Building and Works on 15...
. He became a government whip
Whip
A whip is a tool traditionally used by humans to exert control over animals or other people, through pain compliance or fear of pain, although in some activities whips can be used without use of pain, such as an additional pressure aid in dressage...
in early 1976, when Jim Callaghan replaced Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
. The whips were essential at that period, with a minority government only able to pass legislation thanks to the Lib-Lab pact
Lib-Lab pact
In British politics, a Lib-Lab pact is a working arrangement between the Liberal Democrats and the Labour Party.There have been four such arrangements, and one alleged proposal, at the national level...
. Stallard was promoted to become a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury in 1978, but resigned in January 1979 when the Prime Minister, Callaghan, promoted a Bill which would increase the representation of Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
in the House of Commons from 12 seats to 17.
After being passed over for selection for a re-drawn seat of Holborn and St Pancras in the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
in favour of Frank Dobson
Frank Dobson
Frank Gordon Dobson, is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Holborn and St. Pancras since 1979...
, the younger Labour candidate from Holborn and St Pancras South
Holborn and St Pancras South (UK Parliament constituency)
Holborn and St Pancras South was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Holborn district of Central London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system.The constituency was created for...
, the other half of the merged constituency, Stallard was appointed to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. There he was made a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baron Stallard of St Pancras in the London Borough of Camden
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
.
In the House of Lords, he opposed compulsory sex education
Sex education
Sex education refers to formal programs of instruction on a wide range of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and...
in schools, the 1990 Embryology bill
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990
The 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Coverage:The act covers several areas:# The licensing of human fertility treatment involving the use of donated genetic material ....
and along with many peers of his generation, felt homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
was not just acceptable but enshrined in the teachings of his religion. A devout Roman Catholic, during debates in the Lords on the equalisation of the age of consent
Age of consent
While the phrase age of consent typically does not appear in legal statutes, when used in relation to sexual activity, the age of consent is the minimum age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts. The European Union calls it the legal age for sexual...
in 2000, he compared homosexuality to child abuse and attacked the Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
government for threatening to impose the will of the House of Commons on the Lords by way of the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949
Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949
The Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 are two Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which form part of the constitution of the United Kingdom. Section 2 of the Parliament Act 1949 provides that that Act and the Parliament Act 1911 are to be construed as one.The Parliament Act 1911 The...
: The "one thing I cannot come to terms with is the concept that homosexuality must be equated with heterosexuality and that homosexual couples must be equated with married couples".
He married Julia (Sheila) Murphy in 1944. His wife was Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, originally from Co Kerry. They had a son and a daughter. His wife died in 2004. Following a long illness, Lord Stallard died in a nursing home in north London.