Alex Lyon
Encyclopedia
Alexander Ward Lyon was a British Labour
politician.
in 1954. He was a member of the Bar Council
and of the Fabian Society
. He was also a Methodist local preacher and secretary of Leeds North West
Constituency Labour Party
.
for the City of York
in 1966, having first fought for the seat in 1964. He was Minister of State
at the Home Office
but, as a radical socialist, was sacked.
In 1971 Alexander Lyon introduced the United Reformed Church
Bill, which became the act which created the United Reformed Church
from a union of Presbyterian and Congregationalist churches in England and Wales.
In 1981 he tried to amend a Finance Bill to allow those with a ‘conscientious objection to paying for expenditure on defence’ to pay the military part of their taxes to the then Ministry of Overseas Development.
He was defeated in the 1983 General Election by the conservative
candidate Conal Gregory
.
, Lyon met and fell in love with one of his civil servants, Clare Short
, later a Labour MP and cabinet minister. They married in 1981.
He died in Milton Keynes
in 1993 from Alzheimer's disease
, aged 61.
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.
Early life
Lyon was educated at West Leeds High School and University College, London. He became a barrister, called to the Bar at Inner TempleInner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
in 1954. He was a member of the Bar Council
Bar council
A bar council , in a Commonwealth country and in the Republic of Ireland, the Bar Council of Ireland is a professional body that regulates the profession of barristers together with the King's Inns. Solicitors are generally regulated by the Law society....
and of the Fabian Society
Fabian Society
The Fabian Society is a British socialist movement, whose purpose is to advance the principles of democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist, rather than revolutionary, means. It is best known for its initial ground-breaking work beginning late in the 19th century and continuing up to World...
. He was also a Methodist local preacher and secretary of Leeds North West
Leeds North West (UK Parliament constituency)
Leeds North West is a parliamentary constituency in the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire which is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
Constituency Labour Party
Constituency Labour Party
A Constituency Labour Party is an organisation of members of the British Labour Party who live in a particular UK parliamentary constituency in England, Scotland and Wales. The Labour Party in Northern Ireland has, since February 2009, been organised as a province-wide Constituency Labour Party...
.
Political career
Lyon was elected Member of ParliamentMember 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,...
for the City of York
City of York (UK Parliament constituency)
The City of York was a 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.-Boundaries:...
in 1966, having first fought for the seat in 1964. He was 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 Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
but, as a radical socialist, was sacked.
In 1971 Alexander Lyon introduced the United Reformed Church
United Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
Bill, which became the act which created the United Reformed Church
United Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
from a union of Presbyterian and Congregationalist churches in England and Wales.
In 1981 he tried to amend a Finance Bill to allow those with a ‘conscientious objection to paying for expenditure on defence’ to pay the military part of their taxes to the then Ministry of Overseas Development.
He was defeated in the 1983 General Election by 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...
candidate Conal Gregory
Conal Gregory
Conal Robert Gregory was Conservative Party Member of Parliament for York from 1983 to 1992, when he lost the seat to Labour Party candidate Hugh Bayley....
.
Personal life
Whilst at the Home OfficeHome Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
, Lyon met and fell in love with one of his civil servants, Clare Short
Clare Short
Clare Short is a British politician, and a member of the Labour Party. She was the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Ladywood from 1983 to 2010; for most of this period she was a Labour Party MP, but she resigned the party whip in 2006 and served the remainder of her term as an Independent. She...
, later a Labour MP and cabinet minister. They married in 1981.
He died in Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
in 1993 from Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
, aged 61.