Christopher Haskins, Baron Haskins of Skidby
Encyclopedia
Christopher Robin Haskins, Baron Haskins (born 1937 in Dublin, Ireland
), is a British
/Irish
businessman, and former member of the British Labour Party
.
The son of a Protestant farmer
, he attended St Columba's College, Dublin and Trinity College, Dublin
where was known as a student radical and member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
. Graduating with an honours degree in modern history, he thought about the idea of becoming a journalist
. Sacked from De La Rue
, he decided to marry his university sweetheart.
Her father Alec Horsley
agreed on condition that Haskins joined the family business, Yorkshire
-based Northern Dairies. After working on a dairy farm in Ireland
, Haskins joined the company in 1962. Haskins foresaw the huge demand for good-quality pre-prepared meals, and turned the company into Northern Foods
, whose brands include Ski yoghurt and Bowyers sausages, while Marks and Spencer are the company's largest customer for ready meals. Haskins became a director in 1967, Deputy Chairman in 1974 and Chairman from 1980 to 2002.
Ennobled as a life peer with the title Baron Haskins, of Skidby, in the County of the East Riding of Yorkshire in 1998, during 2001 Haskins became UK Prime Minister Tony Blair
's 'rural tsar' at the height of the foot and mouth disease epidemic. In August 2005, it was revealed that Haskins had donated £2,500 to the campaign of Scottish
Liberal Democrat
Member of Parliament for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey
, Danny Alexander
. Following investigation, Haskins was expelled from the Labour party for this action. He now sits as a crossbencher.
He has also been Chairman of the Better Regulation Task Force and a member of the New Deal Task Force. A pro-European, he is a leading member of the Britain in Europe
campaign, the House of Lords European Sub-Committee, and Chairman of the European Movement. He is a fellow board member of Yorkshire Forward and also Chairman of the Council of the Open University
.
Haskins lives at a large farm in Skidby
.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
), is a British
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...
/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...
businessman, and former member of the British 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...
.
The son of a Protestant farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
, he attended St Columba's College, Dublin and Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
where was known as a student radical and member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is an anti-nuclear organisation that advocates unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, international nuclear disarmament and tighter international arms regulation through agreements such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty...
. Graduating with an honours degree in modern history, he thought about the idea of becoming a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. Sacked from De La Rue
De La Rue
De La Rue plc is a British security printing, papermaking and cash handling systems company headquartered in Basingstoke, Hampshire. It also has a factory on the Team Valley Trading Estate, Gateshead, and other facilities at Loughton, Essex and Bathford, Somerset...
, he decided to marry his university sweetheart.
Her father Alec Horsley
Alec Horsley
Alec Stewart Horsley was a leading Hull Quaker and supporter of the peace movement. He also founded Northern Foods.-Career:...
agreed on condition that Haskins joined the family business, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
-based Northern Dairies. After working on a dairy farm in Ireland
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...
, Haskins joined the company in 1962. Haskins foresaw the huge demand for good-quality pre-prepared meals, and turned the company into Northern Foods
Northern Foods
Northern Foods Ltd is a British food manufacturer headquartered in Leeds, England. It was formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE SmallCap Index. The company was scheduled to merge with Greencore Group in 2011 to form Essenta Foods, the group being...
, whose brands include Ski yoghurt and Bowyers sausages, while Marks and Spencer are the company's largest customer for ready meals. Haskins became a director in 1967, Deputy Chairman in 1974 and Chairman from 1980 to 2002.
Ennobled as a life peer with the title Baron Haskins, of Skidby, in the County of the East Riding of Yorkshire in 1998, during 2001 Haskins became UK Prime Minister Tony 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...
's 'rural tsar' at the height of the foot and mouth disease epidemic. In August 2005, it was revealed that Haskins had donated £2,500 to the campaign of Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Liberal Democrat
Scottish Liberal Democrats
The Scottish Liberal Democrats are one of the three state parties within the federal Liberal Democrats; the others being the Welsh Liberal Democrats and the Liberal Democrats in England...
Member of Parliament for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (UK Parliament constituency)
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey is a constituency of 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....
, Danny Alexander
Danny Alexander
Daniel Grian Alexander is a British Liberal Democrat politician who has been Chief Secretary to the Treasury since 2010. He has been the Member of Parliament for the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey constituency since 2005....
. Following investigation, Haskins was expelled from the Labour party for this action. He now sits as a crossbencher.
He has also been Chairman of the Better Regulation Task Force and a member of the New Deal Task Force. A pro-European, he is a leading member of the Britain in Europe
Britain in Europe
Prior to August 2005, Britain in Europe was the main British pro-European pressure group. Despite connections to Labour and the Liberal Democrats, it was a cross-party organisation with supporters from many different political backgrounds...
campaign, the House of Lords European Sub-Committee, and Chairman of the European Movement. He is a fellow board member of Yorkshire Forward and also Chairman of the Council of the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
.
Haskins lives at a large farm in Skidby
Skidby
Skidby is a small village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately north west of Hull city centre and south of Beverley. It lies just to the west of the A164 road which makes it very accessible....
.
External links
- Lord Haskins at TheyWorkForYouTheyWorkForYouTheyWorkForYou is a website run by mySociety, a project of registered charity UK Citizens Online Democracy, and is a tool for political campaigners and those interested in the Parliamentary activities of UK MPs, Lords, and Northern Ireland MLAs....
- Lord Haskins at The Public Whip