Claire Brooks
Encyclopedia
[Kathleen] Claire Brooks (née Graham) OBE
, (1931 - 13 March 2008) was a British lawyer and Liberal
and Liberal Democrat
party politician in the radical tradition
.
, a town in the Yorkshire Dales
. Her farther Arthur was from a long line of staunch Liberals and her sister Beth was also active in Liberal politics. She was a pupil at Skipton Girls' High School
where she was head girl and studied law at University College, London where she was vice-president of the student union.
She married an American citizen, Herbert Brooks, and lived for a short while in the United States. After she divorced and returned to the UK, she set up her legal practice and engaged seriously in party politics. Mrs Brooks gained a reputation as a larger-than-life, plain speaking personality both within the Liberal Party and through TV and personal appearances outside. She was never afraid to speak her mind on political platforms and regularly challenged both the party leadership and those in the party such as the Young Liberals or Liberal Students with whom she often held views in common. At one Liberal assembly in Scarborough in the mid 1970s, when Mrs Brooks heard women waiters were getting less pay than their male counterparts she led a sit down strike in the middle of the hall. Another cause Mrs Brooks cared about was the fate of Liberal Clubs and she started a campaign to return them to their party roots. She was awarded an OBE for service to political and public life.
Politically, Mrs Brooks has been hailed as a someone who kept Liberalism alive in the party's dark days of the 1950s. Claire Brooks first contested the parliamentary seat of Skipton
in 1959
, getting 27% of the poll. At the general election of February 1974
, she reduced the Tory majority to just over 2,000 votes and in the October general election of the same year
, came within 590 votes of ousting the Tories. This was a notale achievement, not least because Mrs Brooks had a reputation as a unilateralist in defence policy at a time when Defence was seen as a strong Tory vote-winner. By 1979 the tide was turning back to the Conservatives and the Tory majority rose again. Brooks fought the new seat of Skipton & Ripon in 1983 but came no closer. She fought Lancaster
in 1987
and was a candidate in North Yorkshire in the 1979 European elections
. Brooks was also sometime president of the Yorkshire Liberal Federation. She opposed the party's pact with the Labour Party under David Steel
and had reservations concerning the Alliance
and later with the merger of the Liberal party with the Social Democratic Party
.
However electoral success was to come Mrs Brooks' way at local government level. In 1976 she was elected to Craven District Council
representing Skipton Central ward. She held this seat for 23 years during which she served as Liberal group leader, chairman of the Council and Mayor of Skipton
. Throughout the whole time she continued to run her solicitor's practice in the town.
In addition to her politics, Mrs Brooks was passionate about her Scottish family roots and was a founder member of the Clan Graham
.
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...
, (1931 - 13 March 2008) was a British lawyer and Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
and Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
party politician in the radical tradition
Radicalism (historical)
The term Radical was used during the late 18th century for proponents of the Radical Movement. It later became a general pejorative term for those favoring or seeking political reforms which include dramatic changes to the social order...
.
Biography
Claire Brooks was born at The Folly in SettleSettle
Settle is a small market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is served by the Settle railway station, which is located near the town centre, and Giggleswick railway station which is a mile away. It is from Leeds Bradford Airport...
, a town in the Yorkshire Dales
Yorkshire Dales
The Yorkshire Dales is the name given to an upland area in Northern England.The area lies within the historic county boundaries of Yorkshire, though it spans the ceremonial counties of North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Cumbria...
. Her farther Arthur was from a long line of staunch Liberals and her sister Beth was also active in Liberal politics. She was a pupil at Skipton Girls' High School
Skipton Girls' High School
Skipton Girls' High School, founded in 1886 by the Petyt Trust, is an all girls selective grammar school situated in Skipton, North Yorkshire, England. The school recently became a foundation school. Around 800 girls aged 11 to 18 are educated at the school, of which 190 are in the sixth form. The...
where she was head girl and studied law at University College, London where she was vice-president of the student union.
She married an American citizen, Herbert Brooks, and lived for a short while in the United States. After she divorced and returned to the UK, she set up her legal practice and engaged seriously in party politics. Mrs Brooks gained a reputation as a larger-than-life, plain speaking personality both within the Liberal Party and through TV and personal appearances outside. She was never afraid to speak her mind on political platforms and regularly challenged both the party leadership and those in the party such as the Young Liberals or Liberal Students with whom she often held views in common. At one Liberal assembly in Scarborough in the mid 1970s, when Mrs Brooks heard women waiters were getting less pay than their male counterparts she led a sit down strike in the middle of the hall. Another cause Mrs Brooks cared about was the fate of Liberal Clubs and she started a campaign to return them to their party roots. She was awarded an OBE for service to political and public life.
Politically, Mrs Brooks has been hailed as a someone who kept Liberalism alive in the party's dark days of the 1950s. Claire Brooks first contested the parliamentary seat of Skipton
Skipton (UK Parliament constituency)
Skipton was a county constituency centred on the town of Skipton in Yorkshire which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
in 1959
United Kingdom general election, 1959
This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan...
, getting 27% of the poll. At the general election of 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,...
, she reduced the Tory majority to just over 2,000 votes and in the October general election of the same year
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...
, came within 590 votes of ousting the Tories. This was a notale achievement, not least because Mrs Brooks had a reputation as a unilateralist in defence policy at a time when Defence was seen as a strong Tory vote-winner. By 1979 the tide was turning back to the Conservatives and the Tory majority rose again. Brooks fought the new seat of Skipton & Ripon in 1983 but came no closer. She fought Lancaster
Lancaster (UK Parliament constituency)
Lancaster was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1867, centred on the historic city of Lancaster in north-west England...
in 1987
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
and was a candidate in North Yorkshire in the 1979 European elections
Elections in the European Union
Elections to the Parliament of the European Union take place every five years by universal adult suffrage. 736 MEPs are elected to the European Parliament which has been directly elected since 1979. No other body is directly elected although the Council of the European Union and European Council is...
. Brooks was also sometime president of the Yorkshire Liberal Federation. She opposed the party's pact with the Labour Party under David Steel
David Steel
David Martin Scott Steel, Baron Steel of Aikwood, KT, KBE, PC is a British Liberal Democrat politician who served as the Leader of the Liberal Party from 1976 until its merger with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the Liberal Democrats...
and had reservations concerning the Alliance
SDP-Liberal Alliance
The SDP–Liberal Alliance was an electoral pact formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Party in the United Kingdom which was in existence from 1981 to 1988, when the bulk of the two parties merged to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, later referred to as simply the Liberal...
and later with the merger of the Liberal party with 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...
.
However electoral success was to come Mrs Brooks' way at local government level. In 1976 she was elected to Craven District Council
Craven
Craven is a local government district in North Yorkshire, England that came into being in 1974, centred on the market town of Skipton. In the changes to British local government of that year this district was formed as the merger of Skipton urban district, Settle Rural District and most of Skipton...
representing Skipton Central ward. She held this seat for 23 years during which she served as Liberal group leader, chairman of the Council and Mayor of Skipton
Skipton
Skipton is a market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located along the course of both the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the River Aire, on the south side of the Yorkshire Dales, northwest of Bradford and west of York...
. Throughout the whole time she continued to run her solicitor's practice in the town.
In addition to her politics, Mrs Brooks was passionate about her Scottish family roots and was a founder member of the Clan Graham
Clan Graham
Clan Graham is a Scottish clan who had territories in both the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands.-Origins:Legend has it that the first Graham was one Gramus who forced a breach in the Roman Antonine wall known as Graeme's Dyke in 420 A.D...
.