Colin Moynihan
Encyclopedia
Colin Berkeley Moynihan, 4th Baron Moynihan PC
(born 13 September 1955) is a former Olympic coxswain
who became a businessman, politician and sports administrator.
on a Music Scholarship from 1968 to 1973. In 1968 he won a gold medal in the Home Countries International coxing the Welsh Senior Rowing IV. He was selected to tour the United States in 1973 as a member of the British Swifts Golf Team. In 1974 he went up to University College
, Oxford
; graduating in 1977 with a B.A. in Politics, Philosophy and Economics (M.A. 1982). He was a double blue coxing the victorious Oxford University crew in the 1977 Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race and boxing against Cambridge
in the Bantamweight
division. He beat Benazir Bhutto
to win the Presidency of the Oxford Union
in 1976 and won the Trans-Atlantic Universities Debating Competition the same year. In 1977, he was awarded the Fiddian Post-Graduate Research Scholarship in Politics at Brasenose College, Oxford
, which he did not take up in favour of working on night shift at Glasgow Docks for Tate & Lyle
.
held in Copenhagen
. In the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games he was cox for the Great Britain men's rowing VIII winning a silver medal. During the race, the steering cables to the rudder broke and Moynihan had to reach behind him to grasp the rudder bar. In this unorthodox -and extremely difficult - manner, he steered the boat for most of the race. He did this so well, that most of the crew did not realise what had happened until after the race was over. In the 1981 Munich World Championships he coxed the British VIII to silver medal success. Since 1978 he has, at different times, been a Trustee of the Sports Aid Foundation,Governor of the Sports Aid Trust, Member of the Sports Council, Member of the Central Council for Physical Recreation's Enquiry into Sponsorship of Sport, a Trustee
of the Oxford University Boat Club
, Member of the Major Spectator Sports Committee of the Central Council for Physical Recreation, a Steward of the British Boxing Board of Control, Patron of the Bath University Amateur Boxing Club, Patron of the Uphill Ski Club, President of the British Biathlon Union, President of the Welsh Amateur Rowing Association
and Chairman of the Paralympic World Cup
in 2005. As a former Oxford University cox, he opened the new University College Boathouse
in Oxford
in 2007.
. After chairing the World Youth Summit in Hiroshima and being an Official Commonwealth Observer at the Kenyan elections he became Parliamentary Private Secretary to Kenneth Clarke
in a number of Departments. From 1987 to 1990 he was Minister for Sport in the Conservative Government of Margaret Thatcher
. He was at the centre of an abortive attempt to bring in an ID card scheme for supporters of English Football League teams in the wake of repeated outbreaks of hooliganism in the late 1980s. These plans had to be abandoned following the Hillsborough disaster
and the subsequent Taylor Report
, but he eventually piloted the Football Spectators Bill through Parliament
to address football hooliganism which included the introduction of CCTV cameras in all 92 League Grounds and a range of measures with the aim of tackling hooliganism.
From 1987 - 1990 he was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of the Environment
responsible for water privatisation, National Heritage, the National Rivers Authority, inner city policy, planning and urban regeneration. During his time at the Department of the Environment he worked closely with Michael Howard
who when subsequently Leader of the Conservative Party appointed Moynihan as his Special Adviser and Chairman of the Conservative Campaigning Board. From 1990 - 1992 he was Minister for Energy in both the Thatcher and Major governments responsible for oil, gas and renewable energy policy, a field in which he took a leading interest through the establishment of the first Government U.K. Renewable Energy Advisory Group which he chaired and the introduction of the first Non Fossil Fuel Obligation in Parliament which initiated Government support for renewable energy. During his time in the House of Commons, he chaired the All Party Parliamentary Group on Afghanistan, was Hon. Secretary of the Conservative Foreign Affairs Committee, the Parliamentary British Latin America Group and the Parliamentary Friends of the British Council. Moynihan lost his seat to Labour's Bridget Prentice
in the General Election of 1992
.
. He remained with the company for ten years with his last assignment being Chief Executive of Ridgways Tea & Coffee Merchants. After ten years in Parliament Moynihan returned to the business world as Executive Chairman and Chief Executive of Consort Resources Ltd. and then Director of Clipper Windpower plc and Executive Chairman of Clipper Windpower Europe Ltd. He has held a series of non-executive directorships including Ranger Oil Ltd., in Canada and Rowan Companies Inc. in the States. From 2005 to 2011 he was Chairman of Pelamis Wave Power Ltd in Edinburgh.
having become dormant on the death of his half brother in 1991, Moynihan spent five years trying to prove his claim to the title which was complex due to the number of marriages of the 3rd baron and questions over their legality. In 1997 the Committee for Privileges decided:
From 1997 to 2000 Moynihan was Shadow Senior Front Bench Foreign Affairs
Spokesman for the Conservative Party
.
Lord Moynihan was elected as one of the hereditary peers to remain in the house following the House of Lords Act 1999
. He was Shadow Minister for Sport in the Lords from July 2003 to February 2005.
(BOA), for the run-up to the 2012 London Olympic Games
. He beat the 1968 Olympic hurdles champion, David Hemery
, by a vote of 28 to 15. He was re-elected unopposed in 2008.
He has served on a number of Committees and Commissions for the International Olympic Committee
including the IOC International Relations Commission, the IOC 2009 Congress Editorial Committee and as an Executive Board member of the Association of National Olympic Committees since 2006. He was elected to the European Olympic Committee Executive Board in 2009.
In the context of the London 2012 Olympic Games, Lord Moynihan is a Director of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG), where he also serves on the LOCOG Audit Committee; a Trustee of International Inspiration and a member of the Olympic Board, which has oversight of the London 2012 Games.
was resolved with the BOA
In fact he was Lord Moynihan from the death of his half-brother but could not properly so style himself until after the decision of the Committee for Privileges in his favour.
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(born 13 September 1955) is a former Olympic coxswain
Coxswain (rowing)
In a crew, the coxswain is the member who sits in the stern facing the bow, steers the boat, and coordinates the power and rhythm of the rowers.- Role :The role of a coxswain within a crew is to:...
who became a businessman, politician and sports administrator.
Early life
Colin Moynihan was educated at Monmouth SchoolMonmouth School
Monmouth School is an HMC boys' boarding and day school in Monmouth, Monmouthshire in south east Wales. It was founded in 1614 by William Jones. It is run as a trust, the William Jones's Schools Foundation, by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, one of the Livery Companies...
on a Music Scholarship from 1968 to 1973. In 1968 he won a gold medal in the Home Countries International coxing the Welsh Senior Rowing IV. He was selected to tour the United States in 1973 as a member of the British Swifts Golf Team. In 1974 he went up to University College
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
, Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
; graduating in 1977 with a B.A. in Politics, Philosophy and Economics (M.A. 1982). He was a double blue coxing the victorious Oxford University crew in the 1977 Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race and boxing against Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in the Bantamweight
Bantamweight
Bantamweight is usually a class in boxing for boxers who weigh above 115 pounds and up to 118 pounds . However, in Mixed Martial Arts it is 134-136 pounds . Wrestling also has similar weight classes including bantamweight...
division. He beat Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
to win the Presidency of the Oxford Union
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, Britain, whose membership is drawn primarily but not exclusively from the University of Oxford...
in 1976 and won the Trans-Atlantic Universities Debating Competition the same year. In 1977, he was awarded the Fiddian Post-Graduate Research Scholarship in Politics at Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College , is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. As of 2006, it has an estimated financial endowment of £98m...
, which he did not take up in favour of working on night shift at Glasgow Docks for Tate & Lyle
Tate & Lyle
Tate & Lyle plc is a British-based multinational agribusiness. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index as of 20 June 2011...
.
Sport and the Olympics
In 1978 Moynihan won a gold medal coxing the British Lightweight VIII in the World Rowing ChampionshipsWorld Rowing Championships
The World Rowing Championships is an international rowing regatta organized by FISA . It is a week long event held at the end of the northern hemisphere summer and in non-Olympic years is the highlight of the international rowing calendar.The first event was held in Lucerne, Switzerland in 1962...
held in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. In the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games he was cox for the Great Britain men's rowing VIII winning a silver medal. During the race, the steering cables to the rudder broke and Moynihan had to reach behind him to grasp the rudder bar. In this unorthodox -and extremely difficult - manner, he steered the boat for most of the race. He did this so well, that most of the crew did not realise what had happened until after the race was over. In the 1981 Munich World Championships he coxed the British VIII to silver medal success. Since 1978 he has, at different times, been a Trustee of the Sports Aid Foundation,Governor of the Sports Aid Trust, Member of the Sports Council, Member of the Central Council for Physical Recreation's Enquiry into Sponsorship of Sport, a Trustee
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
of the Oxford University Boat Club
Oxford University Boat Club
The Oxford University Boat Club is the rowing club of the University of Oxford, England, located on the River Thames at Oxford. The club was founded in the early 19th century....
, Member of the Major Spectator Sports Committee of the Central Council for Physical Recreation, a Steward of the British Boxing Board of Control, Patron of the Bath University Amateur Boxing Club, Patron of the Uphill Ski Club, President of the British Biathlon Union, President of the Welsh Amateur Rowing Association
Welsh Amateur Rowing Association
Welsh Rowing is the governing body for the sport of rowing in Wales. It is responsible for promoting the sport in Wales and for the organisation of all national rowing competitions held in Wales, including the 'Head of the Taff' and the Welsh Open Rowing Championships...
and Chairman of the Paralympic World Cup
Paralympic World Cup
The Paralympic World Cup is an annual international multi-sport event for elite athletes with a disability, that has been hosted in Manchester, England since 2005. It is organized by the British Paralympic Association in coordination with the International Paralympic Committee .As of 2011, the...
in 2005. As a former Oxford University cox, he opened the new University College Boathouse
University College Boathouse
University College Boathouse is the boathouse of University College Boat Club on the southern bank of the River Thames in Oxford, England...
in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
in 2007.
Political career
Following a stint as one of the earliest Political Advisers in Whitehall where he worked in the Foreign Office for Francis Pym, the then Foreign Secretary in 1981, he was elected in 1983 as a Conservative Member of Parliament representing Lewisham EastLewisham East
Lewisham East is a borough constituency 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...
. After chairing the World Youth Summit in Hiroshima and being an Official Commonwealth Observer at the Kenyan elections he became Parliamentary Private Secretary to Kenneth Clarke
Kenneth Clarke
Kenneth Harry "Ken" Clarke, QC, MP is a British Conservative politician, currently Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. He was first elected to Parliament in 1970; and appointed a minister in Edward Heath's government, in 1972, and is one of...
in a number of Departments. From 1987 to 1990 he was Minister for Sport in the Conservative Government of Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
. He was at the centre of an abortive attempt to bring in an ID card scheme for supporters of English Football League teams in the wake of repeated outbreaks of hooliganism in the late 1980s. These plans had to be abandoned following the Hillsborough disaster
Hillsborough disaster
The Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough, a football stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in Sheffield, England, resulting in the deaths of 96 people, and 766 being injured, all fans of Liverpool F.C....
and the subsequent Taylor Report
Taylor Report
The Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Inquiry report, better known as the Taylor Report is a document, whose development was overseen by Lord Taylor of Gosforth, concerning the aftermath and causes of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. An interim report was published in August 1989, and the final...
, but he eventually piloted the Football Spectators Bill through Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
to address football hooliganism which included the introduction of CCTV cameras in all 92 League Grounds and a range of measures with the aim of tackling hooliganism.
From 1987 - 1990 he was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at 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...
responsible for water privatisation, National Heritage, the National Rivers Authority, inner city policy, planning and urban regeneration. During his time at the Department of the Environment he worked closely with Michael Howard
Michael Howard
Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne, CH, QC, PC is a British politician, who served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005...
who when subsequently Leader of the Conservative Party appointed Moynihan as his Special Adviser and Chairman of the Conservative Campaigning Board. From 1990 - 1992 he was Minister for Energy in both the Thatcher and Major governments responsible for oil, gas and renewable energy policy, a field in which he took a leading interest through the establishment of the first Government U.K. Renewable Energy Advisory Group which he chaired and the introduction of the first Non Fossil Fuel Obligation in Parliament which initiated Government support for renewable energy. During his time in the House of Commons, he chaired the All Party Parliamentary Group on Afghanistan, was Hon. Secretary of the Conservative Foreign Affairs Committee, the Parliamentary British Latin America Group and the Parliamentary Friends of the British Council. Moynihan lost his seat to Labour's Bridget Prentice
Bridget Prentice
Bridget Theresa Prentice is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Lewisham East from 1992 to 2010, She was formerly married to fellow Labour MP Gordon Prentice, whom she married on 20 December 1975 and divorcing in 2000.- Background :Prentice was born in Glasgow,...
in the General Election of 1992
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
.
Business career
Moynihan started his business career working consecutively in Glasgow, Liverpool and the London docks with Tate & LyleTate & Lyle
Tate & Lyle plc is a British-based multinational agribusiness. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index as of 20 June 2011...
. He remained with the company for ten years with his last assignment being Chief Executive of Ridgways Tea & Coffee Merchants. After ten years in Parliament Moynihan returned to the business world as Executive Chairman and Chief Executive of Consort Resources Ltd. and then Director of Clipper Windpower plc and Executive Chairman of Clipper Windpower Europe Ltd. He has held a series of non-executive directorships including Ranger Oil Ltd., in Canada and Rowan Companies Inc. in the States. From 2005 to 2011 he was Chairman of Pelamis Wave Power Ltd in Edinburgh.
Peerage
The Barony of MoynihanBaron Moynihan
Baron Moynihan, of Leeds in the County of York, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 19 March 1929 for the surgeon Sir Berkeley Moynihan, 1st Baronet, the son of the Victoria Cross recipient Andrew Moynihan. Sir Berkeley had already been created a Baronet, of Carr...
having become dormant on the death of his half brother in 1991, Moynihan spent five years trying to prove his claim to the title which was complex due to the number of marriages of the 3rd baron and questions over their legality. In 1997 the Committee for Privileges decided:
...that neither of the two sons purporting to be the sons of the Third Baron can, in fact, be an heir to the peerage. In the case of the elder, Andrew, the committee was shown overwhelming genetic evidence that he cannot be the son of the late Lord Moynihan; and so far as the younger, Daniel, is concerned, the evidence clearly shows that he is the child of a bigamous marriage and is therefore illegitimate. In those circumstances, it is clear beyond doubt that the petitioner, Colin Moynihan, must be the rightful heir and that his Petitions must succeed.
From 1997 to 2000 Moynihan was Shadow Senior Front Bench Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...
Spokesman for the 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...
.
Lord Moynihan was elected as one of the hereditary peers to remain in the house following the House of Lords Act 1999
House of Lords Act 1999
The House of Lords Act 1999 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. The Act reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. For centuries, the House of Lords had included several hundred members who inherited their seats;...
. He was Shadow Minister for Sport in the Lords from July 2003 to February 2005.
British Olympic Association
On 5 October 2005, he was elected Chairman of the British Olympic AssociationBritish Olympic Association
The British Olympic Association is the national Olympic committee for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It was formed in 1905 in the House of Commons, and at that time consisted of seven national governing body members from the following sports: fencing, life-saving, cycling, skating, rowing,...
(BOA), for the run-up to the 2012 London Olympic Games
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
. He beat the 1968 Olympic hurdles champion, David Hemery
David Hemery
David Peter Hemery, CBE, is a British former athlete, winner of the 400m hurdles at the 1968 Summer Olympics.He was born in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, but his father's work took the family to the United States, where he attended school and graduated from Boston University.Hemery's first...
, by a vote of 28 to 15. He was re-elected unopposed in 2008.
He has served on a number of Committees and Commissions for the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
including the IOC International Relations Commission, the IOC 2009 Congress Editorial Committee and as an Executive Board member of the Association of National Olympic Committees since 2006. He was elected to the European Olympic Committee Executive Board in 2009.
In the context of the London 2012 Olympic Games, Lord Moynihan is a Director of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG), where he also serves on the LOCOG Audit Committee; a Trustee of International Inspiration and a member of the Olympic Board, which has oversight of the London 2012 Games.
Controversy
In March 2011 it was reported that his future as BOA Chairman was in doubt, because of a dispute with the organisers of the London 2012 Olympics which revolved around the funding of the Paralympics. In April 2011 the dispute with the London Organising Committee who were supported by the International Olympic CommitteeInternational Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
was resolved with the BOA
Styles
- The Honourable Colin Moynihan (1955–1983)
- The Honourable Colin Moynihan MP (1983–1992)
- The Honourable Colin Moynihan (1992–1997)
- The Lord Moynihan (1997–)
In fact he was Lord Moynihan from the death of his half-brother but could not properly so style himself until after the decision of the Committee for Privileges in his favour.
See also
- Baron MoynihanBaron MoynihanBaron Moynihan, of Leeds in the County of York, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 19 March 1929 for the surgeon Sir Berkeley Moynihan, 1st Baronet, the son of the Victoria Cross recipient Andrew Moynihan. Sir Berkeley had already been created a Baronet, of Carr...
- Members of the House of LordsMembers of the House of LordsThis is a list of members of the House of Lords, the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Lords Spiritual:-Lords Temporal:-Peers on leave of absence:...
- MPs elected in the UK general election, 1983 and 1987
- Rowing at the 1980 Summer OlympicsRowing at the 1980 Summer OlympicsRowing at the 1980 Summer Olympics was represented by 14 events. It took place in the Man-made Basin, located at the Trade Unions Olympic Sports Centre . The rowing schedule began on 20 July and ended on 27 July....
External links
- Independent Sports Review information
- Ugandan Discussions – on the cover of Private EyePrivate EyePrivate Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
(Issue 692, 24 June 1988) - http://www.olympics.org.uk/contentpage.aspx?page=414