David Chidgey, Baron Chidgey
Encyclopedia
David Chidgey, Baron Chidgey (born 9 July 1942 in Basingstoke
) is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom
. A former Member of Parliament
(MP) for Eastleigh, he now sits in the House of Lords
.
) in Gosport
. A chartered engineer
, Chidgey was educated as a mechanical engineer at the Admiralty College, Portsmouth (Portsmouth Naval College) and then as a civil engineer
at the Portsmouth Polytechnic
. He worked for Hampshire County Council
until 1973, and then as a consulting engineer with Brian Colquhoun and Partners until 1994.
Town Council
and Winchester
City Council
. He contested the Hampshire Central European Parliament constituency at by-election in 1988 and at the 1989 European Parliament election. He was Regional Chairman of the Hampshire and Wight Liberal Democrats from 1992 to 1994.
At the 1992 general election
, he contested the Eastleigh constituency in Hampshire
, finishing second behind the Conservative
candidate, Stephen Milligan
. After Miligan's death in 1994, Chidgey won the resulting by-election
, squeezing the Conservatives into third place. He was re-elected in the 1997
and 2001 general elections
and stood down at the 2005 general election
.
In the House of Commons, he was a member of the Chairman's panel (2001–2005), an Employment & Training spokesman, Transport spokesman, Trade & Industry spokesman and a member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee (1999–2005) and of the Joint Committee on Human Rights
(2003–2005).
On 13 May 2005 it was announced that Chidgey would be created a life peer
, and on 17 June 2005 the peerage was created as Baron Chidgey, of Hamble-le-Rice
in the County of Hampshire
. In the House of Lords
, he was Liberal Democrat spokesman in defence from 2005 to 2006.
From 2007, Baron Chidgey is a member of the AWEPA
Governing Council.
In 2008 Chidgey was named the Chairman of the oversight committee for the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit
, a think tank
devoted to policy concerns throughout the Commonwealth.
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
) is a Liberal Democrat 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...
. A former 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) for Eastleigh, he now sits in 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....
.
Early life
He went to Brune Park County High School (now called Brune Park Community CollegeBrune Park Community College
Brune Park Community College is located on Military Road, Gosport, Hampshire. It is a secondary school and Arts College.-History:...
) in Gosport
Gosport
Gosport is a town, district and borough situated on the south coast of England, within the county of Hampshire. It has approximately 80,000 permanent residents with a further 5,000-10,000 during the summer months...
. A chartered engineer
Chartered Engineer (UK)
In the United Kingdom, a Chartered Engineer is an engineer registered with Engineering Council UK . Contemporary Chartered Engineers are master's degree-qualified and have gained professional competencies through training and experience...
, Chidgey was educated as a mechanical engineer at the Admiralty College, Portsmouth (Portsmouth Naval College) and then as a civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
at the Portsmouth Polytechnic
University of Portsmouth
The University of Portsmouth is a university in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. The University was ranked 60th out of 122 in The Sunday Times University Guide...
. He worked for Hampshire County Council
Hampshire County Council
Hampshire County Council is the county council that governs the majority of the county of Hampshire in England. It provides the upper tier of local government, below which are district councils, and town and parish councils...
until 1973, and then as a consulting engineer with Brian Colquhoun and Partners until 1994.
Political career
Chidgey was a Councillor from the mid 1970s to the early 1990s on New AlresfordNew Alresford
New Alresford or simply Alresford is a small town and civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. It is situated some 12 km north-east of the city of Winchester and 20 km south-west of the town of Alton...
Town Council
Town council
A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or civil parishes. A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch....
and Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
City Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
. He contested the Hampshire Central European Parliament constituency at by-election in 1988 and at the 1989 European Parliament election. He was Regional Chairman of the Hampshire and Wight Liberal Democrats from 1992 to 1994.
At the 1992 general election
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...
, he contested the Eastleigh constituency in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, finishing second behind 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, Stephen Milligan
Stephen Milligan
Stephen David Wyatt Milligan was a British Conservative politician and journalist. He held a number of senior journalistic posts until his election to serve as Member of Parliament for Eastleigh in 1992...
. After Miligan's death in 1994, Chidgey won the resulting by-election
Eastleigh by-election, 1994
The Eastleigh by-election, 1994 was a parliamentary by-election held on 9 June 1994 for the United Kingdom House of Commons constituency of Eastleigh in Hampshire. The seat had fallen vacant because of the death of Conservative Party Member of Parliament Stephen Milligan on 7 February.The result...
, squeezing the Conservatives into third place. He was re-elected in the 1997
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
and 2001 general elections
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
and stood down at the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
.
In the House of Commons, he was a member of the Chairman's panel (2001–2005), an Employment & Training spokesman, Transport spokesman, Trade & Industry spokesman and a member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee (1999–2005) and of the Joint Committee on Human Rights
Joint Committee on Human Rights
The Joint Committee on Human Rights is a select committee of both the House of Commons and House of Lords in the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
(2003–2005).
On 13 May 2005 it was announced that Chidgey would be created 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...
, and on 17 June 2005 the peerage was created as Baron Chidgey, of Hamble-le-Rice
Hamble-le-Rice
Hamble-le-Rice is a village in the Borough of Eastleigh in Hampshire, UK. It is best known for being an aircraft training centre during the Second World War and is a popular yachting location...
in the County of Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. In 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....
, he was Liberal Democrat spokesman in defence from 2005 to 2006.
From 2007, Baron Chidgey is a member of the AWEPA
AWEPA
The Association of European Parliamentarians for Africa is an international non-governmental organisation founded by European Parliamentarians to reduce poverty and to protect human rights by supporting the well functioning of parliaments in Africa and by keeping Africa on the political agenda in...
Governing Council.
In 2008 Chidgey was named the Chairman of the oversight committee for the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit
Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit
The Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit is a think-tank for the Commonwealth of fifty-three nations and nearly two billion citizens. The head office is located in Russell Square at the University of London's Institute of Commonwealth Studies and is part of the School of Advanced Study.- History:The...
, a think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
devoted to policy concerns throughout the Commonwealth.
Personal life
He married April Carolyn Idris-Jones in 1965 in Gosport. They have a son and two daughters.External links
- Lord Chidgey profile at the site of Liberal Democrats
- ePolitix - David Chidgey official site
- Eastleigh Liberal Democrats
- Guardian Politics Ask Aristotle - David Chidgey
- TheyWorkForYou.com - David Chidgey
- The Public Whip - David Chidgey voting record