David Ramsbotham, Baron Ramsbotham
Encyclopedia
General
David John Ramsbotham, Baron Ramsbotham GCB
CBE
(b. 6 November 1934) is a retired British Army
officer, who later served as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons
. He was awarded a life peerage in 2005, and now sits on the cross benches of the House of Lords
.
clergyman, later Bishop of Wakefield
, John Alexander Ramsbotham
. Ramsbotham initially entered the army as a result of his National Service
obligations, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant
in the Royal Artillery
on 14 March 1953. He completed his National Service as an acting lieutenant
, and retained a Territorial Army commission. He then took a history degree at Corpus Christi College
, Cambridge
.
On 21 February 1958 he was appointed to a regular army commission as a lieutenant, with seniority from 31 January 1957. He was promoted to Captain on 31 January 1961. He served in Borneo
during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation as an acting major in the period 24 December 1965 to 23 June 1966, and was Mentioned in Despatches. He was promoted to substantive major on 31 December 1967, and to lieutenant-colonel on 30 June 1971. From 11 June 1970 to 20 June 1973 he served as Military Assistant to the Chief of the General Staff
, Sir Michael Carver. This was a particularly busy time for the British Army; the Troubles
in Northern Ireland
were beginning, and the army's contribution, Operation Banner
, was taking an increasingly large proportion of resources.
For his performance in this role, Ramsbotham was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1974 New Year Honours
. He later commanded a battalion of the Royal Green Jackets in Northern Ireland from 1974 to 1975.
He was elevated to Colonel on 30 June 1976, and brigadier
on 31 December 1978 (with seniority from 30 June 1978). He then served in Northern Ireland, commanding a brigade based in Belfast
, and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his service there in the operational honours of 21 October 1980. His career was almost derailed when as the army's director of public relations (a position he held from 1982–84) he leaked documents to a journalist which showed that prior to the Falklands War
the army had developed a comprehensive plan for dealing with the media, but it had been overlooked; and the army was subsequently criticised for not having done such planning. He was then promoted to major-general
and commanded 3rd Armoured Division for a period prior to 13 March 1987. On 1 January 1987 he was appointed to the honorary position of Colonel Commandant
, 2nd Battalion, Royal Green Jackets, in succession to Sir Frank Kitson
, which he held until 25 July 1992. On 15 April 1987 he was promoted lieutenant-general and appointed Commander UK Field Army
and Inspector General of the Territorial Army. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 1987 Queen's Birthday Honours
, and a further honorary appointment as Honorary Colonel of the Officer Training Corps at the University of Cambridge
on 1 July, which he held until 1 May 1993. He stepped down as Commander of the Field Army on 13 August 1990, and received a further honorary appointment as Aide de Camp General to HM the Queen (ADC Gen) on 3 December 1990, which he held until his retirement form the army. On 27 December 1990 he was appointed Adjutant-General
(AG), with the local rank of general
, and he received substantive promotion to that rank on 24 January 1990 (with seniority from 1 September 1990). This period included the United Kingdom's involvement in the Gulf War
He was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in the 1993 New Year Honours He stepped down as AG on 17 May 1993, and retired from the army on 13 July 1993.
for England
and Wales
from 1 December 1995 to 2001 when he was succeeded by Anne Owers
CBE. As Chief Inspector of Prisons, he had an at times strained relationship with Home Secretaries
Michael Howard
and Jack Straw
, and this contributed to his contract not being continued for the full eight years that had originally been possible (an initial period of five years, with extension for a further three years possible).
as Baron Ramsbotham, of Kensington
in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
on 17 May. He sits in the House of Lords
as a crossbench peer
. He is Chairman of the Koestler Awards scheme, and Vice-Chair of both the All Party Penal Affairs Group and the All Party Parliamentary Group for Learning & Skills in the Criminal Justice System. He is President of UNLOCK, The National Association of Ex-Offenders
and an Ambassador for the charity, the Prison Advice and Care Trust (pact)
. He was elected an honorary Fellow
of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
in 2001, and serves on the advisory board of the International Centre for Prison Studies
at King's College London
. He is also a is a Patron of the African Prisons Project, an international non-governmental organisation with a mission to bring dignity and hope to men women and children in African prisons through health, education, justice and reintegration.
He has written extensively on matters relating to prisons and the military, in particular his 2003 book Prisongate: The Shocking State of Britain's Prisons and the Need for Visionary Change sets out his vision for reform of the prison system.
|-
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
David John Ramsbotham, Baron Ramsbotham GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
CBE
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...
(b. 6 November 1934) is a retired British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer, who later served as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons
Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons
Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons is the head of HM Inspectorate of Prisons and the senior inspector of prisons, young offender institutions and immigration service detention and removal centres in England and Wales...
. He was awarded a life peerage in 2005, and now sits on the cross benches of 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 and military career
Ramsbotham was born in 1934, the son of a Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
clergyman, later Bishop of Wakefield
Bishop of Wakefield
The Bishop of Wakefield is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Wakefield in the Province of York.The diocese based in Wakefield in West Yorkshire, covers Wakefield, Barnsley, Kirklees and Calderdale...
, John Alexander Ramsbotham
John Alexander Ramsbotham
John Alexander Ramsbotham was an eminent Anglican clergyman during the middle third of the 20th century. Educated at Haileybury and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, he was ordained in 1930. His first post was as a Curate at All Hallows Lombard Street, after which he became a Chaplain to the...
. Ramsbotham initially entered the army as a result of his National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
obligations, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
on 14 March 1953. He completed his National Service as an acting lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
, and retained a Territorial Army commission. He then took a history degree at Corpus Christi College
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is notable as the only college founded by Cambridge townspeople: it was established in 1352 by the Guilds of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary...
, 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...
.
On 21 February 1958 he was appointed to a regular army commission as a lieutenant, with seniority from 31 January 1957. He was promoted to Captain on 31 January 1961. He served in Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation as an acting major in the period 24 December 1965 to 23 June 1966, and was Mentioned in Despatches. He was promoted to substantive major on 31 December 1967, and to lieutenant-colonel on 30 June 1971. From 11 June 1970 to 20 June 1973 he served as Military Assistant to the Chief of the General Staff
Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)
Chief of the General Staff has been the title of the professional head of the British Army since 1964. The CGS is a member of both the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Army Board...
, Sir Michael Carver. This was a particularly busy time for the British Army; the Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
were beginning, and the army's contribution, Operation Banner
Operation Banner
Operation Banner was the operational name for the British Armed Forces' operation in Northern Ireland from August 1969 to July 2007. It was initially deployed at the request of the Unionist government of Northern Ireland to support the Royal Ulster Constabulary . After the 1998 Belfast Agreement,...
, was taking an increasingly large proportion of resources.
For his performance in this role, Ramsbotham was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1974 New Year Honours
New Year Honours
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...
. He later commanded a battalion of the Royal Green Jackets in Northern Ireland from 1974 to 1975.
He was elevated to Colonel on 30 June 1976, and brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
on 31 December 1978 (with seniority from 30 June 1978). He then served in Northern Ireland, commanding a brigade based in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his service there in the operational honours of 21 October 1980. His career was almost derailed when as the army's director of public relations (a position he held from 1982–84) he leaked documents to a journalist which showed that prior to the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
the army had developed a comprehensive plan for dealing with the media, but it had been overlooked; and the army was subsequently criticised for not having done such planning. He was then promoted to major-general
Major-General (United Kingdom)
Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general...
and commanded 3rd Armoured Division for a period prior to 13 March 1987. On 1 January 1987 he was appointed to the honorary position of Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant is a military title used in the armed forces of some English-speaking countries. The title, not a substantive rank, could denote a senior colonel with authority over fellow colonels...
, 2nd Battalion, Royal Green Jackets, in succession to Sir Frank Kitson
Frank Kitson
General Sir Frank Edward Kitson GBE, KCB, MC and Bar, DL is a retired British Army officer and writer on military subjects, notably low intensity operations...
, which he held until 25 July 1992. On 15 April 1987 he was promoted lieutenant-general and appointed Commander UK Field Army
Commander Field Army (United Kingdom)
The Commander Field Army was a senior British Army officer who had command over the Deployable Divisions of the British Army i.e. those divisions on full strength...
and Inspector General of the Territorial Army. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 1987 Queen's Birthday Honours
Queen's Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
, and a further honorary appointment as Honorary Colonel of the Officer Training Corps at the University of 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...
on 1 July, which he held until 1 May 1993. He stepped down as Commander of the Field Army on 13 August 1990, and received a further honorary appointment as Aide de Camp General to HM the Queen (ADC Gen) on 3 December 1990, which he held until his retirement form the army. On 27 December 1990 he was appointed Adjutant-General
Adjutant-General to the Forces
The Adjutant-General to the Forces, commonly just referred to as the Adjutant-General , is one of the most senior officers in the British Army. He is in charge of administration, personnel and organisational matters. The Adjutant-General usually holds the rank of General or Lieutenant-General...
(AG), with the local rank of general
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
, and he received substantive promotion to that rank on 24 January 1990 (with seniority from 1 September 1990). This period included the United Kingdom's involvement in the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
He was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in the 1993 New Year Honours He stepped down as AG on 17 May 1993, and retired from the army on 13 July 1993.
Chief Inspector of Prisons
Ramsbotham was Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of PrisonsHer Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons
Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons is the head of HM Inspectorate of Prisons and the senior inspector of prisons, young offender institutions and immigration service detention and removal centres in England and Wales...
for England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
from 1 December 1995 to 2001 when he was succeeded by Anne Owers
Anne Owers
Dame Anne Elizabeth Owers, Mrs. Cook, née Spark, DBE is Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons. Owers is the fifth holder of the post, and was appointed in August 2001, succeeding David Ramsbotham...
CBE. As Chief Inspector of Prisons, he had an at times strained relationship with Home Secretaries
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
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...
and Jack Straw
Jack Straw (politician)
John Whitaker Straw is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Blackburn since 1979. He served as Home Secretary from 1997 to 2001, Foreign Secretary from 2001 to 2006 and Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Commons from 2006 to 2007 under Tony Blair...
, and this contributed to his contract not being continued for the full eight years that had originally been possible (an initial period of five years, with extension for a further three years possible).
Recent activities
On 22 March 2005, it was announced that Ramsbotham was to be elevated to a life peerage. The title was gazettedLondon Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
as Baron Ramsbotham, of Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is a central London borough of Royal borough status. After the City of Westminster, it is the wealthiest borough in England....
on 17 May. He 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....
as a crossbench peer
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
. He is Chairman of the Koestler Awards scheme, and Vice-Chair of both the All Party Penal Affairs Group and the All Party Parliamentary Group for Learning & Skills in the Criminal Justice System. He is President of UNLOCK, The National Association of Ex-Offenders
UNLOCK, The National Association of Ex-Offenders
UNLOCK, The National Association of Reformed Offenders is an independent United Kingdom-based charity, established in 2000 to campaign for the equality of reformed offenders....
and an Ambassador for the charity, the Prison Advice and Care Trust (pact)
Prison Advice and Care Trust
The Prison Advice and Care Trust is an independent UK charity that provides practical services for prisoners and prisoners' families. First established as the Catholic Prisoners Aid Society in 1898, pact works at several prisons across England....
. He was elected an honorary Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is notable as the only college founded by Cambridge townspeople: it was established in 1352 by the Guilds of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary...
in 2001, and serves on the advisory board of the International Centre for Prison Studies
International Centre for Prison Studies
The International Centre for Prison Studies launched its new academic partnership with the University of Essex at the House of Lords on 4 April 2011....
at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
. He is also a is a Patron of the African Prisons Project, an international non-governmental organisation with a mission to bring dignity and hope to men women and children in African prisons through health, education, justice and reintegration.
He has written extensively on matters relating to prisons and the military, in particular his 2003 book Prisongate: The Shocking State of Britain's Prisons and the Need for Visionary Change sets out his vision for reform of the prison system.
External links
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