David Stoddart, Baron Stoddart of Swindon
Encyclopedia
David Leonard Stoddart, Baron Stoddart of Swindon (born 4 May 1926) is a British
independent Labour politician (that is, unaffiliated to the Labour Party
).
for Swindon
from 1970 to 1983, when he lost his seat to the Conservative
Simon Coombs
. Stoddart was a government whip
from 1975 to 1978.
Stoddart was raised to the peerage as a life peer
in 1983 as Baron Stoddart of Swindon, of Reading in the Royal County of Berkshire
. He was expelled from the Labour benches in the House of Lords
in 2002 for backing a Socialist Alliance
candidate in the 2001 general election
, an action he took because he strongly opposed the parachuting of Shaun Woodward
, a defector from the Conservative Party, into a safe Labour seat.
Stoddart was for many years the Chairman of the Campaign for an Independent Britain
, which campaigns for the United Kingdom
to end its membership of the European Union
, a position he held until May 2007.
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...
independent Labour politician (that is, unaffiliated to the 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...
).
Political career
Stoddart was a member of the County Borough Council of Reading from 1954-1972 and was the Leader of the Council from 1965-72. He was the Labour Member of ParliamentMember 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,...
for Swindon
Swindon (UK Parliament constituency)
Swindon was a parliamentary constituency in the town of Swindon in Wiltshire, England.It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from the 1918 general election until it was abolished for the 1997 general election.It was then replaced by the...
from 1970 to 1983, when he lost his seat to 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...
Simon Coombs
Simon Coombs
Simon Christopher Coombs , is a former British Conservative politician.Coombs was MP for Swindon from 1983 until 1997 when the seat was divided by boundary changes. Coombs stood in the new Swindon South seat but lost to Labour's Julia Drown...
. Stoddart was a government whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
from 1975 to 1978.
Stoddart was raised to the peerage as 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...
in 1983 as Baron Stoddart of Swindon, of Reading in the Royal County of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. He was expelled from the Labour benches 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....
in 2002 for backing a Socialist Alliance
Socialist Alliance
Socialist Alliance may refer to:*Alternative Socialist Alliance - Independents *Democratic Socialist Alliance *London Socialist Alliance*Scottish Socialist Alliance*Socialist Alliance *Socialist Alliance...
candidate in the 2001 general election
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...
, an action he took because he strongly opposed the parachuting of Shaun Woodward
Shaun Woodward
Shaun Anthony Woodward is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for St Helens South since 2001. He served in the Cabinet from 28 June 2007 to 11 May 2010 as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland...
, a defector from the Conservative Party, into a safe Labour seat.
Stoddart was for many years the Chairman of the Campaign for an Independent Britain
Campaign for an Independent Britain
The Campaign for an Independent Britain is a cross-party Eurosceptic campaign group which calls for the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union.-Origins:...
, which campaigns for 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...
to end its membership of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, a position he held until May 2007.