Douglas Hogg, 3rd Viscount Hailsham
Encyclopedia
Douglas Martin Hogg, 3rd Viscount Hailsham PC, QC (born 5 February 1945) is a British
politician
and barrister
. A member of the Conservative Party
, he served in the Cabinet
as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
from 1995-97, and was a Member of Parliament
(MP) from 1979
to 2010.
Hogg's claim for cleaning of the moat
at his country estate as an expense with regards to running and maintaining his second home became one of the most prominent illustrations used by the media to portray the extent of the United Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal
in 2009. As a result of the negative publicity, Hogg did not seek re-election at the 2010 general election.
, a former Lord Chancellor
. He inherited the Viscountcy on 12 October 2001 upon the death of his father who had disclaimed that title for life in 1963, but who later accepted a life peerage in 1970; he is the grandson of Douglas Hogg, 1st Viscount Hailsham
, also a former Lord Chancellor.
He was educated at Eton College
and Christ Church, Oxford
, where he graduated with a degree in History in 1968. In 1967, he served as the President of the Oxford Union
. He was called to the Bar
in 1968, after which he worked as a barrister
. He became a Queen's Counsel
in 1990, a year after his sister, Dame Mary Hogg
, who is now a judge in the Family Division of the High Court
.
for the Lincolnshire
seat of Grantham
, following the retirement of the sitting Conservative
MP Joseph Godber.
The Grantham seat was abolished at the 1997 general election
; however, Hogg stood and was elected as MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham in 1997.
(PPS) to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Leon Brittan in 1982.
Hogg became a member of the government of Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher
following the 1983 general election
, when he was appointed as a Whip
for a year. He rejoined the government in 1986 when he was appointed as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office
, and was promoted in 1989 to Minister of State
at the Department of Trade and Industry.
Hogg was moved in 1990 under the leadership of Prime Minister John Major
to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
, becoming a member of the Privy Council
in 1992. He joined Major's Cabinet as the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in 1995, serving in that capacity during the BSE
crisis for which he received much criticism and remaining in post until the election of the Tony Blair
government in 1997.
On 3 March 1997, a disgruntled farmer from Anglesey
, Louis Hayward, drove six hours from his farm to Hogg's house in Lincolnshire in order to dump three tonnes of pig manure
outside his house.
Following the 1997 general election
, Hogg was a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee for a year, and has remained on the backbenches
since. The House of Lords Act 1999
, which removed the right of hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords
, meant that Viscount Hailsham did not have to disclaim his peerage to remain an MP on the death of his father.
noted:
and 2005
UK Parliaments, Douglas Hogg's total running costs as an MP (including allowances, expenses and staff costs) were consistently very much lower than most MPs.
In 2009, during the row over MPs' expenses, The Daily Telegraph
alleged that Hogg had submitted and was paid a claim form including more than £2,000 for the moat
around his country estate, Kettleburgh Hall, to be cleared. The taxpayer helped meet the cost of a full-time housekeeper. Other allegations included expenses for work done to Mr Hogg’s stables and for his piano
to be tuned. It is claimed that the bills for Kettlethorpe Hall were so large, Hogg eventually agreed a deal with the expenses office simply to have one twelfth of the second homes allowance paid into his bank account every month. In his defence, Hogg resolutely claimed he had not claimed for moat cleaning, and that the items were a list of all expenses incurred during house works, most of which were not paid for by the taxpayer. Hogg responded to the newspaper's claims by saying he had agreed the claims with the fees office, and therefore hoped and believed that they would comply with the rules and the 'spirit' of the rules. In saying that his claims complied with both the spirit and letter of the rules, Hogg said he had issued, in the interests of transparency, full lists of all his expenditure on the property but these were never meant to be the record of a claim. On 14 May, Hogg agreed to repay the £2,200 cost of clearing the moat, after an order from the party leadership. He maintained he had not claimed the money but agreed it had not been "positively excluded" from paperwork submitted to the Commons fees office.
Following the scandal, Hogg announced on 19 May 2009 that he would not stand at the next general election. Prime Minister David Cameron
put Hogg's name forward for a life barony
to be included in the 2011 New Year Honours
, but House of Lords Appointments Commission
advised against the appointment.
and they have a son (born October 1973) and a daughter (born August 1970). As his wife was created a life peer
ess, the Hailshams are one of the few couples to both hold noble titles in their own right.
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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...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
. A member of 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...
, he served in the Cabinet
Cabinet of the United Kingdom
The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers....
as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The post was originally named President of the Board of Agriculture and was created in 1889...
from 1995-97, and was a 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) from 1979
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
to 2010.
Hogg's claim for cleaning of the moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
at his country estate as an expense with regards to running and maintaining his second home became one of the most prominent illustrations used by the media to portray the extent of the United Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal
United Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal
The United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal was a major political scandal triggered by the leak and subsequent publication by the Telegraph Group in 2009 of expense claims made by members of the United Kingdom Parliament over several years...
in 2009. As a result of the negative publicity, Hogg did not seek re-election at the 2010 general election.
Early life
Douglas Hogg is the son of Lord Hailsham of St MaryleboneQuintin Hogg, Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone
For the businessman and philanthropist, see Quintin Hogg Quintin McGarel Hogg, Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone, KG, CH, PC, QC, FRS , formerly 2nd Viscount Hailsham , was a British politician who was known for the longevity of his career, the vigour with which he campaigned for the Conservative...
, a former Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
. He inherited the Viscountcy on 12 October 2001 upon the death of his father who had disclaimed that title for life in 1963, but who later accepted a life peerage in 1970; he is the grandson of Douglas Hogg, 1st Viscount Hailsham
Douglas Hogg, 1st Viscount Hailsham
Douglas McGarel Hogg, 1st Viscount Hailsham PC was a British lawyer and Conservative politician.-Background:...
, also a former Lord Chancellor.
He was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
, where he graduated with a degree in History in 1968. In 1967, he served as the President 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...
. He was called to the Bar
Call to the bar
The Call to the Bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party, and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received a "call to the bar"...
in 1968, after which he worked as a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
. He became a Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
in 1990, a year after his sister, Dame Mary Hogg
Mary Hogg
Dame Mary Claire Hogg, DBE , styled The Hon. Mrs Justice Hogg, is a British lawyer and judge. She is the daughter of the late Quintin Hogg, Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone and his wife Mary Evelyn Martin, and is the sister of Douglas Hogg, 3rd Viscount Hailsham...
, who is now a judge in the Family Division of the High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
.
Member of Parliament
He was elected as a Member of Parliament at the 1979 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
for the Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
seat of Grantham
Grantham (UK Parliament constituency)
Grantham was a Parliamentary constituency in Lincolnshire, England.The constituency was created in 1468 as a parliamentary borough which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of England until the union with Scotland, and then to the Parliament of Great Britain...
, following the retirement of the sitting 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...
MP Joseph Godber.
The Grantham seat was abolished at the 1997 general election
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...
; however, Hogg stood and was elected as MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham in 1997.
In government
In Parliament, Hogg served as a member of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Select Committee from 1979, until he was appointed as the Parliamentary Private SecretaryParliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
(PPS) to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury is the third most senior ministerial position in HM Treasury, after the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer . In recent years, the office holder has usually been given a junior position in the British Cabinet...
Leon Brittan in 1982.
Hogg became a member of the government of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
following the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
, when he was appointed as a 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...
for a year. He rejoined the government in 1986 when he was appointed as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
, and was promoted in 1989 to Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
at the Department of Trade and Industry.
Hogg was moved in 1990 under the leadership of Prime Minister John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
, becoming a member of the Privy Council
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...
in 1992. He joined Major's Cabinet as the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in 1995, serving in that capacity during the BSE
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy , commonly known as mad-cow disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in cattle that causes a spongy degeneration in the brain and spinal cord. BSE has a long incubation period, about 30 months to 8 years, usually affecting adult cattle at a peak age onset of...
crisis for which he received much criticism and remaining in post until the election of the Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
government in 1997.
On 3 March 1997, a disgruntled farmer from Anglesey
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
, Louis Hayward, drove six hours from his farm to Hogg's house in Lincolnshire in order to dump three tonnes of pig manure
Manure
Manure is organic matter used as organic fertilizer in agriculture. Manures contribute to the fertility of the soil by adding organic matter and nutrients, such as nitrogen, that are trapped by bacteria in the soil...
outside his house.
Following the 1997 general election
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...
, Hogg was a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee for a year, and has remained on the backbenches
Backbencher
In Westminster parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislator who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition...
since. 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;...
, which removed the right of hereditary peers to sit 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....
, meant that Viscount Hailsham did not have to disclaim his peerage to remain an MP on the death of his father.
Stevens Inquiry
In the report of his inquiry concerning collusion in Northern Ireland between loyalist paramilitaries and the state security forces, under "Other Matters concerning Collusion", Sir John StevensJohn Stevens, Baron Stevens of Kirkwhelpington
John Arthur Stevens, Baron Stevens of Kirkwhelpington KStJ QPM DL FRSA was Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis from 2000 until 2005. From 1991 to 1996, he was Chief Constable of Northumbria Police before being appointed one of HM Inspectors of Constabulary in September 1996...
noted:
- "2.17 My Enquiry team also investigated an allegation that senior RUCRoyal Ulster ConstabularyThe Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
officers briefed the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentUnder-Secretary of State for the Home Department-Non-permanent and parliamentary under-secretaries, 1782-present:*April 1782: Evan Nepean*April 1782: Thomas Orde*July 1782: Henry Strachey*April 1783: George North*February 1784: Hon. John Townshend*June 1789: Scrope Bernard*July 1794: The Hon...
, the Rt Hon Douglas Hogg QC, MP, that ‘some solicitors were unduly sympathetic to the cause of the IRA’. Mr Hogg repeated this view during a debate on the Prevention of Terrorism legislation in the House of Commons. Within a few weeks Patrick Finucane was murdered. Mr Hogg’s comments about solicitors’ support for terrorism made on 17 January 1989 aroused controversy. To the extent that they were based on information passed by the RUC, they were not justifiable and the Enquiry concludes that the Minister was compromised."
Expenses
Even though he had been claiming near maximum Additional Costs Allowance in the 2001United 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 2005
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....
UK Parliaments, Douglas Hogg's total running costs as an MP (including allowances, expenses and staff costs) were consistently very much lower than most MPs.
In 2009, during the row over MPs' expenses, The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
alleged that Hogg had submitted and was paid a claim form including more than £2,000 for the moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
around his country estate, Kettleburgh Hall, to be cleared. The taxpayer helped meet the cost of a full-time housekeeper. Other allegations included expenses for work done to Mr Hogg’s stables and for his piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
to be tuned. It is claimed that the bills for Kettlethorpe Hall were so large, Hogg eventually agreed a deal with the expenses office simply to have one twelfth of the second homes allowance paid into his bank account every month. In his defence, Hogg resolutely claimed he had not claimed for moat cleaning, and that the items were a list of all expenses incurred during house works, most of which were not paid for by the taxpayer. Hogg responded to the newspaper's claims by saying he had agreed the claims with the fees office, and therefore hoped and believed that they would comply with the rules and the 'spirit' of the rules. In saying that his claims complied with both the spirit and letter of the rules, Hogg said he had issued, in the interests of transparency, full lists of all his expenditure on the property but these were never meant to be the record of a claim. On 14 May, Hogg agreed to repay the £2,200 cost of clearing the moat, after an order from the party leadership. He maintained he had not claimed the money but agreed it had not been "positively excluded" from paperwork submitted to the Commons fees office.
Following the scandal, Hogg announced on 19 May 2009 that he would not stand at the next general election. Prime Minister David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
put Hogg's name forward for a life barony
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...
to be included in the 2011 New Year Honours
2011 New Year Honours
The New Year Honours 2011, principally for the United Kingdom but also the Commonwealth Realms, were announced on 31 December 2010 to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 2011....
, but House of Lords Appointments Commission
House of Lords Appointments Commission
The House of Lords Appointments Commission is a non-partisan, non-statutory, independent body in the United Kingdom. It has three roles:*to recommend people for appointment as non-party-political life peers;...
advised against the appointment.
Personal life
He married Sarah, daughter of John Boyd-Carpenter, on 6 June 1968 in WestminsterCity of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
and they have a son (born October 1973) and a daughter (born August 1970). As his wife was 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...
ess, the Hailshams are one of the few couples to both hold noble titles in their own right.
External links
- Conservative Party - Rt Hon Douglas Hogg QC MP biography
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Douglas Hogg MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Douglas Hogg MP
- The Public Whip - Douglas Hogg MP voting record
- BBC News - Douglas Hogg profile 15 February 2005
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