Edmund Ironside, 2nd Baron Ironside
Encyclopedia
Edmund Oslac Ironside, 2nd Baron Ironside (b. 21 September 1924) is a British
hereditary peer
, who sat in the House of Lords
from 1959 to 1999. Prior to entering the Lords, he served in the Royal Navy
and worked for Marconi
; on the death of his father, Field-Marshal Lord Ironside
, he inherited the peerage in 1959.
, Ironside joined the Royal Navy
in 1943. He served until 1952, when he retired with the rank of Lieutenant, and joined the Marconi Company
. He left Marconi in 1959, joining English Electric Leo Computers, moving to Cryosystems Ltd. in 1964. In 1968 he joined the International Research and Development Company, where he spent sixteen years, before moving to manage defence sales at Northern Engineering Industries
in 1984. When they were acquired by Rolls Royce
in 1989, he was kept on as a defence consultant, and finally retired from industrial work in 1995.
He was President of the Electric Vehicle Association and the European Electric Road Vehicle Association, the vice-president of the Institute of Patentees and Inventors
, and the chairman of the advisory committee of the Science Reference Library. He also sat on the organising committee for the British Library
at the time of its foundation in 1973, and was a member of the Court and the Council for City University and the University of Essex
.
Ironside married Audrey Morgan-Grenville in 1950; they have one son and one daughter.
He edited the second volume of his father's
diaries, High Road to Command, published in 1972.
, the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, the All-Party Energy Studies Group, and, in the 1990s, the All-Party Defence Study Group. His contributions were mainly focused on scientific issues, though in later years he took an increased interest in defence procurement.
Under the House of Lords Act 1999
, all but ninety-two hereditary peers lost their right to sit in the Lords. These ninety-two were selected by ballot, both from the whole House and by party groups; in the election of Conservative peers, Ironside received fifty-six votes, ranking him sixty-eighth out of 113 candidates. Forty-two Conservatives were selected, meaning that Ironside was unsuccessful, and he ceased to have a seat in the Lords. He did not contest the by-elections of 2004, 2005, or 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...
hereditary peer
Hereditary peer
Hereditary peers form part of the Peerage in the United Kingdom. There are over seven hundred peers who hold titles that may be inherited. Formerly, most of them were entitled to sit in the House of Lords, but since the House of Lords Act 1999 only ninety-two are permitted to do so...
, who sat 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....
from 1959 to 1999. Prior to entering the Lords, he served in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and worked for Marconi
Marconi Company
The Marconi Company Ltd. was founded by Guglielmo Marconi in 1897 as The Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company...
; on the death of his father, Field-Marshal Lord Ironside
Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron Ironside
Field Marshal William Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron Ironside GCB, CMG, CBE, DSO, was a British Army officer who served as Chief of the Imperial General Staff during the first year of the Second World War....
, he inherited the peerage in 1959.
Personal life
Educated at Tonbridge SchoolTonbridge School
Tonbridge School is a British boys' independent school for both boarding and day pupils in Tonbridge, Kent, founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judd . It is a member of the Eton Group, and has close links with the Worshipful Company of Skinners, one of the oldest London livery companies...
, Ironside joined the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1943. He served until 1952, when he retired with the rank of Lieutenant, and joined the Marconi Company
Marconi Company
The Marconi Company Ltd. was founded by Guglielmo Marconi in 1897 as The Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company...
. He left Marconi in 1959, joining English Electric Leo Computers, moving to Cryosystems Ltd. in 1964. In 1968 he joined the International Research and Development Company, where he spent sixteen years, before moving to manage defence sales at Northern Engineering Industries
Northern Engineering Industries
Northern Engineering Industries plc was a British engineering firm, which for over 10 years was one of the largest employers on Tyneside. It was based in Gosforth in Newcastle upon Tyne.-History:...
in 1984. When they were acquired by Rolls Royce
Rolls-Royce plc
Rolls-Royce Group plc is a global power systems company headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second-largest maker of aircraft engines , and also has major businesses in the marine propulsion and energy sectors. Through its defence-related activities...
in 1989, he was kept on as a defence consultant, and finally retired from industrial work in 1995.
He was President of the Electric Vehicle Association and the European Electric Road Vehicle Association, the vice-president of the Institute of Patentees and Inventors
Institute of Patentees and Inventors
The Institute of Patentees and Inventors is a United Kingdom-based non-profit making association. It provides support to individuals on all aspects of inventing.- External links :* *...
, and the chairman of the advisory committee of the Science Reference Library. He also sat on the organising committee for the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
at the time of its foundation in 1973, and was a member of the Court and the Council for City University and the University of Essex
University of Essex
The University of Essex is a British campus university whose original and largest campus is near the town of Colchester, England. Established in 1963 and receiving its Royal Charter in 1965...
.
Ironside married Audrey Morgan-Grenville in 1950; they have one son and one daughter.
He edited the second volume of his father's
Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron Ironside
Field Marshal William Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron Ironside GCB, CMG, CBE, DSO, was a British Army officer who served as Chief of the Imperial General Staff during the first year of the Second World War....
diaries, High Road to Command, published in 1972.
Politics
He inherited the peerage on his father's death in 1959, the day after his thirty-fifth birthday. However, he did not make his maiden speech until 1965, some six years later. From this point on, unlike his father, who had not spoken in the almost twenty years he held a peerage, Ironside took an increasingly active part in the House of Lords. During the 1970s and 1980s, he was a member of the European Community select committeeEuropean Union Committee
The European Union Committee is a select committee of the House of Lords in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Its terms of reference are "To consider European Union documents and other matters relating to the European Union". Much of the scrutiny is conducted by the seven subcommittees, each...
, the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, the All-Party Energy Studies Group, and, in the 1990s, the All-Party Defence Study Group. His contributions were mainly focused on scientific issues, though in later years he took an increased interest in defence procurement.
Under 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;...
, all but ninety-two hereditary peers lost their right to sit in the Lords. These ninety-two were selected by ballot, both from the whole House and by party groups; in the election of Conservative peers, Ironside received fifty-six votes, ranking him sixty-eighth out of 113 candidates. Forty-two Conservatives were selected, meaning that Ironside was unsuccessful, and he ceased to have a seat in the Lords. He did not contest the by-elections of 2004, 2005, or 2007.