Eric Lubbock, 4th Baron Avebury
Encyclopedia
Eric Reginald Lubbock, 4th Baron Avebury, PC
(born 29 September 1928) is an English
politician
. A Liberal
Member of Parliament
from 1962 to 1970, he succeeded as Baron Avebury
in 1971. In 1999, when the House of Lords
was reformed, he was elected as a Liberal Democrat representative peer.
(1701–54), he is the son of the Honourable
Maurice Fox Pitt Lubbock (the sixth son of John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury
) and the Honourable
Mary Katherine Adelaide Stanley, daughter of Arthur Lyulph Stanley, 5th Baron Sheffield and Stanley of Alderley. His cousin John Lubbock, 3rd Baron Avebury
died without a male heir in 1971, and Lubbock succeeded him.
, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Harrow School
and he read Engineering Science at Balliol College, Oxford
.
in the Welsh Guards
and joined Rolls-Royce
in 1951. He was employed as a production manager (1951–1956) and as a production engineer (1956–1960).
Having joined the Liberal Party
in 1960 and become a councillor the following year, Lubbock won a sensational by-election victory
at Orpington
on 15 March 1962, with a majority of 7,855. This was a swing of nearly 22% from the Conservatives
and brought the number of Liberal MPs to seven. Following his victory, he was dubbed "Orpington Man".
Many commentators speculated that the Liberals would make a substantial breakthrough at the following general election and this by-election was widely seen as the start of a Liberal revival and a possible return to government, or at least a return to the opposition.
However, the party was hampered by organisational difficulties and progress was slow, with a loss of votes and seats under Harold Wilson
’s Labour
government.
As the MP
for Orpington
, he was appointed Chief Whip
by Jo Grimond in 1963, a post he held until 1970.
When the party leader Jo Grimond resigned in 1967 Eric Lubbock was one of the three Liberal MPs who stood for the position. Jeremy Thorpe
, however, won with six votes to Emlyn Hooson
’s and Lubbock’s three apiece.
In the Commons he was on the Speaker
’s Commission on Electoral Law in 1964-1966, and proposed STV
in multi-member constituencies, only to be voted down by 18-1. He also proposed reducing the voting age to 18, on which two Labour Members supported him.
In 1970, Orpington reverted to its Tory origins. On losing the seat Lubbock said
Lubbock is a grandson of John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury
and the following year upon the death of his cousin he succeeded to the peerage
, becoming Lord Avebury. He sat on the Royal Commission on Standards of Conduct in Public Life and in 1976 founded the Parliamentary Human Rights Group, which he chaired for the next 21 years.
He is currently a member of the Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Team, speaking frequently on conflict resolution and human rights. He was elected to an Honorary Fellowship
at Balliol College in 2004.
Lord Avebury is an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society and a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association
. He frequently raises matters related to British nationality law
in Parliament. He has been a strong supporter of the citizenship rights of the solely British ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, and has fought for their rights.
He is also President of the Peru Support Group
, and advocates on human rights issues in Peru
.
In 2009, Lord Avebury was awarded (with Dr Evan Harris
MP) the National Secular Society
's Secularist of the Year
Award in recognition of his role in the abolition of the common law offence of Blasphemous Libel.
On 15 September 2010, Lubbock, along with 54 other public figures, signed an open letter published in The Guardian, stating their opposition to Pope Benedict XVI
's state visit to the UK.
Today Lord Avebury lives in Camberwell
, London
. His Liberal Democrat party profile notes that he cycles to the House of Lords
from Camberwell in 17 minutes. He is a Buddhist.
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
(born 29 September 1928) is an English
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...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. A Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
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,...
from 1962 to 1970, he succeeded as Baron Avebury
Baron Avebury
Baron Avebury, of Avebury in the County of Wiltshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1900 for the banker, politician and archaeologist Sir John Lubbock, 4th Baronet. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Baron. On his death the titles passed to his...
in 1971. In 1999, when 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....
was reformed, he was elected as a Liberal Democrat representative peer.
Background
A descendant of William LubbockWilliam Lubbock
The Reverend William Lubbock MA BD was an English divine, Fellow of Caius College, Cambridge, and Church of England clergyman...
(1701–54), he is the son of the Honourable
The Honourable
The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
Maurice Fox Pitt Lubbock (the sixth son of John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury
John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury
John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury PC , FRS , known as Sir John Lubbock, 4th Baronet from 1865 until 1900, was a polymath and Liberal Member of Parliament....
) and the Honourable
The Honourable
The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
Mary Katherine Adelaide Stanley, daughter of Arthur Lyulph Stanley, 5th Baron Sheffield and Stanley of Alderley. His cousin John Lubbock, 3rd Baron Avebury
John Lubbock, 3rd Baron Avebury
John Lubbock, 3rd Baron Avebury was an English peer.He was the son of the Honourable Harold Fox Pitt Lubbock and a grandson of John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury. His sister Moyra was married to the broadcaster Dorian Williams...
died without a male heir in 1971, and Lubbock succeeded him.
Education
He was educated at Upper Canada CollegeUpper Canada College
Upper Canada College , located in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is an independent elementary and secondary school for boys between Senior Kindergarten and Grade Twelve, operating under the International Baccalaureate program. The secondary school segment is divided into ten houses; eight are...
, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
and he read Engineering Science at Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
.
Career
He served as a LieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the Welsh Guards
Welsh Guards
The Welsh Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division.-Creation :The Welsh Guards came into existence on 26 February 1915 by Royal Warrant of His Majesty King George V in order to include Wales in the national component to the Foot Guards, "..though the order...
and joined Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
in 1951. He was employed as a production manager (1951–1956) and as a production engineer (1956–1960).
Having joined the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
in 1960 and become a councillor the following year, Lubbock won a sensational by-election victory
Orpington by-election, 1962
The Orpington by-election of 1962 is often described as the start of the Liberal Party revival in the United Kingdom.The election was caused by the appointment of Donald Sumner, Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Orpington as a County Court Judge...
at Orpington
Orpington (UK Parliament constituency)
Orpington is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
on 15 March 1962, with a majority of 7,855. This was a swing of nearly 22% from the Conservatives
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...
and brought the number of Liberal MPs to seven. Following his victory, he was dubbed "Orpington Man".
Many commentators speculated that the Liberals would make a substantial breakthrough at the following general election and this by-election was widely seen as the start of a Liberal revival and a possible return to government, or at least a return to the opposition.
However, the party was hampered by organisational difficulties and progress was slow, with a loss of votes and seats under Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
’s Labour
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...
government.
As the MP
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,...
for Orpington
Orpington (UK Parliament constituency)
Orpington is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
, he was appointed Chief Whip
Chief Whip
The Chief Whip is a political office in some legislatures assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system that ensures that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires.-The Whips Office:...
by Jo Grimond in 1963, a post he held until 1970.
When the party leader Jo Grimond resigned in 1967 Eric Lubbock was one of the three Liberal MPs who stood for the position. Jeremy Thorpe
Jeremy Thorpe
John Jeremy Thorpe is a British former politician who was leader of the Liberal Party from 1967 to 1976 and was the Member of Parliament for North Devon from 1959 to 1979. His political career was damaged when an acquaintance, Norman Scott, claimed to have had a love affair with Thorpe at a time...
, however, won with six votes to Emlyn Hooson
Emlyn Hooson, Baron Hooson
Hugh Emlyn Hooson, Baron Hooson QC is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom. He was the Member of Parliament for Montgomeryshire from 1962 until 1979....
’s and Lubbock’s three apiece.
In the Commons he was on the Speaker
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
’s Commission on Electoral Law in 1964-1966, and proposed STV
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
in multi-member constituencies, only to be voted down by 18-1. He also proposed reducing the voting age to 18, on which two Labour Members supported him.
In 1970, Orpington reverted to its Tory origins. On losing the seat Lubbock said
- "In 1962 the wise, far-seeing people of Orpington elected me as their Member; in 1970 the fools threw me out".
Lubbock is a grandson of John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury
John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury
John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury PC , FRS , known as Sir John Lubbock, 4th Baronet from 1865 until 1900, was a polymath and Liberal Member of Parliament....
and the following year upon the death of his cousin he succeeded to the peerage
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...
, becoming Lord Avebury. He sat on the Royal Commission on Standards of Conduct in Public Life and in 1976 founded the Parliamentary Human Rights Group, which he chaired for the next 21 years.
He is currently a member of the Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Team, speaking frequently on conflict resolution and human rights. He was elected to an Honorary Fellowship
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...
at Balliol College in 2004.
Lord Avebury is an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society and a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association
British Humanist Association
The British Humanist Association is an organisation of the United Kingdom which promotes Humanism and represents "people who seek to live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs." The BHA is committed to secularism, human rights, democracy, egalitarianism and mutual respect...
. He frequently raises matters related to British nationality law
British nationality law
British nationality law is the law of the United Kingdom that concerns citizenship and other categories of British nationality. The law is complex because of the United Kingdom's former status as an imperial power.-History:...
in Parliament. He has been a strong supporter of the citizenship rights of the solely British ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, and has fought for their rights.
He is also President of the Peru Support Group
Peru Support Group
The Peru Support Group was established in 1983 to raise awareness of human rights violations committed during Peru’s internal armed conflict. It is a UK-based advocacy organisation with a fee-paying membership of approximately 500 people...
, and advocates on human rights issues in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
.
In 2009, Lord Avebury was awarded (with Dr Evan Harris
Evan Harris
Evan Leslie Harris is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Oxford West and Abingdon from 1997 to 2010, losing his seat in the 2010 general election by 176 votes to Conservative Nicola Blackwood....
MP) the National Secular Society
National Secular Society
The National Secular Society is a British campaigning organisation that promotes secularism and the separation of church and state. It holds that no-one should gain advantage or disadvantage because of their religion or lack of religion. It was founded by Charles Bradlaugh in 1866...
's Secularist of the Year
Secularist of the Year
The Secularist of the Year award is presented annually to the individual considered to have made the greatest contribution to secularism in the previous year by the UK's National Secular Society. The prize is a cheque for £5000; it was first awarded in 2005, and is sponsored by Dr...
Award in recognition of his role in the abolition of the common law offence of Blasphemous Libel.
On 15 September 2010, Lubbock, along with 54 other public figures, signed an open letter published in The Guardian, stating their opposition to Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
's state visit to the UK.
Private life
He has married twice:- Kina-Maria O'Kelly de Gallagh (2 September 1953–1983)
- The Hon.The HonourableThe prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
Lyulph Ambrose Jonathan Lubbock (born 15 June 1954); married Susan MacDonald 14 May 1977, with issue. - The Hon. Maurice Patrick Guy Lubbock (born 5 November 1955); married Diana Tobin 1982 with issue.
- The Hon. Victoria Sarah Maria Lubbock (born 27 April 1959); married Alan Binnie 1983 with issue.
- The Hon.
- Lindsay Stewart (1985– )
- The Hon. John William Stewart Lubbock (born 8 August 1985)
Today Lord Avebury lives in Camberwell
Camberwell
Camberwell is a district of south London, England, and forms part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is a built-up inner city district located southeast of Charing Cross. To the west it has a boundary with the London Borough of Lambeth.-Toponymy:...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. His Liberal Democrat party profile notes that he cycles to 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 Camberwell in 17 minutes. He is a Buddhist.
External links
- Lord Avebury profile at the site of the Liberal DemocratsLiberal DemocratsThe Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
- Lord Avebury's personal blog
- On BN(O) minors of Nepalese origin entitled to British citizenship, 4 July 2006 letter to the South China Morning PostSouth China Morning PostThe South China Morning Post , together with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is an English-language Hong Kong newspaper, published by the SCMP Group with a circulation of 104,000....
- Highlighting the plight of Indian ethnic minority BN(O)s in Limbo in Hong Kong, 25 September 2006 letter to the South China Morning PostSouth China Morning PostThe South China Morning Post , together with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is an English-language Hong Kong newspaper, published by the SCMP Group with a circulation of 104,000....
- Criticising the delay in processing of British citizenship applications of Indian-origin ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, 23 October 2006 letter to the South China Morning PostSouth China Morning PostThe South China Morning Post , together with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is an English-language Hong Kong newspaper, published by the SCMP Group with a circulation of 104,000....
- On persons of Indian & Nepalese origin born in Hong Kong before 30 June 1979 and 30 June 1976 entitled to British nationality, 27 November 2006 letter to the South China Morning PostSouth China Morning PostThe South China Morning Post , together with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is an English-language Hong Kong newspaper, published by the SCMP Group with a circulation of 104,000....
- On difficulties facing British nationals of Nepalese origin entitled to British citizenship, 22 February 2007 letter to the South China Morning PostSouth China Morning PostThe South China Morning Post , together with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is an English-language Hong Kong newspaper, published by the SCMP Group with a circulation of 104,000....
- Speech at Committee Stage of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill 2009 advocating that solely British Nationals (Overseas) be given a right to register as British citizens
- Video of Committee Stage of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill 2009 advocating that solely British Nationals (Overseas) be given a right to register as British citizens
- Britain must resolve issue of stateless people, letter in the South China Morning Post 14 March 2009