Frederick Willey
Encyclopedia
Frederick Thomas Willey was a British
Labour
politician.
Willey was educated at Johnston School and St. John's College, Cambridge, and was called to the Bar in 1936. He worked as a barrister on the Northern circuit.
His political career began in the 1930s as an activist for social justice and other left wing causes: he was the keynote speaker welcoming returning International Brigade volunteers to Sunderland.
During World War II
, Willey served with the Auxiliary Fire Service
(AFS) and was an officer of the Fire Brigades Union
.
Willey was elected to the House of Commons
as Member of Parliament
for Sunderland
in 1945, when the Borough still sent two MPs to Parliament
.
In 1950, two-member constituencies were abolished and Willey was returned for the new constituency of Sunderland North
where he served until he retired at the 1983 general election
.
Not confined to the backbenches, Willey served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food
in 1950-51 and as Minister of Land and Natural Resources, and in the latter capacity opened the UK's first long-distance footpath, the Pennine Way
, in 1965.
He served as Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party
from 1979-81.
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...
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...
politician.
Willey was educated at Johnston School and St. John's College, Cambridge, and was called to the Bar in 1936. He worked as a barrister on the Northern circuit.
His political career began in the 1930s as an activist for social justice and other left wing causes: he was the keynote speaker welcoming returning International Brigade volunteers to Sunderland.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Willey served with the Auxiliary Fire Service
Auxiliary Fire Service
The Auxiliary Fire Service was first formed in 1938 in Great Britain as part of Civil Defence Air raid precautions. Its role was to supplement the work of brigades at local level. In this job it was hampered severely by the incompatibility of equipment used by these different brigades - most...
(AFS) and was an officer of the Fire Brigades Union
Fire Brigades Union
The Fire Brigades Union is a trade union in the United Kingdom for wholetime Firefighters , Retained Duty System and Emergency Control Room staff...
.
Willey was elected to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
as 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,...
for Sunderland
Sunderland (UK Parliament constituency)
Sunderland was a borough constituency of the House of Commons, created by the Reform Act 1832 for the 1832 general election. It elected two Members of Parliament by the bloc vote system of election until it was split into single-member seats of Sunderland North and Sunderland South for the 1950...
in 1945, when the Borough still sent two MPs to Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
.
In 1950, two-member constituencies were abolished and Willey was returned for the new constituency of Sunderland North
Sunderland North (UK Parliament constituency)
Sunderland North was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
where he served until he retired at 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...
.
Not confined to the backbenches, Willey served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Food Control, later the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Food was a junior Ministerial post in the Government of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1921 and then from 1939 to 1954...
in 1950-51 and as Minister of Land and Natural Resources, and in the latter capacity opened the UK's first long-distance footpath, the Pennine Way
Pennine Way
The Pennine Way is a National Trail in England. The trail runs from Edale, in the northern Derbyshire Peak District, north through the Yorkshire Dales and the Northumberland National Park and ends at Kirk Yetholm, just inside the Scottish border. The path runs along the Pennine hills, sometimes...
, in 1965.
He served as Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party
Parliamentary Labour Party
In UK politics, the Parliamentary Labour Party is the parliamentary party of the Labour Party in Parliament: Labour MPs as a collective body....
from 1979-81.