Geoffrey Stevens
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey Paul Stevens was an English
chartered accountant
and politician who was noted for his support for reductions in taxation.
, England
and was sent to Westminster School
, the leading Independent school
. He qualified as a chartered accountant in 1926 and joined the firm of Pannell Fitzpatrick and Co., becoming a Partner in 1930. In 1932, a letter from Stevens was published in The Times
which argued that spending on the Royal Navy
was for the defence of Britain's frontier and a requirement of the government. He joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
and during the Second World War he served with the Royal Air Force
.
, Stevens fought Sheffield Park
as the Conservative Party
candidate; the seat proved safe for Labour. For the next general election in 1950
, Stevens was adopted as Conservative candidate for Portsmouth Langstone
, a new constituency consisting of some wealthy areas around Langstone Harbour (Havant
, Waterlooville
) as well as the mostly public housing of Paulsgrove
. Although the election result was thought in doubt, Stevens was elected with a majority of over 11,000.
MP. He sought to use his experience of accountancy in Parliament, arguing in 1951 for professional accountants to examine the state of the nationalised industries in order to allow boldness in management while maintaining accountability to the representatives of the public. He was a strong advocate of reductions in taxation and became chairman of the Income Tax-Payers' Society; in 1959 he said that he hoped to see income tax reduced to 6s
. in the Pound
, the level at the foundation of the society in 1921.
In 1956, Stevens supported British participation in negotiations over European institutions, but rejected the idea of any supra-national authority. The next year he tabled a motion condemning British European Airways
for removing the Union Flag
from their advertising. Later that year he won a place in the ballot for Private Members Bills, and introduced the Metropolitan Police Act (1839) Amendment Bill which proposed to increase the fine for threatening and insulting behaviour. The Bill received a second reading but did not make further progress. He attempted to introduce binding arbitration for taxation disputes in an amendment to the 1958 Finance Bill.
and sponsored dinners for the Society at the House of Commons. He was Vice Chairman of the Conservative backbench Finance committee. In the debate on the Finance Bill in 1960, when an all-night sitting was thought to be in prospect, Stevens appeared at the Bar of the House of Commons dressed in a silk dressing gown. In November 1960, Stevens signed an amendment calling for the reversal of the judgement which held Lady Chatterley's Lover
not to be an obscene publication.
Leaving the House of Commons at the 1964 general election
, Stevens moved to Haslemere
. He retired as Partner of Pannell, Fitzpatrick & Co. in 1970.
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...
chartered accountant
Chartered Accountant
Chartered Accountants were the first accountants to form a professional body, initially established in Britain in 1854. The Edinburgh Society of Accountants , the Glasgow Institute of Accountants and Actuaries and the Aberdeen Society of Accountants were each granted a royal charter almost from...
and politician who was noted for his support for reductions in taxation.
Early life
Stevens was born in LondonLondon
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...
, England
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...
and was sent to Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
, the leading Independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
. He qualified as a chartered accountant in 1926 and joined the firm of Pannell Fitzpatrick and Co., becoming a Partner in 1930. In 1932, a letter from Stevens was published in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
which argued that spending on 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...
was for the defence of Britain's frontier and a requirement of the government. He joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve consists of a number of groupings of individual military reservists for the management and operation of the Royal Air Force's Air Training Corps and CCF Air Cadet formations, Volunteer Gliding Squadrons , Air Experience Flights, and also to form the...
and during the Second World War he served with the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
.
Politics
At the 1945 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
, Stevens fought Sheffield Park
Sheffield Park (UK Parliament constituency)
Sheffield Park was a Parliamentary constituency in the City of Sheffield, England. The constituency was created in 1918 and abolished in 1983. The area formerly covered by this constituency is now mostly in the Sheffield Central constituency....
as 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...
candidate; the seat proved safe for Labour. For the next general election in 1950
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
, Stevens was adopted as Conservative candidate for Portsmouth Langstone
Portsmouth Langstone (UK Parliament constituency)
Portsmouth Langstone was a borough constituency in Portsmouth. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.- History :...
, a new constituency consisting of some wealthy areas around Langstone Harbour (Havant
Havant
Havant is a town in south east Hampshire on the South coast of England, between Portsmouth and Chichester. It gives its name to the borough comprising the town and the surrounding area. The town has rapidly grown since the end of the Second World War.It has good railway connections to London,...
, Waterlooville
Waterlooville
Waterlooville is a town in Hampshire, England approximately 8 miles north of Portsmouth.The town has a population itself of about 10,000 and is surrounded by Purbrook, Blendworth, Cowplain, Lovedean, Clanfield, Catherington, Crookhorn, Denmead, Hambledon, Horndean and Widley. It forms part of...
) as well as the mostly public housing of Paulsgrove
Paulsgrove
Paulsgrove is an area of northern Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. Paulsgrove existed as a small hamlet on the old Portsmouth to Southampton road for many years. During the early twentieth century Paulsgrove Racecourse was built north of the village on the slopes of Portsdown Hill and a halt built...
. Although the election result was thought in doubt, Stevens was elected with a majority of over 11,000.
Opinions
Stevens was a popular man who became Chairman of the United and Cecil Club in 1951, in succession to Eric Errington, a former Conservative MP; he held this role for four years, passing it on to Philip BellPhilip Bell
Philip Ingress Bell, TD, QC was a British barrister and judge, who also had a political career.-Early life:...
MP. He sought to use his experience of accountancy in Parliament, arguing in 1951 for professional accountants to examine the state of the nationalised industries in order to allow boldness in management while maintaining accountability to the representatives of the public. He was a strong advocate of reductions in taxation and became chairman of the Income Tax-Payers' Society; in 1959 he said that he hoped to see income tax reduced to 6s
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
. in the Pound
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
, the level at the foundation of the society in 1921.
In 1956, Stevens supported British participation in negotiations over European institutions, but rejected the idea of any supra-national authority. The next year he tabled a motion condemning British European Airways
British European Airways
British European Airways or British European Airways Corporation was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974. The airline operated European and North African routes from airports around the United Kingdom...
for removing the Union Flag
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
from their advertising. Later that year he won a place in the ballot for Private Members Bills, and introduced the Metropolitan Police Act (1839) Amendment Bill which proposed to increase the fine for threatening and insulting behaviour. The Bill received a second reading but did not make further progress. He attempted to introduce binding arbitration for taxation disputes in an amendment to the 1958 Finance Bill.
Campaigns
Stevens supported the Society for Individual FreedomSociety for Individual Freedom
The Society for Individual Freedom is a United Kingdom-based association of libertarians, classical liberals, free-market conservatives and others promoting individual freedom....
and sponsored dinners for the Society at the House of Commons. He was Vice Chairman of the Conservative backbench Finance committee. In the debate on the Finance Bill in 1960, when an all-night sitting was thought to be in prospect, Stevens appeared at the Bar of the House of Commons dressed in a silk dressing gown. In November 1960, Stevens signed an amendment calling for the reversal of the judgement which held Lady Chatterley's Lover
Lady Chatterley's Lover
Lady Chatterley's Lover is a novel by D. H. Lawrence, first published in 1928. The first edition was printed privately in Florence, Italy with assistance from Pino Orioli; it could not be published openly in the United Kingdom until 1960...
not to be an obscene publication.
Retirement
However, Stevens' health caused him concern, and in January 1962 he announced that he would not stand for re-election as he was going deaf; both his father and brother had gone deaf at early age, and he believed he could not "continue work which necessitates understanding a question and answering it". He continued to press for lower taxes, arguing that many who called for higher tax on unearned income did not realise that those receiving it had previously worked to build up their assets.Leaving the House of Commons at the 1964 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1964
The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power...
, Stevens moved to Haslemere
Haslemere
Haslemere is a town in Surrey, England, close to the border with both Hampshire and West Sussex. The major road between London and Portsmouth, the A3, lies to the west, and a branch of the River Wey to the south. Haslemere is approximately south-west of Guildford.Haslemere is surrounded by hills,...
. He retired as Partner of Pannell, Fitzpatrick & Co. in 1970.