Gerald Nabarro
Encyclopedia
Sir Gerald David Nunes Nabarro (29 June 1913 – 18 November 1973) was a Conservative Party
politician of the 1950s and 1960s. Nabarro had a flamboyant public profile and a reputation for taking maverick political stances.
Green, the son of an unsuccessful shopkeeper. He was born to a prominent Sephardi Jewish family but later converted to Christianity. He was educated at schools run by the London County Council
, belying his later image as an aristocrat. On leaving school in 1930 at the age of 16 he enlisted in the army
, in which he served for seven years, rising to the rank of Sergeant. In 1937 he left the army to work as a machine-hand, being swiftly promoted to be factory manager.
Using his experience he set up a saw milling company which made him a good living, and allowed him to go into company management in the engineering and road transport fields. Nabarro was also a member of the Royal Artillery
Territorials and of the Royal Ordnance
.
, Nabarro stood as the Conservative candidate in the Labour-held West Bromwich
constituency. The seat was comfortably held by Labour's John Dugdale
, with a swing on 18.6%, much higher than the national average of 10%.
In the general election of 1950
, Nabarro was elected as Member of Parliament
(MP) for Kidderminster
, Worcestershire
which he held until 1964. He characterised himself as an old-style Tory
: he opposed entry to what is now the European Union
, was a proponent of capital punishment
, and supported Enoch Powell
following the latter's controversial Rivers of Blood Speech
. Even five years earlier, on 5 April 1963, while appearing on Any Questions?
, he said "How would you feel if your daughter wanted to marry a big buck nigger
with the prospect of coffee-coloured grandchildren?", remarks which were excised from a repeat of the programme the following week. He was also instantly identifiable due to his much-lampooned handlebar moustache
. He sat on the first ever football pools
panel to decide the outcome of abandoned matches.
on pollution and smog control that eventually became the Clean Air Act 1956
. He also pushed to bring electricity to remote villages and hamlets that in the early 1950s would otherwise have gone without, and he was knighted in 1963. However, prolonged ill-health and a heart attack in the early 1960s led him to retire from politics when the 1964 general election
was called.
By 1966, Nabarro had recovered from the immediate illness, and was given a clean bill of health. He was selected as Conservative candidate for the safer constituency of South Worcestershire, neighbouring his old constituency, after the previous MP, Sir Peter Agnew, had retired. He duly won the seat in the general election of that year
, and represented it until he died in office in November 1973. No by-election was held after his death; the seat was still vacant when Parliament
was dissolved on 8 February 1974 for the general election later that month
.
. Nabarro insisted that his secretary had been driving at the time, however, and although subsequently acquitted of the driving charge, popular opinion was that he had indeed been driving. He suffered two stroke
s in the course of the re-trial and his political career was ended by the scandal. He died aged 60 a few months after his acquittal.
An earlier secretary of Nabarro was Christine Holman
, later wife of another scandal-ridden Conservative MP, Neil Hamilton
. Nabarro's distinctive appearance led to his picture being frequently used by the Monty Python
team. He was also mentioned by the character Eric Praline in the Fish Licence
sketch as apparently owning a prawn, called Simon.
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...
politician of the 1950s and 1960s. Nabarro had a flamboyant public profile and a reputation for taking maverick political stances.
Early life
Nabarro was born in WillesdenWillesden
Willesden is an area in North West London which forms part of the London Borough of Brent. It is situated 5 miles north west of Charing Cross...
Green, the son of an unsuccessful shopkeeper. He was born to a prominent Sephardi Jewish family but later converted to Christianity. He was educated at schools run by the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
, belying his later image as an aristocrat. On leaving school in 1930 at the age of 16 he enlisted in the army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, in which he served for seven years, rising to the rank of Sergeant. In 1937 he left the army to work as a machine-hand, being swiftly promoted to be factory manager.
Using his experience he set up a saw milling company which made him a good living, and allowed him to go into company management in the engineering and road transport fields. Nabarro was also a member of the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
Territorials and of the Royal Ordnance
Royal Ordnance
Royal Ordnance plc was formed on 2 January 1985 as a public corporation, owning the majority of what until then were the remaining United Kingdom government-owned Royal Ordnance Factories which manufactured explosives, ammunition, small arms including the Lee-Enfield rifle, guns and military...
.
Entry to Parliament
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...
, Nabarro stood as the Conservative candidate in the Labour-held West Bromwich
West Bromwich (UK Parliament constituency)
West Bromwich was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until 1974. It was based around West Bromwich, in the West Midlands...
constituency. The seat was comfortably held by Labour's John Dugdale
John Dugdale (Labour politician)
John Dugdale was a British newspaper journalist and politician. Well-connected with the Labour Party establishment, he worked as Private Secretary to Clement Attlee and was appointed a Minister in his post-war government....
, with a swing on 18.6%, much higher than the national average of 10%.
In the general election of 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...
, Nabarro was elected 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,...
(MP) for Kidderminster
Kidderminster (UK Parliament constituency)
Kidderminster was a parliamentary constituency in Worcestershire, 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 voting system.-History:...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
which he held until 1964. He characterised himself as an old-style Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
: he opposed entry to what is now the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, was a proponent of capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
, and supported Enoch Powell
Enoch Powell
John Enoch Powell, MBE was a British politician, classical scholar, poet, writer, and soldier. He served as a Conservative Party MP and Minister of Health . He attained most prominence in 1968, when he made the controversial Rivers of Blood speech in opposition to mass immigration from...
following the latter's controversial Rivers of Blood Speech
Rivers of Blood speech
The "Rivers of Blood" speech was a speech criticising Commonwealth immigration, as well as proposed anti-discrimination legislation in the United Kingdom made on 20 April 1968 by Enoch Powell , the Conservative Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton South West...
. Even five years earlier, on 5 April 1963, while appearing on Any Questions?
Any Questions?
Any Questions? is a topical debate radio programme in the United Kingdom.-Format:It is broadcast by BBC Radio 4 on Friday evenings and repeated on Saturday afternoons, when it is followed by a phone-in response programme, Any Answers?, previously a postal response slot...
, he said "How would you feel if your daughter wanted to marry a big buck nigger
Nigger
Nigger is a noun in the English language, most notable for its usage in a pejorative context to refer to black people , and also as an informal slang term, among other contexts. It is a common ethnic slur...
with the prospect of coffee-coloured grandchildren?", remarks which were excised from a repeat of the programme the following week. He was also instantly identifiable due to his much-lampooned handlebar moustache
Handlebar moustache
A handlebar moustache is a moustache with particularly lengthy, upward curved, extremities. It is named for its resemblance to the handlebars of a bicycle. It is also known as a "spaghetti moustache", because of its stereotypical association with Italian men...
. He sat on the first ever football pools
Football pools
A football pool, often collectively referred to as "the pools", is a betting pool based on predicting the outcome of top-level association football matches set to take place in the coming week. The pools are typically cheap to enter, with the potential to win huge money. Entries were traditionally...
panel to decide the outcome of abandoned matches.
Political activities
Among his major political achievements was a private member's billPrivate Member's Bill
A member of parliament’s legislative motion, called a private member's bill or a member's bill in some parliaments, is a proposed law introduced by a member of a legislature. In most countries with a parliamentary system, most bills are proposed by the government, not by individual members of the...
on pollution and smog control that eventually became the Clean Air Act 1956
Clean Air Act 1956
The Clean Air Act 1956 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed in response to London's Great Smog of 1952. It was in effect until 1964, and sponsored by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government in England and the Department of Health for Scotland.The Act introduced a number of...
. He also pushed to bring electricity to remote villages and hamlets that in the early 1950s would otherwise have gone without, and he was knighted in 1963. However, prolonged ill-health and a heart attack in the early 1960s led him to retire from politics when 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...
was called.
By 1966, Nabarro had recovered from the immediate illness, and was given a clean bill of health. He was selected as Conservative candidate for the safer constituency of South Worcestershire, neighbouring his old constituency, after the previous MP, Sir Peter Agnew, had retired. He duly won the seat in the general election of that year
United Kingdom general election, 1966
The 1966 United Kingdom general election on 31 March 1966 was called by sitting Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Wilson's decision to call an election turned on the fact that his government, elected a mere 17 months previously in 1964 had an unworkably small majority of only 4 MPs...
, and represented it until he died in office in November 1973. No by-election was held after his death; the seat was still vacant when 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...
was dissolved on 8 February 1974 for the general election later that month
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
.
Controversial trial
In 1971 Nabarro was the subject of what was then a sensational trial in the wake of an incident when he and his company secretary, Margaret Mason, drove the wrong way around a roundaboutRoundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
. Nabarro insisted that his secretary had been driving at the time, however, and although subsequently acquitted of the driving charge, popular opinion was that he had indeed been driving. He suffered two stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
s in the course of the re-trial and his political career was ended by the scandal. He died aged 60 a few months after his acquittal.
An earlier secretary of Nabarro was Christine Holman
Christine Hamilton
Christine Hamilton is a British television personality and author, and the wife of former British Member of Parliament Neil Hamilton who was Minister for Corporate Affairs between 1992-1994....
, later wife of another scandal-ridden Conservative MP, Neil Hamilton
Neil Hamilton (politician)
Mostyn Neil Hamilton is a former British barrister, teacher and Conservative MP. Since losing his seat in 1997 and leaving politics, Hamilton and his wife Christine have become media celebrities...
. Nabarro's distinctive appearance led to his picture being frequently used by the Monty Python
Monty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
team. He was also mentioned by the character Eric Praline in the Fish Licence
Fish Licence
The Fish Licence is part one of a two-part segment of the popular British television series, Monty Python's Flying Circus. Eric Praline, played by John Cleese, takes on the role of the put-upon customer who, when seeking to obtain a licence for his pet halibut, Eric, has difficulty explaining to...
sketch as apparently owning a prawn, called Simon.