Henry Price (politician)
Encyclopedia
Henry Alfred Price, CBE
(3 January 1911 – 4 December 1982) was a British
company director and politician. He came from a working-class background but did well in business in the paper trade, where he set up his own business. He became a Conservative Party
Member of Parliament
, during which he founded an alliance to protect the middle class.
. He attended Hungerford Road School and Holloway County School but left at the age of 15 to join a paper manufacturer. Later he set up his own business, Price, Topley and Company Ltd, who were paper merchants.
and in 1944 he was co-opted as a member of Lewisham Borough Council
, elections having been suspended for the duration of the Second World War. He enjoyed municipal life and in 1946 he was chosen as Conservative candidate for Lewisham West for the London County Council
. He was elected by 578 votes. This gave Price a prominent role in London-wide Conservative politics. After boundary changes, Price was re-elected in 1949.
, Price was chosen as Conservative candidate for Lewisham West. He gained the seat from Arthur Skeffington
, who had held it as a Labour MP. His maiden speech on 22 May dwelt on the subject of high housing rents; he urged that the period for repayment of public works loans be lengthened from 60 to 80 years. Fighting for re-election in 1951
, Price reported that his audiences were "flabbergasted" to learn the high level of spending by the Labour government.
to Geoffrey Lloyd. In September 1952 he volunteered to spend a week with trainee miners in the Kemball Training Centre, near Stoke-on-Trent
. Afterwards he was critical of the sleeping arrangements in the miners' hostel. He was chosen to second the "Loyal Address" after the Queen's Speech
, traditionally a role given to rising MPs on the government backbenches.
Price was critical of the facilities available to MPs, claiming to work over 100 hours a week but that his pay amounted to 2s
per hour; he said that MPs were "treated like grubby office boys". He was a member of a Parliamentary delegation to NATO in 1954. Price was involved in organising the presentation to Winston Churchill
of a portrait by Graham Sutherland
to mark his eightieth birthday; this gift backfired as Churchill hated the portrait and his wife had it burnt.
for Price's home in Forest Hill
for a new housing scheme. Price was critical of the way trade union
s operated, claiming in a speech in February 1956 that a majority of workers in the country were forcing inefficient working methods on management. In April that year he had the idea for forming a "Middle Class Alliance", which was quickly established. He declared the aim of the Alliance was not selfish but "to preserve the middle classes for the service of the nation".
Price's term as Chairman of the Alliance came to an abrupt end in early 1957 when he offered his resignation after a split; two executive members who were supporters of the Liberal Party
had been planning a breakaway. On 18 March, the Alliance was formally dissolved. He spent a great deal of time in the late 1950s opposing the Rent Act 1957.
in 1962. Late in his Parliamentary career he attempted to amend the London Government Bill
to stop the merger of Lewisham with Deptford
to create the London Borough of Lewisham
. He rebelled against the whip on the abolition of resale price maintenance in 1964.
He became Managing Director of Grove Paper Company Ltd. after leaving Parliament in 1964.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(3 January 1911 – 4 December 1982) was a British
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...
company director and politician. He came from a working-class background but did well in business in the paper trade, where he set up his own business. He became a 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...
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,...
, during which he founded an alliance to protect the middle class.
Family origin
Price was the son of a builder's labourer and 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...
. He attended Hungerford Road School and Holloway County School but left at the age of 15 to join a paper manufacturer. Later he set up his own business, Price, Topley and Company Ltd, who were paper merchants.
Municipal life
He became an active member of the Conservative PartyConservative 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 in 1944 he was co-opted as a member of Lewisham Borough Council
Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham
The Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London between 1900 and 1965, when it became part of the London Borough of Lewisham along with the Metropolitan Borough of Deptford.-History:...
, elections having been suspended for the duration of the Second World War. He enjoyed municipal life and in 1946 he was chosen as Conservative candidate for Lewisham West for 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...
. He was elected by 578 votes. This gave Price a prominent role in London-wide Conservative politics. After boundary changes, Price was re-elected in 1949.
Parliament
At the 1950 general electionUnited 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...
, Price was chosen as Conservative candidate for Lewisham West. He gained the seat from Arthur Skeffington
Arthur Skeffington
Arthur Massey Skeffington was a British Labour Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament for 23 years between 1945 and 1971....
, who had held it as a Labour MP. His maiden speech on 22 May dwelt on the subject of high housing rents; he urged that the period for repayment of public works loans be lengthened from 60 to 80 years. Fighting for re-election in 1951
United Kingdom general election, 1951
The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats...
, Price reported that his audiences were "flabbergasted" to learn the high level of spending by the Labour government.
Advancement
After his re-election, Price was appointed Parliamentary Private SecretaryParliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to Geoffrey Lloyd. In September 1952 he volunteered to spend a week with trainee miners in the Kemball Training Centre, near Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
. Afterwards he was critical of the sleeping arrangements in the miners' hostel. He was chosen to second the "Loyal Address" after the Queen's Speech
Speech from the Throne
A speech from the throne is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign reads a prepared speech to a complete session of parliament, outlining the government's agenda for the coming session...
, traditionally a role given to rising MPs on the government backbenches.
Price was critical of the facilities available to MPs, claiming to work over 100 hours a week but that his pay amounted to 2s
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...
per hour; he said that MPs were "treated like grubby office boys". He was a member of a Parliamentary delegation to NATO in 1954. Price was involved in organising the presentation to Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
of a portrait by Graham Sutherland
Graham Sutherland
Graham Vivien Sutherland OM was an English artist.-Early life:He was born in Streatham, attending Homefield Preparatory School, Sutton. He was then educated at Epsom College, Surrey before going up to Goldsmiths, University of London...
to mark his eightieth birthday; this gift backfired as Churchill hated the portrait and his wife had it burnt.
Middle Class Alliance
In December 1954, it was announced that the London County Council would be seeking a Compulsory purchase orderCompulsory purchase order
A compulsory purchase order is a legal function in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland that allows certain bodies which need to obtain land or property to do so without the consent of the owner. It may be enforced if a proposed development is considered one for public betterment - for...
for Price's home in Forest Hill
Forest Hill, London
Forest Hill is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It situated between Dulwich and Sydenham. The area has enjoyed extensive investment since plans to extend the East London Line to Forest Hill were unveiled in 2004....
for a new housing scheme. Price was critical of the way trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s operated, claiming in a speech in February 1956 that a majority of workers in the country were forcing inefficient working methods on management. In April that year he had the idea for forming a "Middle Class Alliance", which was quickly established. He declared the aim of the Alliance was not selfish but "to preserve the middle classes for the service of the nation".
Price's term as Chairman of the Alliance came to an abrupt end in early 1957 when he offered his resignation after a split; two executive members who were supporters of 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...
had been planning a breakaway. On 18 March, the Alliance was formally dissolved. He spent a great deal of time in the late 1950s opposing the Rent Act 1957.
Retirement
"Indifferent health" forced Price to announce in July 1961 that he would not be a candidate at the next general election. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1962. Late in his Parliamentary career he attempted to amend the London Government Bill
London Government Act 1963
The London Government Act 1963 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which recognised officially the conurbation known as Greater London and created a new local government structure for the capital. The Act significantly reduced the number of local government districts in the area,...
to stop the merger of Lewisham with Deptford
Metropolitan Borough of Deptford
The Metropolitan Borough of Deptford was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London between 1900 and 1965, when it became part of the London Borough of Lewisham along with the Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham....
to create the London Borough of Lewisham
London Borough of Lewisham
The London Borough of Lewisham is a London borough in south-east London, England and forms part of Inner London. The principal settlement of the borough is Lewisham...
. He rebelled against the whip on the abolition of resale price maintenance in 1964.
He became Managing Director of Grove Paper Company Ltd. after leaving Parliament in 1964.
Sources
- M. Stenton and S. Lees, "Who's Who of British MPs" Vol. IV (Harvester Press, 1981)
- "Who Was Who", A & C Black