John Ganzoni, 2nd Baron Belstead
Encyclopedia
John Julian Ganzoni, 2nd Baron Belstead PC
(30 September 1932 – 3 December 2005) was a British Conservative
politician and peer
who served as Leader of the House of Lords
under Margaret Thatcher
from 1988 to 1990.
, a barrister and Conservative MP for Ipswich
who was created Baron Belstead
in 1938, by his wife Gwendolen Gertrude Turner, daughter of Arthur Turner, of Ipswich
. He went to Eton
before reading history at Christ Church, Oxford
.
appointed him to become Parliamentary Under-Secretary to Margaret Thatcher
at the Department of Education and Science, he was moved in the same rank to the Northern Ireland Office
three years later. When Margaret Thatcher led the Tories back to power in 1979, she sent him to the Home Office. He was then made Minister at the Foreign Office when Lord Carrington
and his team resigned after the Falklands invasion
.
He next moved to the Ministry of Fisheries and Food
, and went back to the Education Department again before becoming Deputy Leader to William Whitelaw as Leader of the House of Lords. He succeeded Whitelaw in that post in 1988. After losing his Cabinet seat in 1990 he became Paymaster-General
and Northern Ireland Minister under John Major
, retiring from the Government to become Chairman of the Parole Board in 1992.
In 1983, he was sworn of the Privy Council
. After the House of Lords Act 1999
removed the automatic right of hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords, he was created a life peer
as Baron Ganzoni, of Ipswich in the County of Suffolk, an honour given to all former Leaders of the House of Lords. He also gave his name to the new "Belstead Centre" at Woodbridge School
.
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Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(30 September 1932 – 3 December 2005) was a British Conservative
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 and peer
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...
who served as Leader of the House of Lords
Leader of the House of Lords
The Leader of the House of Lords is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Lords. The role is always held in combination with a formal Cabinet position, usually one of the sinecure offices of Lord President of the Council,...
under Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
from 1988 to 1990.
Background and education
Ganzoni was the only son of Sir Francis GanzoniJohn Ganzoni, 1st Baron Belstead
Francis John Childs Ganzoni, 1st Baron Belstead was a Conservative Party politician in England.-Personal life:...
, a barrister and Conservative MP for Ipswich
Ipswich (UK Parliament constituency)
Ipswich is a borough 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.- Boundaries :...
who was created Baron Belstead
Baron Belstead
Baron Belstead, of Ipswich in the County of Suffolk, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 27 January 1938 for the Conservative politician Sir Francis Ganzoni, 1st Baronet. He had already been created a Baronet, of Ipswich in the County of Suffolk, in the Baronetage of...
in 1938, by his wife Gwendolen Gertrude Turner, daughter of Arthur Turner, of Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
. He went to Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
before reading history at Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
.
Political career
Belstead showed little interest in politics at first, and waited six years after succeeding to the peerage on his father's death in 1958 before making his maiden speech. In 1970 Edward HeathEdward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
appointed him to become Parliamentary Under-Secretary to Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
at the Department of Education and Science, he was moved in the same rank to the Northern Ireland Office
Northern Ireland Office
The Northern Ireland Office is a United Kingdom government department responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and is based in Northern Ireland at Stormont House.-Role:...
three years later. When Margaret Thatcher led the Tories back to power in 1979, she sent him to the Home Office. He was then made Minister at the Foreign Office when Lord Carrington
Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington
Peter Alexander Rupert Carington, 6th Baron Carrington, is a British Conservative politician. He served as British Foreign Secretary between 1979 and 1982 and as the sixth Secretary General of NATO from 1984 to 1988. He is the last surviving member of the Cabinets of both Harold Macmillan and Sir...
and his team resigned after the Falklands invasion
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
.
He next moved to the Ministry of Fisheries and Food
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom...
, and went back to the Education Department again before becoming Deputy Leader to William Whitelaw as Leader of the House of Lords. He succeeded Whitelaw in that post in 1988. After losing his Cabinet seat in 1990 he became Paymaster-General
Paymaster-General
HM Paymaster General is a ministerial position in the United Kingdom. The Paymaster General is in charge of the Office of HM Paymaster General , which held accounts at the Bank of England on behalf of Government departments and selected other public bodies...
and Northern Ireland Minister under John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
, retiring from the Government to become Chairman of the Parole Board in 1992.
In 1983, he was sworn of the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
. After the House of Lords Act 1999
House of Lords Act 1999
The House of Lords Act 1999 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. The Act reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. For centuries, the House of Lords had included several hundred members who inherited their seats;...
removed the automatic right of hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords, he was created a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baron Ganzoni, of Ipswich in the County of Suffolk, an honour given to all former Leaders of the House of Lords. He also gave his name to the new "Belstead Centre" at Woodbridge School
Woodbridge School
Woodbridge School is an independent school in Woodbridge, Suffolk, England, founded in 1577, for the poor of Woodbridge. It was later supported by the Seckford Scheme.Woodbridge School has been co-educational since 1975.-History:...
.
Personal life
Lord Belstead never married. He died in December 2005, aged 73, when both the hereditary peerage and the baronetcy became extinct.External links
- Guardian obituary
- Announcement of his taking the oath under his new title at the House of Lords House of Lords minutes of proceedings, 23 November 1999
- Announcement of his death at the House of Lords House of Lords minutes of proceedings, 5 December 2005
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