John Grant (British politician)
Encyclopedia
John Douglas Grant was a British Member of Parliament
from 1970 to 1983. He was as a member of the Labour
until he left in 1981 to join the new Social Democratic Party
(SDP). He represented Islington East
from 1970 to 1974 and Islington Central
from 1974-1983.
Grant was born in Finsbury Park
, North London
. He attended the Stationers' Company School in Hornsey
before beginning a career as journalist. He worked for several regional newspapers before he managing to secure a post at the Daily Express
in 1955 where he covered the trades unions, rising to become the Chief Industrial Correspondent in 1967.
Grant combined his career in journalism with an interest in politics and secured the Labour nomination for the Conservative seat of Beckenham
which he lost by 13,000 votes in the 1966 General Election
. However, for the 1970 General Election
, Grant managed to secure the selection for the safe Labour seat of Islington East and was comfortably elected to Parliament.
Grant soon acquired a reputation as an accomplished parliamentarian with particular expertise in trades union matters which he acquired through his many years as an industrial correspondent and his close personal relationships with many of the trades unions leaders whom he had covered. Grant served as a minister through the second Wilson
and Callaghan
governments. After a brief tenure as a Parliamentary Secretary at the Civil Service Department, he was promoted to be Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Overseas Development. In 1976, Grant moved laterally to the Department of Employment where he served with great distinction and received much praise for his work helping the disabled.
Although Grant was not one of the 14 MPs who initially joined the SDP, he was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the Labour Party. In addition, he was harried in his Constituency Labour Party
in Islington
which was embroiled in fighting between Labour loyalists and far-leftists in the local party. After great hesitation, due to his loyalty to his union, the Electrical Trades Union
, Grant finally left the Labour Party in late 1981.
Grant joined the SDP to immediately become embroiled in intra-party conflict over the Tebbit Bill. Although a majority of SDP MPs thought that the party should vote in favor of the second reading of the Tebbit Bill to emphasize the party's distance from Labour and the Trades Union Congress
and then offer its own amendments. Grant, along with several other newcomers to the SDP, objected to the bill which he thought would damage industrial relations and would diminish the party's appeal to trade unionists. Grant rebelling against the party whip and leading four other MPs into the No Lobby. Although this had no lasting impact on Grant's standing in or relations with other members of the part, it did hurt public perceptions of the SDP's unity.
After boundary changes in which Islington's three constituencies were combined into two a further inter party dispute occurred as all three Islington MPs had moved from Labour to the SDP. Grant's Islington Central seat was abolished and he sought the nomination for the revised Islington North seat
, being selected over sitting MP Michael O'Halloran
. However O'Halloran left the SDP and, after a failed attempt to rejoin Labour, stood against Grant as an Independent Labour. This greatly divided Grant's potential vote and prevented him from offering himself as a viable tactical option to Conservative voters who wished to keep the far-Left Labour candidate, Jeremy Corbyn
out of Parliament. Grant finished third with 8,268 votes, 1,000 votes behind the Conservative candidate and 6,500 votes behind Corbyn.
After losing his seat, Grant became the head of communications for the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union
. He contested the safe Conservative seat of Carshalton and Wallington for the SDP in 1987 where he finished second. During the merger negotiations between the SDP and the Liberals
, Grant served on the SDP's negotiating team before he resigned in frustration with the Liberals whom he regarded as "not ready to move from the politics of protest towards power."
After merger, Grant eventually returned to the Labour fold with the rise of Tony Blair
and New Labour. He was a significant influence on Blair's pledge to increase funding for cancer research at the Brighton Labour Party Conference in 2000. Grant had become a vigorous campaigner for cancer research after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Just over a week after Blair's announcement, Grant died of prostate cancer in 2000 at the age of 67.
Grant wrote two books:
Member of Parliament, 1974
Blood Brothers: 1992
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,...
from 1970 to 1983. He was as a member of the 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...
until he left in 1981 to join the new Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
(SDP). He represented Islington East
Islington East (UK Parliament constituency)
Islington East was a constituency which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885, until it was abolished for the February 1974 general election.-1885–1918:...
from 1970 to 1974 and Islington Central
Islington Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Islington Central was a parliamentary constituency in the Islington district of Inner London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
from 1974-1983.
Grant was born in Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park, London
Finsbury Park is an area in north London, England which grew up around an important railway interchange at the junction of the London Boroughs of Islington, Haringey and Hackney...
, North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
. He attended the Stationers' Company School in Hornsey
Hornsey
Hornsey is a district in London Borough of Haringey in north London in England. Whilst Hornsey was formerly the name of a parish and later a municipal borough of Middlesex, today, the name refers only to the London district. It is an inner-suburban area located north of Charing Cross.-Locale:The ...
before beginning a career as journalist. He worked for several regional newspapers before he managing to secure a post at the Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
in 1955 where he covered the trades unions, rising to become the Chief Industrial Correspondent in 1967.
Grant combined his career in journalism with an interest in politics and secured the Labour nomination for the Conservative seat of Beckenham
Beckenham (UK Parliament constituency)
Beckenham is a parliamentary 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.-Constituency profile:...
which he lost by 13,000 votes in the 1966 General Election
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...
. However, for the 1970 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1970
The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their...
, Grant managed to secure the selection for the safe Labour seat of Islington East and was comfortably elected to Parliament.
Grant soon acquired a reputation as an accomplished parliamentarian with particular expertise in trades union matters which he acquired through his many years as an industrial correspondent and his close personal relationships with many of the trades unions leaders whom he had covered. Grant served as a minister through the second Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
and Callaghan
James Callaghan
Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC , was a British Labour politician, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980...
governments. After a brief tenure as a Parliamentary Secretary at the Civil Service Department, he was promoted to be Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Overseas Development. In 1976, Grant moved laterally to the Department of Employment where he served with great distinction and received much praise for his work helping the disabled.
Although Grant was not one of the 14 MPs who initially joined the SDP, he was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the Labour Party. In addition, he was harried in his Constituency Labour Party
Constituency Labour Party
A Constituency Labour Party is an organisation of members of the British Labour Party who live in a particular UK parliamentary constituency in England, Scotland and Wales. The Labour Party in Northern Ireland has, since February 2009, been organised as a province-wide Constituency Labour Party...
in Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
which was embroiled in fighting between Labour loyalists and far-leftists in the local party. After great hesitation, due to his loyalty to his union, the Electrical Trades Union
Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union
The Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union, known as the EETPU was a British trade union formed in 1968 as a union for electricians.-History:...
, Grant finally left the Labour Party in late 1981.
Grant joined the SDP to immediately become embroiled in intra-party conflict over the Tebbit Bill. Although a majority of SDP MPs thought that the party should vote in favor of the second reading of the Tebbit Bill to emphasize the party's distance from Labour and the Trades Union Congress
Trades Union Congress
The Trades Union Congress is a national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions in the United Kingdom, representing the majority of trade unions...
and then offer its own amendments. Grant, along with several other newcomers to the SDP, objected to the bill which he thought would damage industrial relations and would diminish the party's appeal to trade unionists. Grant rebelling against the party whip and leading four other MPs into the No Lobby. Although this had no lasting impact on Grant's standing in or relations with other members of the part, it did hurt public perceptions of the SDP's unity.
After boundary changes in which Islington's three constituencies were combined into two a further inter party dispute occurred as all three Islington MPs had moved from Labour to the SDP. Grant's Islington Central seat was abolished and he sought the nomination for the revised Islington North seat
Islington North (UK Parliament constituency)
Islington North is a parliamentary 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...
, being selected over sitting MP Michael O'Halloran
Michael O'Halloran (UK politician)
Michael Joseph O'Halloran was a British politician. He was brought up in County Clare, and, finding no employment, he "drifted to London" in 1948, aged 15, and worked as a railwayman until he entered politics....
. However O'Halloran left the SDP and, after a failed attempt to rejoin Labour, stood against Grant as an Independent Labour. This greatly divided Grant's potential vote and prevented him from offering himself as a viable tactical option to Conservative voters who wished to keep the far-Left Labour candidate, Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Bernard Corbyn is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Islington North since 1983.-Early and personal life:...
out of Parliament. Grant finished third with 8,268 votes, 1,000 votes behind the Conservative candidate and 6,500 votes behind Corbyn.
After losing his seat, Grant became the head of communications for the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union
Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union
The Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union, known as the EETPU was a British trade union formed in 1968 as a union for electricians.-History:...
. He contested the safe Conservative seat of Carshalton and Wallington for the SDP in 1987 where he finished second. During the merger negotiations between the SDP and the Liberals
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...
, Grant served on the SDP's negotiating team before he resigned in frustration with the Liberals whom he regarded as "not ready to move from the politics of protest towards power."
After merger, Grant eventually returned to the Labour fold with the rise of Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
and New Labour. He was a significant influence on Blair's pledge to increase funding for cancer research at the Brighton Labour Party Conference in 2000. Grant had become a vigorous campaigner for cancer research after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Just over a week after Blair's announcement, Grant died of prostate cancer in 2000 at the age of 67.
Grant wrote two books:
Member of Parliament, 1974
Blood Brothers: 1992