Michael Brotherton
Encyclopedia
Michael Lewis Brotherton (born 26 May 1931) is a British
journalist and politician. A Conservative
, he had a promising Parliamentary career and has worked as a Parliamentary consultant since his constituency was broken up in boundary changes.
. He enlisted in the Royal Navy
and continued his education at the Royal Naval College
in Dartmouth
, qualifying as an Observer in 1955. He served in Cyprus
in 1957 during a flare-up in communal conflicts and was mentioned in despatches for distinguished conduct. Brotherton left the Navy after achieving the rank of Lieutenant-Commander in 1964.
in 1967. He also became politically active in the Conservative Party
, speaking at the Party conference of 1966 in support of building an aircraft carrier for the Navy, and was Chairman of Beckenham
Conservative Political Centre for the year 1967-1968. At the 1970 general election
, he was Conservative candidate in Deptford
.
, Brotherton became more prominent during the short interval between elections that year. He attacked the Labour government's decision to write off the debt of the National Coal Board
. When Jeffrey Archer suddenly announced his decision to stand down from Parliament due to financial problems, Brotherton was selected as candidate for Louth in the October 1974 general election
.
who made a last minute anti-Market speech; Brotherton declared that du Cann "requires either psychiatric treatment or lessons in simple arithmetic".
ic attacks during the Cod War
. Early in January 1976 he challenged James Callaghan
, then Foreign Secretary, to substantiate Sheila Cassidy
's claim that she had been tortured in Chile
before making any protest to the Chilean government. In March 1976 he pressed the issue of a member of the House of Commons
catering staff who had been found to be a supporter of the Provisional Irish Republican Army
, calling for stricter vetting.
A strong supporter of Margaret Thatcher
, Brotherton urged Edward Heath
not to make public criticisms of her. In 1977 he successfully moved a private members' motion that declared the House would not welcome Idi Amin
's presence at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference. He was also a supporter of Ian Smith
in Rhodesia
and urged the government not to make a deal with the "terrorists" including Robert Mugabe
.
in the 1981 budget. He was placed on the Select Committee on the Contempt of Court Bill in 1981 as one of the few non-lawyers; he supported an amendment to allow unrestricted tape-recording of court proceedings, against government advice. He also opposed the 1981 Defence Review with its proposed reductions in the Royal Navy. In March 1982, when the Adam Smith Institute
rated MPs according to their tendency to vote for individual freedom, Brotherton and his Parliamentary neighbour Michael Brown
topped the list.
In December 1982, Brotherton (a strong opponent of wasteful spending) was embarrassed when he missed a rail connection and then asked three police cars to drive him from Newark-on-Trent
to a charity event in Grimsby
. The local Labour controlled police authority questioned why it was so urgent for him to get there when he was not expected to attend (his wife was the guest of honour), and asked him to reimburse the cost. He was also twice convicted of driving offences in the early 1980s.
, boundary changes merged most of his seat with Brigg and Scunthorpe
to form a new Brigg and Cleethorpes
; this pitched Brotherton into a contest with Michael Brown for the nomination, which Brown won in March 1983. Brotherton then tried to find another constituency elsewhere in the country, but was unsuccessful.
. In 1986, Brotherton formed Michael Brotherton Associates, a company of Parliamentary consultants. He kept up his correspondence to newspapers, and was critical of the John Major
government for giving concessions in European Union negotiations. In January 2007, he announced that he had joined the United Kingdom Independence Party
, declaring that "the only political party in the UK that now reflects the true values of Conservatism is the UK Independence Party".
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...
journalist and politician. A 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...
, he had a promising Parliamentary career and has worked as a Parliamentary consultant since his constituency was broken up in boundary changes.
Royal Navy career
The son of a brewer, and brought up in the Roman Catholic faith, Brotherton went to Prior Park CollegePrior Park College
Prior Park College is a Roman Catholic co-educational independent school for both day and boarding pupils.It is situated on a hill overlooking the city of Bath, in Somerset, in south-west England...
. He enlisted in 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...
and continued his education at the Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, and...
in Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...
, qualifying as an Observer in 1955. He served in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
in 1957 during a flare-up in communal conflicts and was mentioned in despatches for distinguished conduct. Brotherton left the Navy after achieving the rank of Lieutenant-Commander in 1964.
Political activity
Retraining as an advertising executive, Brotherton joined Times NewspapersThe 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...
in 1967. He also became politically active in 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...
, speaking at the Party conference of 1966 in support of building an aircraft carrier for the Navy, and was Chairman of Beckenham
Beckenham
Beckenham is a town in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is located 8.4 miles south east of Charing Cross and 1.75 miles west of Bromley town...
Conservative Political Centre for the year 1967-1968. At 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...
, he was Conservative candidate in Deptford
Deptford (UK Parliament constituency)
Deptford was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Deptford district of South London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
.
October 1974 election
Failing to find a seat for the February 1974 general electionUnited 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,...
, Brotherton became more prominent during the short interval between elections that year. He attacked the Labour government's decision to write off the debt of the National Coal Board
National Coal Board
The National Coal Board was the statutory corporation created to run the nationalised coal mining industry in the United Kingdom. Set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it took over the mines on "vesting day", 1 January 1947...
. When Jeffrey Archer suddenly announced his decision to stand down from Parliament due to financial problems, Brotherton was selected as candidate for Louth in the October 1974 general election
United Kingdom general election, October 1974
The United Kingdom general election of October 1974 took place on 10 October 1974 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. It was the second general election of that year and resulted in the Labour Party led by Harold Wilson, winning by a tiny majority of 3 seats.The election of...
.
Political prominence
Brotherton won the seat but the result was one of the worst for the Conservatives in the election, attributed to the circumstances in which Archer left and the short time Brotherton had to make himself known. However, once in Parliament, Brotherton used the platform it gave him to express his views in somewhat forceful terms. During the Common Market referendum of 1975, Brotherton strongly attacked Edward du CannEdward du Cann
Sir Edward Dillon Lott du Cann is a retired politician from the United Kingdom. He was a Member of Parliament from 1956–87, and served as Chairman of the Conservative Party from 1965–67, and Chairman of party's 1922 Committee from 1972-84.Du Cann was educated at Colet Court, Woodbridge School and...
who made a last minute anti-Market speech; Brotherton declared that du Cann "requires either psychiatric treatment or lessons in simple arithmetic".
Policy positions
Representing a fishing constituency, Brotherton demanded that the Royal Navy escort the British fishing fleet to defend it from IcelandIceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic attacks during the Cod War
Cod War
The Cod Wars, also called the Icelandic Cod Wars , were a series of confrontations in the 1950s and 1970s between the United Kingdom and Iceland regarding fishing rights in the North Atlantic....
. Early in January 1976 he challenged James 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...
, then Foreign Secretary, to substantiate Sheila Cassidy
Sheila Cassidy
Dr. Sheila Cassidy is an English doctor, known for her work in the hospice movement, as a writer and as someone who, by publicising her own history as a torture survivor, drew attention to human rights abuse in Chile in the 1970s.-Early life:Cassidy grew up in Sydney, and attended the Our Lady of...
's claim that she had been tortured in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
before making any protest to the Chilean government. In March 1976 he pressed the issue of a member of the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
catering staff who had been found to be a supporter of the Provisional Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
, calling for stricter vetting.
A strong supporter of Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
, Brotherton urged Edward Heath
Edward 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 ....
not to make public criticisms of her. In 1977 he successfully moved a private members' motion that declared the House would not welcome Idi Amin
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
's presence at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference. He was also a supporter of Ian Smith
Ian Smith
Ian Douglas Smith GCLM ID was a politician active in the government of Southern Rhodesia, the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe Rhodesia and Zimbabwe from 1948 to 1987, most notably serving as Prime Minister of Rhodesia from 13 April 1964 to 1 June 1979...
in Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
and urged the government not to make a deal with the "terrorists" including Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
.
Under the Thatcher government
Brotherton supported the call for a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics. He voted against a rise in petrol duty which was proposed by Geoffrey HoweGeoffrey Howe
Richard Edward Geoffrey Howe, Baron Howe of Aberavon, CH, QC, PC is a former British Conservative politician. He was Margaret Thatcher's longest-serving Cabinet minister, successively holding the posts of Chancellor of the Exchequer, Foreign Secretary, and finally Leader of the House of Commons...
in the 1981 budget. He was placed on the Select Committee on the Contempt of Court Bill in 1981 as one of the few non-lawyers; he supported an amendment to allow unrestricted tape-recording of court proceedings, against government advice. He also opposed the 1981 Defence Review with its proposed reductions in the Royal Navy. In March 1982, when the Adam Smith Institute
Adam Smith Institute
The Adam Smith Institute, abbreviated to ASI, is a think tank based in the United Kingdom, named after one of the founders of modern economics, Adam Smith. It espouses free market and classical liberal views, in particular by creating radical policy options in the light of public choice theory,...
rated MPs according to their tendency to vote for individual freedom, Brotherton and his Parliamentary neighbour Michael Brown
Michael Brown (UK politician)
Michael Russell Brown is a British former Conservative Party politician and is now a newspaper and broadcast political journalist. He was a Member of Parliament from 1979 to 1997.-Biography:...
topped the list.
In December 1982, Brotherton (a strong opponent of wasteful spending) was embarrassed when he missed a rail connection and then asked three police cars to drive him from Newark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England. It stands on the River Trent, the A1 , and the East Coast Main Line railway. The origins of the town are possibly Roman as it lies on an important Roman road, the Fosse Way...
to a charity event in Grimsby
Grimsby
Grimsby is a seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. It has been the administrative centre of the unitary authority area of North East Lincolnshire since 1996...
. The local Labour controlled police authority questioned why it was so urgent for him to get there when he was not expected to attend (his wife was the guest of honour), and asked him to reimburse the cost. He was also twice convicted of driving offences in the early 1980s.
1983 election
At the 1983 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
, boundary changes merged most of his seat with Brigg and Scunthorpe
Brigg and Scunthorpe (UK Parliament constituency)
Brigg and Scunthorpe was a parliamentary constituency centred on the towns of Brigg and Scunthorpe in Humberside. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
to form a new Brigg and Cleethorpes
Brigg and Cleethorpes (UK Parliament constituency)
Brigg and Cleethorpes was a constituency on the south bank of the River Humber which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system....
; this pitched Brotherton into a contest with Michael Brown for the nomination, which Brown won in March 1983. Brotherton then tried to find another constituency elsewhere in the country, but was unsuccessful.
Later career
He kept up contacts in his old constituency and continued living in LincolnshireLincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
. In 1986, Brotherton formed Michael Brotherton Associates, a company of Parliamentary consultants. He kept up his correspondence to newspapers, and was critical of the 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...
government for giving concessions in European Union negotiations. In January 2007, he announced that he had joined the United Kingdom Independence Party
United Kingdom Independence Party
The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP...
, declaring that "the only political party in the UK that now reflects the true values of Conservatism is the UK Independence Party".