Norman Hulbert
Encyclopedia
Wing Commander
Sir Norman John Hulbert, DL
(5 June 1903 – 1 June 1972) was a British
company director, Royal Air Force
officer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament
for the Conservative Party
for nearly thirty years. Early in his career, he was an advocate of closer relations with Nazi Germany
but he served in action during the Second World War
. At the end of his career, he attracted unwelcome publicity by attacking a pioneering BBC
satirical
television programme.
and Tonbridge School
in Kent
, both Independent school
s. In 1918, Hulbert left school when the First World War
was still going and enlisted in Royal Navy
Transport.
and represented the Club at the memorial service for Sir Henry Segrave
. Hulbert was also involved in the film world, and was Chairman and Managing Director of Capital News Theatres until it was taken over in January 1938.
, Hulbert was one of the two Municipal Reform candidates in Islington East
. The Municipal Reform party was effectively the vehicle through which the Conservative Party
fought local elections in London. Hulbert succeeded in winning his seat; the Islington East division was the only one where the Municipal Reformers made a gain at the election.
constituency. He and his fellow candidate Sir Arnold Gridley safely held the seat at the 1935 general election
. Shortly after his election, on 11 December 1935 Hulbert married Helen Margaret Tyler at St Clement Danes
Church.
In 1936, Hulbert promoted the work of the London Police Court Mission, which attempted to place offenders in useful work as an alternative to prison. Hulbert was a member of the Anglo-German Fellowship
and served on that organisation's Council in 1936-7; he was a guest in Germany
at the Nuremberg Rally
on 12 September 1938. The next month, Hulbert divorced his first wife and within a week married Dr (Eileen) Pearl Gretton-Watson, who was like him active in politics; she also later served on the London County Council.
Pearl and Norman had two daughters Virginia (1941) and Alexandra(1946)
, when it transformed into a private company; he was one of the directors. However, at the outbreak of the Second World War, Hulbert enlisted in the Royal Air Force
, serving in combat and achieving the rank of Wing Commander. In 1943, he left to be British Liaison officer with the Free Polish forces. He was also Parliamentary Private Secretary
to Oliver Lyttelton
, who served as Minister of Production
and later as President of the Board of Trade
, from 1944. At the end of the war he was awarded the Order of Polonia Restituta
.
Hulbert retained his seat by only 1,365 votes. He served on the Estimates Committee during the 1945-50 Parliament. He was loyal to the Conservative Party in Parliament, never voting against the whip
; and in 1947 attacked proposals for a tax on advertising
as "a hindrance rather than an aid to the recovery of this country's prosperity".
, Stockport was divided into two single-member constituencies. Hulbert was chosen for Stockport North
, which was slightly better territory for the Conservatives than the South division. He retained the seat and in the new Parliament was designated as a Temporary Chairman of the House and as a Chairman of Standing Committees. From 1952, Hulbert was a Deputy Lieutenant
of Middlesex
, and he was also appointed as Honorary Colonel of no. 461 HAA Regiment of the Royal Artillery
(Territorial Army) in the same year. He received a Knighthood
in 1955.
in order to elect the new directors, which the board took as an indication that no resignation would be forthcoming and they therefore dismissed him as a director.
After the 1959 general election
, Hulbert was elected Chairman of the House of Commons Motor Club. He led a Parliamentary delegation to Norway
in March 1960. He was Chairman of the Standing Committee to which Margaret Thatcher
's Private Members Bill, the Public Bodies (Admission of the Press) Bill, was committed. In June 1960, Lady Hulbert was granted a divorce from him on account of his adultery
, and he married Mrs Betty Bullock in March 1962.
television programme That Was The Week That Was
broadcast an item identifying the 13 Members of Parliament who had not spoken in the Chamber since the general election. He raised the issue as a question of Parliamentary privilege
, saying that it was a claim that the Members concerned had not been attentive to their Parliamentary duties, and was inaccurate. Many other MPs considered the complaint itself risible and laughed while he was making it. The Speaker
gave the complaint the traditional overnight consideration but ruled that it did not prima facie amount to an affront to the House.
decorated with blue ribbons, Hulbert lost his seat at the 1964 general election
; his criticism of That Was The Week That Was probably damaged him. He swiftly decided not to seek to return to the House of Commons.
, on 27 September 1966.
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
Sir Norman John Hulbert, DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(5 June 1903 – 1 June 1972) 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, Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
officer and politician who served as a 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,...
for 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...
for nearly thirty years. Early in his career, he was an advocate of closer relations with Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
but he served in action during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. At the end of his career, he attracted unwelcome publicity by attacking a pioneering BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
television programme.
Education
Hulbert was educated at Cranbrook SchoolCranbrook School, Kent
Cranbrook School is a co-educational boarding and day grammar school located in Cranbrook, Kent in South East England.-Brief history:Founded in 1518 for poor boys of the town, it received a charter from Queen Elizabeth I in 1574. Although in 1817 the town petitioned the Master of the Rolls,...
and Tonbridge School
Tonbridge School
Tonbridge School is a British boys' independent school for both boarding and day pupils in Tonbridge, Kent, founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judd . It is a member of the Eton Group, and has close links with the Worshipful Company of Skinners, one of the oldest London livery companies...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, both Independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
s. In 1918, Hulbert left school when the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
was still going and enlisted in 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...
Transport.
Business career
He became a director of public companies including in the field of aviation. In January 1927, he was appointed honorary Secretary of the Institute of Aeronautical Engineers. He was also a member of the Royal Aero ClubRoyal Aero Club
The Royal Aero Club is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom.The Aero Club was founded in 1901 by Frank Hedges Butler, his daughter Vera and the Hon Charles Rolls , partly inspired by the Aero Club of France...
and represented the Club at the memorial service for Sir Henry Segrave
Henry Segrave
-External links:* * * * *...
. Hulbert was also involved in the film world, and was Chairman and Managing Director of Capital News Theatres until it was taken over in January 1938.
Municipal affairs
At the 1934 election to the London County CouncilLondon 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...
, Hulbert was one of the two Municipal Reform candidates in 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:...
. The Municipal Reform party was effectively the vehicle through which 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...
fought local elections in London. Hulbert succeeded in winning his seat; the Islington East division was the only one where the Municipal Reformers made a gain at the election.
Parliamentary nomination
Hulbert's position on the LCC helped him in March 1935, when he was adopted as one of the Conservative Party candidates for the two-member StockportStockport (UK Parliament constituency)
Stockport 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:...
constituency. He and his fellow candidate Sir Arnold Gridley safely held the seat at the 1935 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1935
The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady...
. Shortly after his election, on 11 December 1935 Hulbert married Helen Margaret Tyler at St Clement Danes
St Clement Danes
St Clement Danes is a church in the City of Westminster, London. It is situated outside the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand. The current building was completed in 1682 by Sir Christopher Wren and it now functions as the central church of the Royal Air Force.The church is sometimes claimed to...
Church.
In 1936, Hulbert promoted the work of the London Police Court Mission, which attempted to place offenders in useful work as an alternative to prison. Hulbert was a member of the Anglo-German Fellowship
Anglo-German Fellowship
The Anglo-German Fellowship was a group which existed from 1935 to 1939 and aimed to build up friendship between the United Kingdom and Germany; it was widely perceived as being allied to Nazism...
and served on that organisation's Council in 1936-7; he was a guest in Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
at the Nuremberg Rally
Nuremberg Rally
The Nuremberg Rally was the annual rally of the NSDAP in Germany, held from 1923 to 1938. Especially after Hitler's rise to power in 1933, they were large Nazi propaganda events...
on 12 September 1938. The next month, Hulbert divorced his first wife and within a week married Dr (Eileen) Pearl Gretton-Watson, who was like him active in politics; she also later served on the London County Council.
Pearl and Norman had two daughters Virginia (1941) and Alexandra(1946)
Second World War
Hulbert remained involved in the Anglo-German Fellowship after the Munich AgreementMunich Agreement
The Munich Pact was an agreement permitting the Nazi German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. The Sudetenland were areas along Czech borders, mainly inhabited by ethnic Germans. The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe without...
, when it transformed into a private company; he was one of the directors. However, at the outbreak of the Second World War, Hulbert enlisted in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, serving in combat and achieving the rank of Wing Commander. In 1943, he left to be British Liaison officer with the Free Polish forces. He was also Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary 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 Oliver Lyttelton
Oliver Lyttelton, 1st Viscount Chandos
Oliver Lyttelton, 1st Viscount Chandos KG, PC, DSO, MC was a British businessman who was brought into government during the Second World War, holding a number of ministerial posts.-Background, education and military career:...
, who served as Minister of Production
Minister of Production
The Minister of Production was a British government position that existed during the Second World War, heading the Ministry of Production.Initially the post was called "Minister of War Production" when it was created in February 1942, but the first Minister, Lord Beaverbrook, resigned after only...
and later as President of the Board of Trade
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills is a cabinet position in the United Kingdom government. Its secondary title is the President of the Board of Trade...
, from 1944. At the end of the war he was awarded the Order of Polonia Restituta
Polonia Restituta
The Order of Polonia Restituta is one of Poland's highest Orders. The Order can be conferred for outstanding achievements in the fields of education, science, sport, culture, art, economics, defense of the country, social work, civil service, or for furthering good relations between countries...
.
Post-war politics
Hulbert remained involved in business and was Chairman of British Steel Constructions (Birmingham) Ltd in 1945; he left the board in 1949. 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...
Hulbert retained his seat by only 1,365 votes. He served on the Estimates Committee during the 1945-50 Parliament. He was loyal to the Conservative Party in Parliament, never voting against the whip
Chief Whip
The Chief Whip is a political office in some legislatures assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system that ensures that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires.-The Whips Office:...
; and in 1947 attacked proposals for a tax on advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
as "a hindrance rather than an aid to the recovery of this country's prosperity".
Stockport North
In boundary changes which took effect 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...
, Stockport was divided into two single-member constituencies. Hulbert was chosen for Stockport North
Stockport North (UK Parliament constituency)
Stockport North was a borough constituency which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 until 1983.-Boundaries:...
, which was slightly better territory for the Conservatives than the South division. He retained the seat and in the new Parliament was designated as a Temporary Chairman of the House and as a Chairman of Standing Committees. From 1952, Hulbert was a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, and he was also appointed as Honorary Colonel of no. 461 HAA Regiment 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:...
(Territorial Army) in the same year. He received a Knighthood
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in 1955.
Business difficulty
One of Hulbert's business posts was taken from him in September 1956. He had for a long time been a director of the R.F.D. Company, aeronautical engineers and fabric screen printers, and had been chairman since the 1940s. However, in the company's annual meeting in June 1956, he unsuccessfully proposed to appoint three additional directors. When the proposal was ruled out of order, Hulbert was asked to resign and agreed to do so in September. However, in the summer of 1956, Hulbert sent a letter to the company's shareholders asking for support to requisition an extraordinary general meetingExtraordinary General Meeting
An extraordinary general meeting, commonly abbreviated as EGM, is a meeting of members of an organisation, shareholders of a company, or employees of an official body, which occurs at an irregular time. The term is usually used where the group would ordinarily hold an annual general meeting , but...
in order to elect the new directors, which the board took as an indication that no resignation would be forthcoming and they therefore dismissed him as a director.
After the 1959 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1959
This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan...
, Hulbert was elected Chairman of the House of Commons Motor Club. He led a Parliamentary delegation to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in March 1960. He was Chairman of the Standing Committee to which Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
's Private Members Bill, the Public Bodies (Admission of the Press) Bill, was committed. In June 1960, Lady Hulbert was granted a divorce from him on account of his adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
, and he married Mrs Betty Bullock in March 1962.
That Was The Week That Was
Hulbert was incensed when, on 19 January 1963, the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television programme That Was The Week That Was
That Was The Week That Was
That Was The Week That Was, also known as TW3, is a satirical television comedy programme that was shown on BBC Television in 1962 and 1963. It was devised, produced and directed by Ned Sherrin and presented by David Frost...
broadcast an item identifying the 13 Members of Parliament who had not spoken in the Chamber since the general election. He raised the issue as a question of Parliamentary privilege
Parliamentary privilege
Parliamentary privilege is a legal immunity enjoyed by members of certain legislatures, in which legislators are granted protection against civil or criminal liability for actions done or statements made related to one's duties as a legislator. It is common in countries whose constitutions are...
, saying that it was a claim that the Members concerned had not been attentive to their Parliamentary duties, and was inaccurate. Many other MPs considered the complaint itself risible and laughed while he was making it. The Speaker
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
gave the complaint the traditional overnight consideration but ruled that it did not prima facie amount to an affront to the House.
Defeat
Later in 1963, Hulbert became an advocate of televising the House of Commons, urging a trial period of closed-circuit transmission so that the practicability could be investigated. Despite attracting some attention by campaigning in a red MiniMini
The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
decorated with blue ribbons, Hulbert lost his seat at 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...
; his criticism of That Was The Week That Was probably damaged him. He swiftly decided not to seek to return to the House of Commons.
Later life
He continued in business where he had been Chairman of Associated Motor Cycles for several years. In March 1966, he filed for divorce from his third wife. In the meantime, Associated Motor Cycles suffered economic difficulties and called in the receiver in August 1966. Hulbert married his fourth wife, Eliette von Tschirschky and Boegendorff CVORoyal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, on 27 September 1966.