Norman St John-Stevas, Baron St John of Fawsley
Encyclopedia
Norman Anthony Francis St John-Stevas, Baron St John of Fawsley, PC
, FRSL , is a British
politician
, author
, constitutional expert and barrister
. A member of the Conservative Party
, he served as the Leader of the House of Commons
in the government of Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher
from 1979 to 1981. He was a Member of Parliament
(MP) representing the constituency of Chelmsford
from 1984 to 1987, and was made a life peer
in 1987.
His surname is compounded from the surnames of his father (Stevas) and mother (St John-O'Connor).
, and then Ratcliffe College
in Leicester
. He then went on to Cambridge University
, where he read law at Fitzwilliam College
. He graduated with first class honours and won the Whitlock Prize. He served as the President of the Cambridge Union
in 1950.
St John-Stevas also studied at Oxford University
, where he gained a BCL
at Christ Church
and was the Secretary of the Oxford Union
. He gained a PhD
from the University of London
and a JSD
from Yale University
. He also studied briefly for the Roman Catholic priesthood at the English College in Rome
.
He was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple
in 1952.
at Southampton University
(1952–1953) and King's College London
(1953–1956). He then went to Oxford University to tutor in Jurisprudence
at Christ Church
(1953–1955) and Merton College
(1955–1957). In 1959, he joined The Economist
and became its Legal and Political Correspondent.
at the 1964 general election
. He held this seat until he stepped down at the 1987 general election
.
In the later stages of Prime Minsiter Edward Heath
's government, St John-Stevas was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Education and Science
(where Margaret Thatcher
was the Secretary of State), and the Minister for the Arts
(1973–1974).
After the defeat of Heath's government, St John-Stevas served as a member of the Shadow Cabinet
from 1974 to 1979, being the Shadow Spokesman for Education between 1975 and 1978, and Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
between 1978 and 1979.
When the Conservative Party was returned to power after at the 1979 general election
, St John-Stevas was appointed as Minister for the Arts
for a second time from 1979 to 1981, while simultaneously holding the roles of Leader of the House of Commons and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
.
In his roles as Leader of the House, St John-Stevas is largely credited with the creation of the House of Commons' system of select committees. These committees enable backbench MPs to hold ministers to account, and remain a force to be reckoned with today.
In early 1981, St John-Stevas was the first of the Tory "wets" to be dismissed from the Cabinet by the Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (whom he had previously nicknamed "Tina" for her "there is no alternative" rhetoric). For many years, he was a member of the Bow Group
.
St John-Stevas stood down from the House of Commons at the 1987 general election. He was subsequently elevated to the House of Lords
as a life peer
with the title Baron St John of Fawsley of Preston Capes
in the County of Northamptonshire
.
His tenure as Master of Emmanuel College
at Cambridge University (1991 to 1996) was equally controversial. He built a new conference centre (the Queen's Building) at the cost of some £8 million, the costs of which were pushed upwards by Lord St John's insistence on re-opening the quarry in Ketton, Rutland to obtain limestone from the same source from which the college's Wren chapel was built.
Lord St John maintains his links with Emmanuel, which he uses from time to time as a venue for events of the Royal Fine Art Commission Trust.
, and Grand Bailiff for England and Wales of the Military and Hospitaller Order of St Lazarus.
Lord St John is noted for his large number of personal affectations, including proffering his hand in papal fashion, lapsing into Latin while speaking, and deliberately mispronouncing modern words. A loyal monarchist, Lord St John enjoys a close relationship with the British royal family. Soon after elevation to the Lords, photographs of him, in purple bedroom slippers, appeared in Hello!
magazine, lounging in the bedroom of his Northampton rectory, a signed photograph of the late Princess Margaret
prominently displayed. All personal notes were written in purple ink and after his elevation to the Lords, he used only official House of Lords headed stationery. He lives in Westminster and is an active member of the House of Lords.
|-
|-
|-
|-
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...
, FRSL , is 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...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, constitutional expert and barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
. A member of 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...
, he served as the Leader of the House of Commons
Leader of the House of Commons
The Leader of the House of Commons is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Commons...
in the government of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
from 1979 to 1981. He was 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,...
(MP) representing the constituency of Chelmsford
Chelmsford (UK Parliament constituency)
Chelmsford is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From the 2010 general election it has elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
from 1984 to 1987, and was made 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...
in 1987.
His surname is compounded from the surnames of his father (Stevas) and mother (St John-O'Connor).
Education
St John-Stevas was educated at two independent schools, St Joseph's Salesian School in Burwash, East SussexEast Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, and then Ratcliffe College
Ratcliffe College
Ratcliffe College is an independent Catholic boarding and day school in Leicestershire, England. The College, situated in of parkland on the Fosse Way about six miles north of Leicester, was founded on the instructions of Blessed Father Antonio Rosmini-Serbati in 1845 as a seminary. In 1847, the...
in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
. He then went on to Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, where he read law at Fitzwilliam College
Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
Fitzwilliam College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge in England.The college traces its origins back to 1869 and the foundation of the Non-Collegiate Students Board, a venture intended to offer students from less financially privileged backgrounds a chance to study...
. He graduated with first class honours and won the Whitlock Prize. He served as the President of the Cambridge Union
Cambridge Union Society
The Cambridge Union Society, commonly referred to as simply "the Cambridge Union" or "the Union," is a debating society in Cambridge, England and is the largest society at the University of Cambridge. Since its founding in 1815, the Union has developed a worldwide reputation as a noted symbol of...
in 1950.
St John-Stevas also studied at Oxford University
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, where he gained a BCL
Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law is the name of various degrees in law conferred by English-language universities. Historically, it originated as a postgraduate degree in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, but many universities now offer the BCL as an undergraduate degree...
at Christ Church
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...
and was the Secretary of the Oxford Union
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, Britain, whose membership is drawn primarily but not exclusively from the University of Oxford...
. He gained a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
and a JSD
Doctor of Juridical Science
Doctor of Juridical Science, Doctor of the Science of Law, Scientiae Juridicae Doctor , abbreviated J.S.D. or S.J.D., is a research doctorate in law and equivalent to the PhD It is offered primarily in the United States, where it originated, and in Canada...
from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. He also studied briefly for the Roman Catholic priesthood at the English College in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
He was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
in 1952.
Academic career
St John-Stevas was appointed as a LecturerLecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
at Southampton University
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
(1952–1953) and King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
(1953–1956). He then went to Oxford University to tutor in Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
at Christ Church
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...
(1953–1955) and Merton College
Merton College, Oxford
Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...
(1955–1957). In 1959, he joined The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
and became its Legal and Political Correspondent.
Politician
Having first run as a candidate for a parliamentary seat in 1951 (Dagenham), St John-Stevas was elected as the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Chelmsford in EssexEssex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
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...
. He held this seat until he stepped down at the 1987 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
.
In the later stages of Prime Minsiter 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 ....
's government, St John-Stevas was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Education and Science
Department of Education and Science
The phrase Department of Education and Science refers to government departments in the UK or Ireland* For the former Irish government department, see Department of Education and Skills...
(where Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
was the Secretary of State), and the Minister for the Arts
Minister for the Arts
In the United Kingdom government, the Minister for the Arts is a ministerial post, usually a low to middle-ranking minister to the much senior Secretary of State, who runs the entire department and is ultimately responsibility for the department's brief....
(1973–1974).
After the defeat of Heath's government, St John-Stevas served as a member of the Shadow Cabinet
Shadow Cabinet
The Shadow Cabinet is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the government...
from 1974 to 1979, being the Shadow Spokesman for Education between 1975 and 1978, and Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Shadow Leader of the House of Commons is a member of the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet responsible for working with the Leader of the House in arranging Commons business and holding the Government to account in its overall management of the House...
between 1978 and 1979.
When the Conservative Party was returned to power after at the 1979 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
, St John-Stevas was appointed as Minister for the Arts
Minister for the Arts
In the United Kingdom government, the Minister for the Arts is a ministerial post, usually a low to middle-ranking minister to the much senior Secretary of State, who runs the entire department and is ultimately responsibility for the department's brief....
for a second time from 1979 to 1981, while simultaneously holding the roles of Leader of the House of Commons and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a ministerial office in the government of the United Kingdom that includes as part of its duties, the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster...
.
In his roles as Leader of the House, St John-Stevas is largely credited with the creation of the House of Commons' system of select committees. These committees enable backbench MPs to hold ministers to account, and remain a force to be reckoned with today.
In early 1981, St John-Stevas was the first of the Tory "wets" to be dismissed from the Cabinet by the Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (whom he had previously nicknamed "Tina" for her "there is no alternative" rhetoric). For many years, he was a member of the Bow Group
Bow Group
The Bow Group is one of the oldest think tanks in the United Kingdom. Taking its name from the Bow area of London where it first met, it was founded in 1951...
.
St John-Stevas stood down from the House of Commons at the 1987 general election. He was subsequently elevated to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
as 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...
with the title Baron St John of Fawsley of Preston Capes
Preston Capes
Preston Capes is a village and civil parish in the Daventry district of the county of Northamptonshire in England. The population at the 2001 census was 188.-External links :*...
in the County of Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
.
Later career
He was Chairman of the Royal Fine Art Commission from 1985 to 1999, which was wracked by controversy. It was hoped that his appointment would revitalise and popularise the commission. Instead, the commission became a mouth piece for Lord St John's own views and preferences (most prominently in the annual Building of the Year award). Lord St John adorned his office with paintings from national collections, documents were presented in red boxes and he was served by a chauffeur and ex-civil servants, in accommodation more lavish than that of most secretaries of state: prompting one commentator to comment that "...if he cannot have power, he must have the trappings". This was all criticised in a savage government review by Sir Geoffrey Chipperfield.His tenure as Master of Emmanuel College
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...
at Cambridge University (1991 to 1996) was equally controversial. He built a new conference centre (the Queen's Building) at the cost of some £8 million, the costs of which were pushed upwards by Lord St John's insistence on re-opening the quarry in Ketton, Rutland to obtain limestone from the same source from which the college's Wren chapel was built.
Lord St John maintains his links with Emmanuel, which he uses from time to time as a venue for events of the Royal Fine Art Commission Trust.
Personal life
Lord St John is a prominent Roman Catholic. He is a Patron of the Society of King Charles the MartyrSociety of King Charles the Martyr
The Society of King Charles the Martyr is an Anglican devotional society and one of the Catholic Societies of the Church of England. It is dedicated to and under the patronage of King Charles I of England , the only person to be canonised by the Church of...
, and Grand Bailiff for England and Wales of the Military and Hospitaller Order of St Lazarus.
Lord St John is noted for his large number of personal affectations, including proffering his hand in papal fashion, lapsing into Latin while speaking, and deliberately mispronouncing modern words. A loyal monarchist, Lord St John enjoys a close relationship with the British royal family. Soon after elevation to the Lords, photographs of him, in purple bedroom slippers, appeared in Hello!
Hello!
Hello is a weekly magazine specializing in celebrity news and human-interest stories, published in the United Kingdom since 1988. Hello is sister magazine to ¡Hola!, the Spanish weekly magazine launched in Spain in 1944...
magazine, lounging in the bedroom of his Northampton rectory, a signed photograph of the late Princess Margaret
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II and the younger daughter of King George VI....
prominently displayed. All personal notes were written in purple ink and after his elevation to the Lords, he used only official House of Lords headed stationery. He lives in Westminster and is an active member of the House of Lords.
External links
|-|-
|-
|-
|-