Peter Mahon (UK politician)
Encyclopedia
Peter Mahon was a British
Labour Party
politician.
Peter Mahon was born into an Irish
Roman Catholic family in Bootle
that was immersed in Liverpool
Labour politics. He joined the Labour Party in 1924, at the age of 15. His father, Alderman
Simon Mahon (1886–1961), was a well-known local politician, who also stood unsuccessfully for Parliament. His brother, Simon Mahon
, was elected MP for Bootle
in 1955.
In 1954, Mahon was selected as parliamentary candidate for the marginal seat of Blackburn West
, but the seat was abolished by redistribution prior to the 1955 General Election. Almost a decade later he was selected for the "bellwether" marginal seat of Preston South
, a constituency with a significant Catholic population.
At the 1964 general election
, he was elected as Member of Parliament
for Preston South, defeating the sitting Conservative
MP Alan Green
by a majority of only 348 votes.http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/ge64/i16.htm He held the seat at the 1966 election
with an increased majority, but at the 1970 general election
, Green retook the seat with a majority of over 1,300.http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/ge70/i16.htm
On his election, Mahon introduced a Private Members Bill, to remove the necessity of applying for Probate
in winding-up the estate of a poor person. The bill passed into law as the Administration of Estates (Small Payments) Act 1965.
During his time in Parliament, Mahon was a vociferous opponent of relaxation of the Abortion Law
s, and in 1966 was responsible for the failure of David Steel's
first attempt to introduce an Abortion Law
reform bill, by his use of the parliamentary device of "talking out."
In 1971, Mahon sought the Labour party nomination in the Liverpool Scotland by-election
, the seat with the largest Irish Catholic electorate in Britain; his brother Simon Mahon
was Labour MP for the adjoining seat of Bootle
. Peter Mahon was not selected, and instead stood in the by-election as an Independent "Labour and Anti-Abortion" candidate, securing a respectable 10.3% of the vote. He was expelled from the Labour party, and in 1973 he joined the Liberals
.
He subsequently sat as a Liberal councillor on Liverpool City Council
and Liverpool Metropolitan District Council.
His grandson, Peter Garrett (b. 1966), former research director of LIFE, was a member of the Labour party until he resigned in 2000 in opposition to the party's stance on human cloning
. He stood in the Preston by-election, 2000
for the Preston Alliance, a group which campaigned for respect for human life and was endorsed by the Christian Peoples' Alliance.
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...
Labour Party
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...
politician.
Peter Mahon was born into an Irish
Irish community in Britain
Irish people in Great Britain are members of the Irish diaspora who reside in Great Britain, the largest island and principal territory of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland....
Roman Catholic family in Bootle
Bootle
Bootle is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England, and a 'Post town' in the L postcode area. Formally known as Bootle-cum-Linacre, the town is 4 miles to the north of Liverpool city centre, and has a total resident population of 77,640.Historically part of...
that was immersed in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
Labour politics. He joined the Labour Party in 1924, at the age of 15. His father, Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
Simon Mahon (1886–1961), was a well-known local politician, who also stood unsuccessfully for Parliament. His brother, Simon Mahon
Simon Mahon
Simon Mahon was a British Labour Party politician.Simon Mahon was born into an Irish Roman Catholic family in Bootle that was immersed in Liverpool Labour politics. His father, Alderman Simon Mahon , was a well-known local politician, who also stood unsuccessfully for Parliament...
, was elected MP for Bootle
Bootle (UK Parliament constituency)
Bootle 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. Since 1990 the MP has been Joe Benton of the Labour Party...
in 1955.
In 1954, Mahon was selected as parliamentary candidate for the marginal seat of Blackburn West
Blackburn West (UK Parliament constituency)
Blackburn West was a parliamentary constituency in the town of Blackburn in Lancashire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system....
, but the seat was abolished by redistribution prior to the 1955 General Election. Almost a decade later he was selected for the "bellwether" marginal seat of Preston South
Preston South (UK Parliament constituency)
Preston South was a parliamentary constituency in the city of Preston in Lancashire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
, a constituency with a significant Catholic population.
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 was elected as 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 Preston South, defeating the sitting 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...
MP Alan Green
Alan Green (UK politician)
Alan Green was a British Conservative Party politician.Green was educated at Brighton College and the University of London. In 1935 he joined a Blackburn manufacturer as a manager, and became a company director and a member of a firm of textile engineers...
by a majority of only 348 votes.http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/ge64/i16.htm He held the seat at the 1966 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...
with an increased majority, but 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...
, Green retook the seat with a majority of over 1,300.http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/ge70/i16.htm
On his election, Mahon introduced a Private Members Bill, to remove the necessity of applying for Probate
Probate
Probate is the legal process of administering the estate of a deceased person by resolving all claims and distributing the deceased person's property under the valid will. A probate court decides the validity of a testator's will...
in winding-up the estate of a poor person. The bill passed into law as the Administration of Estates (Small Payments) Act 1965.
During his time in Parliament, Mahon was a vociferous opponent of relaxation of the Abortion Law
Abortion law
Abortion law is legislation and common law which pertains to the provision of abortion. Abortion has been a controversial subject in many societies through history because of the moral, ethical, practical, and political power issues that surround it. It has been banned frequently and otherwise...
s, and in 1966 was responsible for the failure of David Steel's
David Steel
David Martin Scott Steel, Baron Steel of Aikwood, KT, KBE, PC is a British Liberal Democrat politician who served as the Leader of the Liberal Party from 1976 until its merger with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the Liberal Democrats...
first attempt to introduce an Abortion Law
Abortion Act 1967
The Abortion Act 1967 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom legalising abortions by registered practitioners, and regulating the free provision of such medical practices through the National Health Service ....
reform bill, by his use of the parliamentary device of "talking out."
Filibuster
A filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...
In 1971, Mahon sought the Labour party nomination in the Liverpool Scotland by-election
Liverpool Scotland by-election, 1971
The Liverpool Scotland by-election of 1 April 1971 was held after Labour Member of Parliament Walter Alldritt resigned from the House of Commons. The seat was retained by Labour.-Results:...
, the seat with the largest Irish Catholic electorate in Britain; his brother Simon Mahon
Simon Mahon
Simon Mahon was a British Labour Party politician.Simon Mahon was born into an Irish Roman Catholic family in Bootle that was immersed in Liverpool Labour politics. His father, Alderman Simon Mahon , was a well-known local politician, who also stood unsuccessfully for Parliament...
was Labour MP for the adjoining seat of Bootle
Bootle (UK Parliament constituency)
Bootle 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. Since 1990 the MP has been Joe Benton of the Labour Party...
. Peter Mahon was not selected, and instead stood in the by-election as an Independent "Labour and Anti-Abortion" candidate, securing a respectable 10.3% of the vote. He was expelled from the Labour party, and in 1973 he joined 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...
.
He subsequently sat as a Liberal councillor on Liverpool City Council
Liverpool City Council
Liverpool City Council is the governing body for the city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It consists of 90 councillors, three for each of the city's 30 wards. The council is currently controlled by the Labour Party and is led by Joe Anderson.-Domain:...
and Liverpool Metropolitan District Council.
His grandson, Peter Garrett (b. 1966), former research director of LIFE, was a member of the Labour party until he resigned in 2000 in opposition to the party's stance on human cloning
Human cloning
Human cloning is the creation of a genetically identical copy of a human. It does not usually refer to monozygotic multiple births nor the reproduction of human cells or tissue. The ethics of cloning is an extremely controversial issue...
. He stood in the Preston by-election, 2000
Preston by-election, 2000
The Member of Parliament for Preston, Audrey Wise, died on 2 September 2000.A by-election to fill the seat was held on 23 November.The Labour vote share declined, but with the main beneficiaries being fringe parties they held the seat comfortably....
for the Preston Alliance, a group which campaigned for respect for human life and was endorsed by the Christian Peoples' Alliance.