Richard Law, 1st Baron Coleraine
Encyclopedia
Richard Kidston Law, 1st Baron Coleraine PC
(27 February 1901 – 15 November 1980) was a British
Conservative
politician. He was the youngest son of former Conservative Prime Minister Andrew Bonar Law and his wife Annie. He was educated at Shrewsbury School and St. John's College, Oxford.
He was elected as Member of Parliament
(MP) for Hull South West in the 1931 general election
and held that seat until 1945. In 1940 he was appointed Financial Secretary to the War Office
and was then transferred to the job of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs until 1943. He was then Minister of State
until 1945, when in Churchill's caretaker government he was Minister of Education
. In November 1945 became the MP for Kensington South
, which he held until February 1950.
In 1950 he published Return from Utopia, which stated his belief that trying to use the power of the state to create any sort of Utopia
on earth is not just unattainable but positively evil because one of the first principles to be sacrificed is the principle of freedom
and individual choice. In the book Law argued:
Law was again elected as an MP in the election of 1951
, this time for Haltemprice
. Law resigned his seat in February 1954 in order to be elevated to the House of Lords
as Baron Coleraine, of Haltemprice in the East Riding of the County of York.
In 1970 he published For Conservatives Only where he criticised the Conservative leadership for what he saw as sacrificing Tory principles for electoral expediency and the pursuit of the "middle ground". He was also Patron of the Selsdon Group
of Conservative MPs.
Lord Coleraine married Mary Virginia, daughter of Abraham Fox Nellis, of Rochester, New York
, in 1929. He died on 15 November 1980, age 79, and was succeeded in the barony by his son James Martin Bonar Law, 2nd Baron Coleraine
.
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...
(27 February 1901 – 15 November 1980) 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...
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...
politician. He was the youngest son of former Conservative Prime Minister Andrew Bonar Law and his wife Annie. He was educated at Shrewsbury School and St. John's College, Oxford.
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,...
(MP) for Hull South West in the 1931 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
and held that seat until 1945. In 1940 he was appointed Financial Secretary to the War Office
Financial Secretary to the War Office
Financial Secretary to the War Office was an office of the British government, the financial secretary of the War Office department.The post was combined with that of Under-Secretary of State for War from 17 April 1947....
and was then transferred to the job of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs until 1943. He was then Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
until 1945, when in Churchill's caretaker government he was Minister of Education
Secretary of State for Education and Skills
The Secretary of State for Education is the chief minister of the Department for Education in the United Kingdom government. The position was re-established on 12 May 2010, held by Michael Gove....
. In November 1945 became the MP for Kensington South
Kensington South (UK Parliament constituency)
Kensington South was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Kensington district of west London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
, which he held until February 1950.
In 1950 he published Return from Utopia, which stated his belief that trying to use the power of the state to create any sort of Utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
on earth is not just unattainable but positively evil because one of the first principles to be sacrificed is the principle of freedom
Freedom (political)
Political freedom is a central philosophy in Western history and political thought, and one of the most important features of democratic societies...
and individual choice. In the book Law argued:
To turn our backs on Utopia, to see it for the sham and the delusion that it is, is the beginning of hope. It is to hold out once again the prospect of a society in which man is free to be good because he is free to choose. Freedom is the first condition of human virtue and Utopia is incompatible with freedom. Come back from Utopia and hope is born again.
Law was again elected as an MP in the election of 1951
United Kingdom general election, 1951
The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats...
, this time for Haltemprice
Haltemprice (UK Parliament constituency)
Haltemprice was a constituency in the East Riding of Yorkshire, a traditional sub-division of the historic county of Yorkshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
. Law resigned his seat in February 1954 in order to be 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 Baron Coleraine, of Haltemprice in the East Riding of the County of York.
In 1970 he published For Conservatives Only where he criticised the Conservative leadership for what he saw as sacrificing Tory principles for electoral expediency and the pursuit of the "middle ground". He was also Patron of the Selsdon Group
Selsdon Group
The Selsdon Group is a British free-market economics pressure group, closely associated with the Conservative Party. Selsdon Group members believe that economic freedom is the indispensable condition for political and social freedom. The group's President is the Rt. Hon...
of Conservative MPs.
Lord Coleraine married Mary Virginia, daughter of Abraham Fox Nellis, of Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, in 1929. He died on 15 November 1980, age 79, and was succeeded in the barony by his son James Martin Bonar Law, 2nd Baron Coleraine
Baron Coleraine
Baron Coleraine is a title that has been created three times, twice in the Peerage of Ireland and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation came in the Peerage of Ireland in 1625 for Hugh Hare...
.