Robert Moreland
Encyclopedia
Robert John Moreland is a British
management consultant and politician. After a single term as a Conservative Party
Member of the European Parliament
, he served on the Economic and Social Committee
of the European Union
for twelve years and was elected to two local authorities. He is descended from James Cockle.
(in Cheltenham
), the latter two independent schools
. He then studied at the University of Nottingham
for an undergraduate degree in Economics and at the Institute of World Affairs in Connecticut
and the University of Warwick
where he obtained postgraduate qualifications.
in Canada
, at first in the government of Nova Scotia
but from 1967 in the government of New Brunswick
where he became Assistant Budget Director. In 1972 he returned to Britain to become Senior Economist on the West Central Scotland Planning Study, a job which took two years. In 1974 he began work as a management consultant for Touche Ross
, where he remains.
he was selected as Conservative Party
candidate for Pontypool
, a safe Labour
seat in south Wales
. He was a member of the Bow Group
and the Conservative Europe Group. At the 1977 Conservative Party conference, Moreland spoke in favour of sales of council house
s, arguing that up to 70% of tenants would like the opportunity to buy their home.
. He was a moderate MEP, criticising the slow pace of reform in South Africa
in an emergency debate in June 1980. He also showed a willingness to see the situation from the ground, travelling in 1983 in the cab of long-distance lorries to see the bureaucratic situation which resulted at border crossings. He wrote a pamphlet called "Transport for Europe" based on what he learnt.
. He wrote to The Times in 1985 to urge British membership of the European Monetary System
. He was appointed by the Thatcher government as a member of the UK delegation to the EU's Economic and Social Committee
in 1986, and served as Chairman of the Regional Policy and Town and Country Planning Section of the Committee from 1990 to 1998.
ward, serving in this role until May 1998. He was Deputy Chief Whip for the Conservative group on the council in 1991-93 and Chief Whip in 1993-94. He served as Chairman of the Environment Committee of the Council in 1994-95 and of the Planning and Environment Committee from 1995 to 1997. He was appointed as Deputy Chairman of the London Research Centre and as a Director of the Albert Memorial
Trust from 1997 to 2000.
Moreland was nominated to the Conservative Party's list for election to the London Assembly
in the 2000 election
but was too far down to be elected. He was involved in the London Europe Society and became its Deputy Chairman in 1997 and Chairman in 2000, a post which he currently holds. He was also Treasurer of the European Movement
from 2003 to 2008. Moreland also served briefly on Gloucester
City Council from 2001 to 2002. He has been Chairman of Governors of Archbishop Tenison's C of E School, Lambeth
since 2003 and was made Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Group for Europe (known as the Conservative Europe Group since 2009) in 2006.
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...
management consultant and politician. After a single term as a 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...
Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
, he served on the Economic and Social Committee
Economic and Social Committee
The European Economic and Social Committee is a body of the European Union established in 1958. It is a consultative assembly composed of employers , employees and representatives of various other interests...
of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
for twelve years and was elected to two local authorities. He is descended from James Cockle.
Education
Robert Moreland was educated at Bearsden Academy, Glasgow Academy and Dean Close SchoolDean Close School
Dean Close School is a co-educational independent school in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. The school is divided into pre-prep, preparatory and senior schools located on separate but adjacent sites outside Cheltenham town centre, occupying the largest private land area in the town...
(in Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
), the latter two independent schools
Independent school (UK)
An independent school is a school that is not financed through the taxation system by local or national government and is instead funded by private sources, predominantly in the form of tuition charges, gifts and long-term charitable endowments, and so is not subject to the conditions imposed by...
. He then studied at the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
for an undergraduate degree in Economics and at the Institute of World Affairs in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and the University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
where he obtained postgraduate qualifications.
Early career
In 1966 Moreland started work in the Civil ServiceCivil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, at first in the government of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
but from 1967 in the government of New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
where he became Assistant Budget Director. In 1972 he returned to Britain to become Senior Economist on the West Central Scotland Planning Study, a job which took two years. In 1974 he began work as a management consultant for Touche Ross
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited , commonly referred to as Deloitte, is one of the Big Four accountancy firms along with PricewaterhouseCoopers , Ernst & Young, and KPMG....
, where he remains.
Political involvement
Moreland became interested in politics, and at the October 1974 general electionUnited 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...
he was selected as 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...
candidate for Pontypool
Pontypool (UK Parliament constituency)
Pontypool was a county constituency in the town of Pontypool in Monmouthshire. 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 voting system....
, a safe Labour
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...
seat in south Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. 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...
and the Conservative Europe Group. At the 1977 Conservative Party conference, Moreland spoke in favour of sales of council house
Council house
A council house, otherwise known as a local authority house, is a form of public or social housing. The term is used primarily in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Council houses were built and operated by local councils to supply uncrowded, well-built homes on secure tenancies at...
s, arguing that up to 70% of tenants would like the opportunity to buy their home.
European Parliament
Having chaired the Bow Group's European Committee in 1977-78, Moreland was interested in playing an active part in European politics. At the 1979 election to the European Parliament, Moreland was elected for the Conservative Party in the constituency of Staffordshire EastStaffordshire East (European Parliament constituency)
Prior to its uniform adoption of proportional representation in 1999, the United Kingdom used first-past-the-post for the European elections in England, Scotland and Wales...
. He was a moderate MEP, criticising the slow pace of reform in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in an emergency debate in June 1980. He also showed a willingness to see the situation from the ground, travelling in 1983 in the cab of long-distance lorries to see the bureaucratic situation which resulted at border crossings. He wrote a pamphlet called "Transport for Europe" based on what he learnt.
Economic and Social Committee
Moreland lost his seat in the 1984 election, but remained interested in the European UnionEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. He wrote to The Times in 1985 to urge British membership of the European Monetary System
European Monetary System
There are three stages of monetary cooperation in the European Union.-Background:European currency exchange rate stability has been one of the most important objectives of European policy makers at least since the Second World War....
. He was appointed by the Thatcher government as a member of the UK delegation to the EU's Economic and Social Committee
Economic and Social Committee
The European Economic and Social Committee is a body of the European Union established in 1958. It is a consultative assembly composed of employers , employees and representatives of various other interests...
in 1986, and served as Chairman of the Regional Policy and Town and Country Planning Section of the Committee from 1990 to 1998.
Local politics
In May 1990, Moreland was elected to Westminster City Council as a Councillor in the KnightsbridgeKnightsbridge
Knightsbridge is a road which gives its name to an exclusive district lying to the west of central London. The road runs along the south side of Hyde Park, west from Hyde Park Corner, spanning the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
ward, serving in this role until May 1998. He was Deputy Chief Whip for the Conservative group on the council in 1991-93 and Chief Whip in 1993-94. He served as Chairman of the Environment Committee of the Council in 1994-95 and of the Planning and Environment Committee from 1995 to 1997. He was appointed as Deputy Chairman of the London Research Centre and as a Director of the Albert Memorial
Albert Memorial
The Albert Memorial is situated in Kensington Gardens, London, England, directly to the north of the Royal Albert Hall. It was commissioned by Queen Victoria in memory of her beloved husband, Prince Albert who died of typhoid in 1861. The memorial was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the...
Trust from 1997 to 2000.
Moreland was nominated to the Conservative Party's list for election to the London Assembly
London Assembly
The London Assembly is an elected body, part of the Greater London Authority, that scrutinises the activities of the Mayor of London and has the power, with a two-thirds majority, to amend the mayor's annual budget. The assembly was established in 2000 and is headquartered at City Hall on the south...
in the 2000 election
London Assembly election, 2000
The first elections for members of the London Assembly were held on 4 May 2000, alongside the first mayoral election.The assembly elections used the Mixed member proportional representation, a form of Additional member system, with 14 directly elected constituencies and 11 London-wide top-up...
but was too far down to be elected. He was involved in the London Europe Society and became its Deputy Chairman in 1997 and Chairman in 2000, a post which he currently holds. He was also Treasurer of the European Movement
European Movement
The European Movement International is a lobbying association that coordinates the efforts of associations and national councils with the goal of promoting European integration, and disseminating information about it.-History:...
from 2003 to 2008. Moreland also served briefly on Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
City Council from 2001 to 2002. He has been Chairman of Governors of Archbishop Tenison's C of E School, Lambeth
Archbishop Tenison's C of E School, Lambeth
Archbishop Tenison's C of E School, commonly known as Tenison's, is a Church of England boys secondary School located in the London Borough of Lambeth.-Admissions:...
since 2003 and was made Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Group for Europe (known as the Conservative Europe Group since 2009) in 2006.