Sir Gordon Touche, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Gordon Cosmo Touche, 1st Baronet (8 July 1895 – 19 May 1972) was a British
Barrister
and politician who served as a Conservative
Member of Parliament
(MP) for more than 30 years and became Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons. However, his conduct in this role was criticised by Labour MPs on several occasions.
, who founded a firm of Accountants and was himself active in politics as an Alderman
of the City of London
and Member of Parliament for Islington North
from 1910 to 1918. He was sent to Marlborough College
and went on from there to University College
, Oxford
. It was at Oxford that he first became interested in politics.
, in Palestine
and in Egypt
. At one point, his transport ship was sunk in the Aegean Sea
. He reached the rank of Lieutenant
. When the war ended, Touche read for the Bar and was called in 1923 by the Inner Temple
. He joined the South-Eastern Circuit where he specialised in commercial cases. Also getting involved in business, he was elected a Director of the British Automatic Company in 1928. Touche was a very 'clubbable' man who was prominent in London society; he served on the Executive Committee of the United Club for many years and was Chairman in 1938.
in Ashton-under-Lyne
. This was a high-profile campaign caused by the bankruptcy of the sitting Conservative MP in a three-way marginal constituency; Touche stressed his support for 'safeguarding' vulnerable industries with protective tariffs on foreign imports. However, he lost the seat to the Labour candidate; the news was announced to the people of Ashton-under-Lyne
by the Mayor firing yellow rockets from the Town Hall (yellow being the Labour Party colour in Ashton).
At the 1929 general election
, Touche was chosen for Islington North
, the same constituency his father had represented as a Liberal
. However, he fell to another Labour gain.
when he was chosen for Reigate
in Surrey
. This proved a rock-solid Conservative seat and Touche was elected with a majority of nearly 27,000. In Parliament he often took up technical tax law issues which he had dealt with in his professional work.
On foreign affairs and defence issues, Touche opposed the reform of government in India
(his wife was the daughter of an Indian colonial administrator). In 1937 he joined with others including Admiral Roger Keyes and Brendan Bracken
in urging rejection of the Finance Bill because of its proposal for a 'National Defence Contribution', a separate tax on the most profitable businesses to pay for rearmament. He backed Neville Chamberlain
in the Norway Debate
of 1940.
Home Guard. As the war came towards its close, Touche was a sponsor for the 'Fighting Fund for Freedom' which campaigned for minimum state control and maximum personal freedom. He voted against the American loan in December 1945, and opposed the establishment of the new town
of Crawley
and London Gatwick Airport
in the south of his constituency. After boundary changes in 1950, he moved to Dorking
constituency.
and called Christopher Soames
to close the debate, but Bevan also insisted on speaking. Touche insisted that he had no choice, while Bevan and Labour leader Hugh Gaitskell
objected; eventually the Speaker took the chair and endorsed his Deputy's actions.
but was promoted to being Chairman of Ways and Means. He was made a member of the Privy Council
in 1959. There was another angry clash in the House of Commons in February 1961 when Touche was seen having a private conversation with Martin Redmayne
, the Government Chief Whip; opposition MPs demanded to know what had been said, and insisted that the Speaker be sent for. Touche accepted a motion for the adjournment of the House moved by a Government whip and the House adjourned, but the next day a motion of censure was put down. Debating the motion, John Diamond
said that the Government had made a "mistake in appointing a man whose abilities were not appropriate to the dimensions of the task".
Touche was reported to be considering resignation but was urged to stay by Conservatives, and decided to stick at it. However Labour MPs resented his presence in the Chair and cheered whenever he was succeeded by another Deputy. In October 1961 he announced he would stand down at the next election. When, in December 1961, Touche mistakenly announced an opposition victory in a House of Commons division, a long succession of points of order forced him to adjourn the House for "grave disorder". The Speaker again backed his deputy.
. Returning to the backbenches, Touche opposed the Macmillan government's application to join the European Economic Community
. He was awarded a Baronetcy in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in June 1962.
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...
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...
and politician who served as a 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...
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 more than 30 years and became Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons. However, his conduct in this role was criticised by Labour MPs on several occasions.
Family
Touche was the son of Sir George ToucheGeorge Touche
Sir George Alexander Touche, 1st Baronet , born George Alexander Touch , was a British accountant and politician. He founded one of the firms which amalgamated to create Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.Touche was born in Edinburgh, the son of a banker...
, who founded a firm of Accountants and was himself active in politics as an 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...
of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
and Member of Parliament for Islington North
Islington North (UK Parliament constituency)
Islington North is a parliamentary 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...
from 1910 to 1918. He was sent to Marlborough College
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
and went on from there to University College
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
, Oxford
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...
. It was at Oxford that he first became interested in politics.
Bar and commercial experience
Staying at Oxford until he had taken his degree, Touche was commissioned into the Army Service Corps in 1915. He fought at GallipoliBattle of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
, in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
and in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. At one point, his transport ship was sunk in the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
. He reached the rank of Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
. When the war ended, Touche read for the Bar and was called in 1923 by the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
. He joined the South-Eastern Circuit where he specialised in commercial cases. Also getting involved in business, he was elected a Director of the British Automatic Company in 1928. Touche was a very 'clubbable' man who was prominent in London society; he served on the Executive Committee of the United Club for many years and was Chairman in 1938.
Byelection candidate
In 1928, Touche was chosen as Conservative candidate for the byelectionAshton-under-Lyne by-election, 1928
The Ashton-under-Lyne by-election was held on 29 October 1928. It was notable for having the highest turnout of any Parliamentary by-election in Great Britain....
in Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne (UK Parliament constituency)
Ashton-under-Lyne is a constituency centred on the town of Ashton-under-Lyne that is 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...
. This was a high-profile campaign caused by the bankruptcy of the sitting Conservative MP in a three-way marginal constituency; Touche stressed his support for 'safeguarding' vulnerable industries with protective tariffs on foreign imports. However, he lost the seat to the Labour candidate; the news was announced to the people of Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
by the Mayor firing yellow rockets from the Town Hall (yellow being the Labour Party colour in Ashton).
At the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, Touche was chosen for Islington North
Islington North (UK Parliament constituency)
Islington North is a parliamentary 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...
, the same constituency his father had represented as a Liberal
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...
. However, he fell to another Labour gain.
Elected to Parliament
Touche had better luck at the 1931 general electionUnited 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...
when he was chosen for Reigate
Reigate (UK Parliament constituency)
Reigate is a 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:...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. This proved a rock-solid Conservative seat and Touche was elected with a majority of nearly 27,000. In Parliament he often took up technical tax law issues which he had dealt with in his professional work.
On foreign affairs and defence issues, Touche opposed the reform of government in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
(his wife was the daughter of an Indian colonial administrator). In 1937 he joined with others including Admiral Roger Keyes and Brendan Bracken
Brendan Bracken, 1st Viscount Bracken
Brendan Randell Bracken, 1st Viscount Bracken PC was an Irish businessman and a minister in the British Conservative cabinet. Primarily, the 1st Viscount Bracken is remembered for opposing the Bank of England's co-operation with Adolf Hitler, and for subsequently supporting Winston Churchill's...
in urging rejection of the Finance Bill because of its proposal for a 'National Defence Contribution', a separate tax on the most profitable businesses to pay for rearmament. He backed Neville Chamberlain
Neville Chamberlain
Arthur Neville Chamberlain FRS was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. Chamberlain is best known for his appeasement foreign policy, and in particular for his signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938, conceding the...
in the Norway Debate
Norway Debate
The Norway Debate, sometimes called the Narvik Debate, was a famous debate in the British House of Commons that took place in May 1940. It led to the formation of a widely-based National Government led by Winston Churchill which was to govern Britain until the end of World War II in Europe...
of 1940.
Political campaigns
During the war, Touche was a member of the Palace of WestminsterPalace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
Home Guard. As the war came towards its close, Touche was a sponsor for the 'Fighting Fund for Freedom' which campaigned for minimum state control and maximum personal freedom. He voted against the American loan in December 1945, and opposed the establishment of the new town
New towns in the United Kingdom
Below is a list of some of the new towns in the United Kingdom created under the various New Town Acts of the 20th century. Some earlier towns were developed as Garden Cities or overspill estates early in the twentieth century. The New Towns proper were planned to disperse population following the...
of Crawley
Crawley
Crawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...
and London Gatwick Airport
London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
in the south of his constituency. After boundary changes in 1950, he moved to Dorking
Dorking (UK Parliament constituency)
Dorking was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Dorking in Surrey. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from the 1950 general election until it was abolished for the 1983 general election and replaced by the Mole Valley...
constituency.
Deputy Speaker
From 1945 Touche was Chairman of the Committee of Selection responsible for picking Members for other committee service. As a senior Member, he was often delegated to take the chair in Standing Committees on Bills. He was knighted in 1952, and in November 1956 was made Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means (second Deputy Speaker). This took him out of the normal party political fray as the Deputy Speaker did not speak, although in December 1958 he was involved in a row over a defence debate. After a Conservative filibuster, Touche passed over Aneurin BevanAneurin Bevan
Aneurin "Nye" Bevan was a British Labour Party politician who was the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1959 until his death in 1960. The son of a coal miner, Bevan was a lifelong champion of social justice and the rights of working people...
and called Christopher Soames
Christopher Soames, Baron Soames
Arthur Christopher John Soames, Baron Soames, GCMG, GCVO, CH, CBE, PC was a British politician belonging to the Conservative Party and the son-in-law of Winston Churchill. A European Commissioner and the last Governor of Southern Rhodesia, he had previously been the longtime Member of Parliament...
to close the debate, but Bevan also insisted on speaking. Touche insisted that he had no choice, while Bevan and Labour leader Hugh Gaitskell
Hugh Gaitskell
Hugh Todd Naylor Gaitskell CBE was a British Labour politician, who held Cabinet office in Clement Attlee's governments, and was the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition from 1955, until his death in 1963.-Early life:He was born in Kensington, London, the third and youngest...
objected; eventually the Speaker took the chair and endorsed his Deputy's actions.
Disputed judgments
Considered for the Speakership in 1959, Touche lost out to Harry Hylton-FosterHarry Hylton-Foster
Sir Harry Braustyn Hylton-Foster , was a British Conservative Party politician who served as an Member of Parliament from 1950 until his death...
but was promoted to being Chairman of Ways and Means. He was made a member of the Privy Council
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...
in 1959. There was another angry clash in the House of Commons in February 1961 when Touche was seen having a private conversation with Martin Redmayne
Martin Redmayne
Martin Redmayne, Baron Redmayne, Bt., DSO, TD, PC was a British Conservative politician.Redmayne was the second son of civil engineer and farmer, Leonard Redmayne and his wife Mildred and was educated at Radley College...
, the Government Chief Whip; opposition MPs demanded to know what had been said, and insisted that the Speaker be sent for. Touche accepted a motion for the adjournment of the House moved by a Government whip and the House adjourned, but the next day a motion of censure was put down. Debating the motion, John Diamond
John Diamond, Baron Diamond
John Diamond, Baron Diamond, PC , also known as Jack Diamond, was a British Labour Party politician....
said that the Government had made a "mistake in appointing a man whose abilities were not appropriate to the dimensions of the task".
Touche was reported to be considering resignation but was urged to stay by Conservatives, and decided to stick at it. However Labour MPs resented his presence in the Chair and cheered whenever he was succeeded by another Deputy. In October 1961 he announced he would stand down at the next election. When, in December 1961, Touche mistakenly announced an opposition victory in a House of Commons division, a long succession of points of order forced him to adjourn the House for "grave disorder". The Speaker again backed his deputy.
Retirement
In the new year of 1962, Touche decided to resign as Deputy Speaker and was replaced by Sir William Anstruther-GrayWilliam Anstruther-Gray, Baron Kilmany
William John St Clair Anstruther-Gray, Baron Kilmany, Bt MC PC .The only son of Col William Anstruther-Gray of Kilmany and Clayre Jessie Tennant, he was educated at Eton College and at Christ Church, Oxford, England...
. Returning to the backbenches, Touche opposed the Macmillan government's application to join the European Economic Community
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...
. He was awarded a Baronetcy in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in June 1962.