Sir Kenneth Thompson, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Kenneth Pugh Thompson, 1st Baronet
(24 December 1909 – 4 January 1984) was a British
company director and politician from Liverpool
. He served fourteen years in Parliament
but is most known for his contribution to local government where he was Chairman of Merseyside
County Council and Deputy Chairman of the Merseyside Development Corporation.
and went to Bootle Grammar School
. Rather than go to university he became a newspaper reporter for several years, and then went into commerce. During the 1930s he was a lecturer for the pro-free market Economic League
. He was also an active member of the Conservative Party
and in 1938 was elected to Liverpool City Council.
, Thompson was selected to try to regain the Liverpool Walton
constituency for the Conservatives after its loss at the previous election. He won the seat back with a majority of more than 4,000. Thompson retained his seat on Liverpool City Council despite his entrance on the national political stage.
He proved a popular Member and was chosen as Secretary of the 1922 Committee
after the 1951 election
. Thompson's commercial experience was drawn on when he was brought into negotiations on trade with Brazil
, which eventually led to a successful reopening of commercial relations. In 1956 he was made Chairman of the Conservative National Advisory Committee on Local Government.
. No longer able to afford the time, he gave up his seat on Liverpool City Council at the next election in 1958. After the 1959 general election
he was promoted to be Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education. Thompson left the government in Harold Macmillan
's "Night of the Long Knives
" reshuffle in July 1962. The next year he received a Baronetcy.
and Thompson lost his seat to the Labour left-winger Eric Heffer
. He wrote a volume of memoirs called "Member's Lobby" in 1966, followed by "Pattern of Conquest" the next year. He returned to business but remained involved in politics, and in 1973 was elected to the newly-created Merseyside County Council.
to regenerate the area, Thompson was appointed as Deputy Chairman. He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Liverpool
in 1982.
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
(24 December 1909 – 4 January 1984) 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...
company director and politician from 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...
. He served fourteen years in Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
but is most known for his contribution to local government where he was Chairman of Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
County Council and Deputy Chairman of the Merseyside Development Corporation.
Early life
Thompson was born in LiverpoolLiverpool
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...
and went to Bootle Grammar School
Bootle High School
Bootle High School was located in Netherton, Merseyside, England. It closed in September 2009.-Staff & Pupils:The school, which catered for roughly 600 pupils between the ages of 11 to 16 years old, was under the headship of Mr P. Fryer...
. Rather than go to university he became a newspaper reporter for several years, and then went into commerce. During the 1930s he was a lecturer for the pro-free market Economic League
Economic League (UK)
The Economic League was an organisation in the United Kingdom dedicated to opposing what they saw as subversion and action against free enterprise....
. He was also an active 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...
and in 1938 was elected to Liverpool City Council.
Wartime
Due to contracting polio as a child he could not be sent to fight; so during the Second World War Thompson became a civil servant working as a Regional Officer for the Ministry of Information, and remained active in Liverpool. After the end of the war he became a director of several Liverpool companies.Politics
At the 1950 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
, Thompson was selected to try to regain the Liverpool Walton
Liverpool Walton (UK Parliament constituency)
Liverpool, Walton 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.-Boundaries:...
constituency for the Conservatives after its loss at the previous election. He won the seat back with a majority of more than 4,000. Thompson retained his seat on Liverpool City Council despite his entrance on the national political stage.
He proved a popular Member and was chosen as Secretary of the 1922 Committee
1922 Committee
In British politics, the 1922 Committee is a committee of Conservative Members of Parliament. Voting membership is limited to backbench MPs although frontbench Conservative MPs have an open invitation to attend meetings. While the party was in opposition, frontbench MPs other than the party leader...
after the 1951 election
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...
. Thompson's commercial experience was drawn on when he was brought into negotiations on trade with Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, which eventually led to a successful reopening of commercial relations. In 1956 he was made Chairman of the Conservative National Advisory Committee on Local Government.
Government
In 1957 Thompson was brought into the government as Assistant Postmaster GeneralUnited Kingdom Postmaster General
The Postmaster General of the United Kingdom is a defunct Cabinet-level ministerial position in HM Government. Aside from maintaining the postal system, the Telegraph Act of 1868 established the Postmaster General's right to exclusively maintain electric telegraphs...
. No longer able to afford the time, he gave up his seat on Liverpool City Council at the next election in 1958. After the 1959 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1959
This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan...
he was promoted to be Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education. Thompson left the government in Harold Macmillan
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
's "Night of the Long Knives
Night of the Long Knives (1962)
The epithet Night of the Long Knives is given to July 13, 1962, when the British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan sacked the following members of his Cabinet:*Lord Kilmuir — Lord Chancellor*Selwyn Lloyd — Chancellor of the Exchequer...
" reshuffle in July 1962. The next year he received a Baronetcy.
Defeat
Liverpool as a whole showed a strong swing to the Labour Party at the 1964 general electionUnited 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...
and Thompson lost his seat to the Labour left-winger Eric Heffer
Eric Heffer
Eric Samuel Heffer was a British socialist politician. He was Labour Member of Parliament for Liverpool Walton from 1964 until his death. His working-class background and consciousness fed in to his left-wing politics, but to an extent disguised the depth of his knowledge: with 12,000 books in...
. He wrote a volume of memoirs called "Member's Lobby" in 1966, followed by "Pattern of Conquest" the next year. He returned to business but remained involved in politics, and in 1973 was elected to the newly-created Merseyside County Council.
Merseyside
Thompson was chosen to lead the Conservative group in 1974. In the 1977 elections, the Conservatives won majority control and from 1977 to 1981 Thompson served as Chairman of the Council. When the Thatcher government created in 1980 the Merseyside Development CorporationMerseyside Development Corporation
The Merseyside Development Corporation was a central government-appointed Development Corporation set up in 1981 by Margaret Thatcher's government to regenerate the Mersey docks of Liverpool, Bootle, Wallasey and Birkenhead...
to regenerate the area, Thompson was appointed as Deputy Chairman. He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Liverpool
University of Liverpool
The University of Liverpool is a teaching and research university in the city of Liverpool, England. It is a member of the Russell Group of large research-intensive universities and the N8 Group for research collaboration. Founded in 1881 , it is also one of the six original "red brick" civic...
in 1982.