Trevor Park
Encyclopedia
Joseph Trevor Park was a British
lecturer and politician. He was a Labour Party
Member of Parliament
during Harold Wilson
's government in the 1960s, a government which he regarded as unhelpful to the interests of Labour voters.
, the son of textile workers. He won a scholarship to Bury Grammar School
and to Manchester University
, and went into teaching in Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School
on leaving university. From an early age he became interested in politics and made no secret of his desire for a political career.
, Park fought Altrincham and Sale
(a safe Conservative seat). His political involvement was unpopular with his employer, and soon after he left to become a lecturer for the Workers Educational Association. This body, which worked with the Trades Unions, looked kindly on members who wanted to be involved in politics.
Park made a strong speech at the Labour Party conference in 1958, which was highly critical of the leadership of Hugh Gaitskell
. In the general election
the following year, he stood in another safe Conservative seat, this time Darwen
. Park's attendance at the Trade Union Congress and successive Labour Party conferences, coupled with his ability to impress with speeches, led to a degree of popularity. Meanwhile his academic career flourished, with an appointment as a lecturer in the Department for Extramural Studies at the University of Sheffield
, which had the smallest majority in the country (12 votes) going into the 1964 general election
. Park duly gained the seat, but only by 873. His maiden speech discarded the usual tradition and attacked the government's policy on nuclear arms.
Park was outspoken on several issues, including British diplomatic support for the Vietnam war
and the incomes policy
instituted by Wilson. He increased his majority in the 1966 general election
. In 1969 he was one of the key figures who backed up those such as James Callaghan
who urged Wilson to drop the proposed Trade Union reforms of "In Place of Strife", a struggle which was successful. Park was a member of the Transport & General Workers Union.
, which other Labour MPs thought was because he knew defeat was inevitable. His seat went to the Conservatives. Park returned to working for the Worker's Educational Association; from 1972 he became Lecturer in Industrial Relations in the Department of Adult Education and Extramural Studies of Leeds University
. He was promoted to Senior Fellow in 1983. Park did a great deal of work with the National Union of Mineworkers.
when a vacancy arose in 1971, nor for Batley and Morley
after the retirement of the ailing Sir Alfred Broughton
, nor for Penistone
in 1978, all seats where he was thought to have a chance.
City Council, on which he served for seven years. He was Chairman of the Municipal Services Committee from 1980 to 1983, and of Planning and Development from 1983 to 1986. His colleagues' respect for him was shown by his Chairmanship of the Labour Group. Unwell, he stood down in 1986.
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...
lecturer and politician. He was a 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...
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,...
during Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
's government in the 1960s, a government which he regarded as unhelpful to the interests of Labour voters.
Teaching career
Park was born in LancashireLancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, the son of textile workers. He won a scholarship to Bury Grammar School
Bury Grammar School
Bury Grammar School is an independent grammar school in Bury, Greater Manchester, England, that has existed since Kev Cryer was born, c.1570. The current headmaster is the Reverend Steven Harvey MA. The previous headmaster, Keith Richards MA, retired after sixteen years of headmastership on 7...
and to Manchester University
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
, and went into teaching in Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School
Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School
Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School is a selective co-educational foundation school in Waterfoot, Rossendale, Lancashire, England. The school is named after the two main towns either side of Waterfoot, Bacup and Rawtenstall.-History:...
on leaving university. From an early age he became interested in politics and made no secret of his desire for a political career.
Political ambitions
At the 1955 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1955
The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on 26 May 1955, four years after the previous general election. It resulted in a substantially increased majority of 60 for the Conservative government under new leader and prime minister Sir Anthony Eden against Labour Party, now in their 20th year...
, Park fought Altrincham and Sale
Altrincham and Sale (UK Parliament constituency)
Altrincham and Sale was a parliamentary constituency in Greater Manchester, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election, and existed between 1945 and 1997.-History:The constituency...
(a safe Conservative seat). His political involvement was unpopular with his employer, and soon after he left to become a lecturer for the Workers Educational Association. This body, which worked with the Trades Unions, looked kindly on members who wanted to be involved in politics.
Park made a strong speech at the Labour Party conference in 1958, which was highly critical of the leadership of 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...
. In the 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...
the following year, he stood in another safe Conservative seat, this time Darwen
Darwen (UK Parliament constituency)
Darwen was a county constituency in Lancashire, centred on the town of Darwen. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election....
. Park's attendance at the Trade Union Congress and successive Labour Party conferences, coupled with his ability to impress with speeches, led to a degree of popularity. Meanwhile his academic career flourished, with an appointment as a lecturer in the Department for Extramural Studies at the University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
Elected to Parliament
He was selected to fight the constituency of South East DerbyshireSouth East Derbyshire (UK Parliament constituency)
South East Derbyshire was a parliamentary constituency in Derbyshire. 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....
, which had the smallest majority in the country (12 votes) going into 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...
. Park duly gained the seat, but only by 873. His maiden speech discarded the usual tradition and attacked the government's policy on nuclear arms.
Park was outspoken on several issues, including British diplomatic support for the Vietnam war
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and the incomes policy
Incomes policy
Incomes policies in economics are economy-wide wage and price controls, most commonly instituted as a response to inflation, and usually below market level.Incomes policies have often been resorted to during wartime...
instituted by Wilson. He increased his majority in the 1966 general 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...
. In 1969 he was one of the key figures who backed up those such as James Callaghan
James Callaghan
Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC , was a British Labour politician, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980...
who urged Wilson to drop the proposed Trade Union reforms of "In Place of Strife", a struggle which was successful. Park was a member of the Transport & General Workers Union.
Post-Parliamentary career
However, Park decided to stand down at the 1970 general electionUnited 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...
, which other Labour MPs thought was because he knew defeat was inevitable. His seat went to the Conservatives. Park returned to working for the Worker's Educational Association; from 1972 he became Lecturer in Industrial Relations in the Department of Adult Education and Extramural Studies of Leeds University
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
. He was promoted to Senior Fellow in 1983. Park did a great deal of work with the National Union of Mineworkers.
Attempts to return
Regretting his decision to step down in 1970, Park attempted to be selected again for Labour held seats. However, his decision to step down rather than "face the music" counted against him, and he had antagonised the local TGWU organiser. He was not selected for GooleGoole (UK Parliament constituency)
Goole was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Goole in the West Riding of Yorkshire which 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....
when a vacancy arose in 1971, nor for Batley and Morley
Batley and Morley (UK Parliament constituency)
Batley and Morley was a parliamentary constituency centred on the towns of Batley and Morley in West Yorkshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
after the retirement of the ailing Sir Alfred Broughton
Alfred Broughton
Sir Alfred Davies Devonsher Broughton was a British Labour Party politician.Broughton was educated at Rossall School, Downing College, Cambridge and the London Hospital and became a doctor, a member of a family who had been Batley doctors for 70 years. During World War II he worked in civil...
, nor for Penistone
Penistone (UK Parliament constituency)
Penistone was a Parliamentary constituency covering the town of Penistone in Yorkshire and surrounding countryside. 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.-History:The constituency was...
in 1978, all seats where he was thought to have a chance.
Municipal life
In 1979 Park was elected to LeedsLeeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
City Council, on which he served for seven years. He was Chairman of the Municipal Services Committee from 1980 to 1983, and of Planning and Development from 1983 to 1986. His colleagues' respect for him was shown by his Chairmanship of the Labour Group. Unwell, he stood down in 1986.