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Peter Hennessy

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Peter John Hennessy, Baron Hennessy of Nympsfield,FBA(born 28 March 1947) is an English historian and academic specialising in the history of government. Since 1992, he has been Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History atQueen Mary University of London.[1]

The Right Honourable
The Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield
FBA
Peter Hennessy in 2019
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office
25 November 2010
Life Peerage
Personal details
Born(1947-03-28)28 March 1947(age 77)
Edmonton,London
NationalityBritish
Political partyNone (crossbencher)
Children2
Education
Alma materSt John's College, Cambridge
OccupationHistorian and academic; formerly journalist
ProfessionAttlee Professor of Contemporary British History
Awards

Early life

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Hennessy was born in Edmonton, north London, son of William Gerald Hennessy and Edith, née Wood-Johnson.[2]He comes from a largeCatholicfamily ofIrish provenance.He was brought up in large houses requisitioned by the local council, first in Allandale Avenue and then inLyndhurst Gardens,Finchley,north London.[3]

He attended the nearby Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School, and on Sundays he went to St Mary Magdalene Church, where he was an altar boy.[3]He was the subject of the first episode, first broadcast on 6 August 2007, of theBBC Radio 4seriesThe House I Grew Up In,in which he talked about his childhood.[3]

Hennessy was educated atSt Benedict's Schooland then at a grammar school inEaling,west London. After his father's job led the family to move to theCotswolds,he attendedMarling School,agrammar schoolinStroud,Gloucestershire. He went on to study atSt John's College, Cambridge,where he was awarded a BA in 1969 and a PhD in 1990. Hennessy was aKennedy Memorial ScholaratHarvard Universityfrom 1971 to 1972.

Career

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Journalism

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Hennessy was a journalist for theTimes Higher Education Supplementfrom 1972 to 1974. From 1974 to 1982, he wrote leaders forThe Times,for which he was also the Whitehall correspondent. He wasThe Financial Times'lobby correspondent at Westminster in 1976. In June 1977, Hennessy accusedDonald Bevesof being the "fourth man" in theCambridge Spy Ring(then-known participants werePhilby,Burgess,andMaclean), butGeoffrey Grigsonand others quickly leapt to the defense of Beves, considering him uninterested in politics.[4]

Hennessy wrote forThe Economistin 1982. He was a regular presenter ofAnalysison BBC Radio 4 from 1987 to 1992. On 17 November 2005, he made atrenchantappearance alongsideLord Wilson of Dintonbefore theHouse of CommonsPublic Administration Select Committeeon the publication of political memoirs.

In July and August 2013 he was the interviewer for BBC Radio 4'sReflections,[5]a series of four biographical interview programmes featuringShirley Williams,Jack Straw,Norman TebbitandNeil Kinnock.Hennessy continues to present the programme.

On 17 April 2022, he was interviewed by BBC Radio 4'sBroadcasting House.On the subject of theMetropolitan Policefines issued toBoris Johnsonfor lockdown breaches during thePartygatescandal, he said "I think we're in the most severe constitutional crisis involving a prime minister that I can remember."[6]

Academic career

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Professor Hennessy giving a public lecture atLSEin 1989

Hennessy co-founded theInstitute of Contemporary British Historyin 1986. From 1992 to 2000, he was professor ofcontemporary historyatQueen Mary and Westfield College, University of London.From 1994 to 1997, he gave public lectures asProfessor of RhetoricatGresham College,London. From 2001, he has been Attlee professor of contemporary British history at Queen Mary, University of London.

His analysis of post-war Britain,Never Again: Britain 1945–1951,won theDuff Cooper Prizein 1992 and theNCR Book Awardin 1993.

His study of Britain in the 1950s and the rise ofHarold Macmillan,Having It So Good: Britain in the 1950s,won the 2007Orwell Prizefor political writing.[7]

Elevation to the peerage

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Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield in 2018

On 5 October 2010 theHouse of Lords Appointments Commissionsaid that Hennessy was to be acrossbench(non-political) peer. He was created alife peeron 8 November 2010, taking the titleBaron Hennessy of Nympsfield,ofNympsfieldin the County of Gloucestershire.[8]He wasintroducedto theHouse of Lordson 25 November.[9]

"I'm terribly pleased and honoured", Hennessy said at hearing the news. "I hope I can help the House of Lords a bit on constitutional matters. I'll certainly give it my best shot."[10]In August 2014, Lord Hennessy was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter toThe GuardianopposingScottish independencein the run-up toSeptember's referendum.[11]

Personal life

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Hennessy is married with two daughters.[12]He lives in London with his wife Enid.[13]In September 2019, he stated in an interview that he had early-stageParkinson's disease.[14]

On 7 May 2023, Hennessy was the guest for BBC Radio 4'sDesert Island Discs.[13]

Bibliography

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External videos
Booknotesinterview with Hennessy onWhitehall,26 November 1989,C-SPAN

Hennessy is the author of numerous articles and of the following books:

  • Cabinet(1986)ISBN0-631-14968-6Blackwell
  • Whitehall(1989)ISBN978-0-43619-271-5Secker & Warburg (revised & extended in 2001)
  • Never Again: Britain 1945–51(1992)ISBN978-0-22402-768-7Jonathan Cape (revised & updated in 2006)
  • Pathways to the Pigeon Hole?: The Effectiveness of Official Inquiries(1993) University of Strathclyde
  • The Hidden Wiring: Unearthing the British Constitution(1995)ISBN0-575-06176-6Gollancz
  • Ready, Steady, Go!: New Labour and WhitehallISBN9780716340379(1997) Fabian Society
  • The Blair Centre: A Question of Command and Control?ISBN9781898531531(1999) Public Management Foundation
  • The Prime Minister: The Office and Its Holders since 1945(2000)ISBN9780713993400Allen Lane
  • The Secret State: Whitehall and the Cold War(2002)ISBN0-7139-9626-9Allen Lane (republished & extended in 2010, see below)
  • Rulers and Servants of the State: The Blair Style of Government, 1997-2004(2004)ISBN9781898531906Office for Public Management
  • Having It So Good: Britain in the Fifties(2006)ISBN978-0-7139-9571-8Allen Lane
  • Cabinets and the Bomb(2007)ISBN978-0-19-726422-5Oxford University Press
  • The New Protective State: Government, Intelligence and Terrorism(2007)ISBN9780826496140Continuum
  • The Secret State: Preparing For The Worst 1945–2010(2010)ISBN978-0-14-104469-9Penguin
  • Distilling the Frenzy: Writing the History of One's Own Times(2012)ISBN9781849542159Biteback
  • Establishment and Meritocracy(2014)ISBN9781908323774Haus Publishing
  • Kingdom to Come: Thoughts on the Union Before and After the Scottish Referendum(2015)ISBN9781910376065Haus Publishing
  • Reflections: Conversations with Politicians(2016)ISBN9781910376485Haus Publishing (expanded & reissued in 2020, see below)
  • The Silent Deep: The Royal Navy Submarine Service Since 1945(2015) with James JinksISBN9781846145803Allen Lane
  • Winds of Change: Britain in the Early Sixties(2019)ISBN978-1846141102Allen Lane
  • The Complete Reflections: Conversations with Politicians(2020)ISBN9781912208982Haus Publishing
  • A Duty of Care: Britain Before and After Corona(2022)ISBN9780241491942Penguin
  • The Bonfire of the Decencies: Repairing and Restoring the British Constitution(2022)ISBN9781913368715Haus Publishing
Coat of arms of Peter Hennessy
Crest
A worker bee statant Or holding in the dexter foreclaws an open fountain pen bendwise sinister nib downwards Proper.
Escutcheon
Azure on a chevron engrailed between three closed books clasped Or a chevronel Gules.
Supporters
On either side a worker bee Or holding in the interior foreclaws an open fountain pen that on the dexter bendwise and on the sinister bendwise sinister nibs downwards Proper.[15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^"Queen Mary College website biographical note on Peter Hennessy".School of History, Queen Mary, University of London.Retrieved15 August2015.
  2. ^Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage 2019, ed. Susan Morris, Debrett's Ltd, 2020, p. 2991
  3. ^abc"The House I Grew Up In,featuring Peter Hennessy ".The House I Grew Up In.6 August 2007.BBC Radio 4.
  4. ^'Who was the fourth man?' inThe Times,issue 60032, dated Friday, 17 June 1977, p. 17.
  5. ^"Series 1, Reflections with Peter Hennessy - Episode guide - BBC Radio 4".
  6. ^"No 10 parties: PM's lockdown fine constitutional crisis, says historian".BBC News. 17 April 2022.Retrieved7 May2023.
  7. ^Pauli, Michelle (25 April 2007)."Orwell prize winner is Having it So Good".The Guardian.
  8. ^"No. 59602".The London Gazette.11 November 2010. p. 21747.
  9. ^"House of Lords Business".
  10. ^"Professor Hennessy joins the House of Lords".Queen Mary University of London. 6 October 2010.Retrieved15 August2015.
  11. ^"Celebrities' open letter to Scotland – full text and list of signatories".The Guardian.7 August 2014.Retrieved26 August2014.
  12. ^Crace, John(23 March 2004)."Peter Hennessy: Whitehall force".The Guardian.Retrieved7 May2023.
  13. ^ab"Professor Peter Hennessy, historian".Desert Island Discs.7 May 2023. BBC. Radio 4.Retrieved8 May2023.
  14. ^Goodhart, David (7 September 2019)."Our sense of decency survived the war. It won't survive this".The Times.Retrieved8 May2023.
  15. ^Debrett's Peerage.2019. p. 2991.

Sources

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