Bernard Weatherill

The Right Honourable The Lord Weatherill KStJPCDL
Weatherill as Speaker in 1989
Speaker of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom
In office 16 June 1983– 9 April 1992
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher John Major
Preceded by	George Thomas
Succeeded by	Betty Boothroyd
Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Chairman of Ways and Means
In office 10 May 1979 – 11 June 1983
Speaker	George Thomas
Preceded by	Oscar Murton
Succeeded by	Harold Walker
Treasurer of the Household
In office 2 December 1973 – 4 March 1974
Prime Minister	Edward Heath
Preceded by	Humphrey Atkins
Succeeded by	Walter Harrison
Comptroller of the Household
In office 7 April 1972 – 2 December 1973
Prime Minister	Edward Heath
Preceded by	Reginald Eyre
Succeeded by	Walter Clegg
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
In office 17 October 1971 – 7 April 1972
Prime Minister	Edward Heath
Preceded by	Jasper More
Succeeded by	Walter Clegg
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
In office 15 July 1992 – 6 May 2007 Life peerage
Member of Parliament forCroydon North East
In office 15 October 1964 – 16 March 1992
Preceded by	John Hughes-Hallett
Succeeded by	David Congdon
Personal details
Born	Bruce Bernard Weatherill (1920-11-25)25 November 1920 Sunningdale,England
Died	6 May 2007(2007-05-06)(aged 86) Caterham,England
Political party	Conservative(until 1983)
Other political affiliations	Crossbencher(1992–2007) Speaker(1983–1992)
Spouse	Lyn Eatwell ​ (m.1949)​
Relations	Alan Lovell(son-in-law)
Children	3
Education	Malvern College
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch/service	British Army
Years of service	1939–1946
Rank	Captain
Unit	4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards

Bruce Bernard Weatherill, Baron Weatherill,KStJ,PC,DL(25 November 1920 – 6 May 2007) was a BritishConservative Partypolitician. He served asSpeaker of the House of Commonsbetween 1983 and 1992.

Background

Born inSunningdalein 1920, he was the son of Annie Gertrude (néeCreak) and Bernard Bruce Weatherill.He married Lyn Eatwell in 1949 and they had three children. Weatherill was known as "Jack", while his twin sister (baptismal name Margery) was called "Jill".

Tailor

Company logo of Bernard Weatherill Ltd

After attendingMalvern College,he was apprenticed at age 17 as atailorto the family firm Bernard Weatherill Ltd, Sporting Tailors, later of 5Savile Row.He became Director (1948), Managing Director (1958), and Chairman (1967) of the business. After it merged with Kilgour French & Stanbury Ltd., Tailors in 1969, he became Chairman of the combined firm. He resumed his role with the company after his retirement from the House of Commons in 1992, as president until the firm was acquired by others in 2003. Some of the clothes he designed are in theVictoria and Albert Museumand other museum collections.

Following his mother's advice, he always carried his tailoringthimblein his pocket as a reminder of his trade origins and the need for humility, no matter how high one rises. He said that he desired hisepitaphto be "He always kept his word."

He was a member of three City of LondonLivery Companies:theWorshipful Company of Merchant Taylors,theWorshipful Company of Blacksmiths,and theWorshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers.He became aFreemanof theCity of Londonin 1949, and of theLondon Borough of Croydonin 1983.

British Army

Weatherill enlisted as a private in theOxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantryof theBritish Armya few days after the start ofWorld War II.He was commissioned into the4th/7th Dragoon Guardsin May 1941and reached the rank ofcaptainin 1943. He was attached to19th King George V's Own Lancers,Indian Army,after being posted toBurma.

While on active service, Weatherill spent time inBengal,where he embraced the local culture, including learningUrduand taking upmeditation.In response to having witnessed theBengal famine of 1943,he became avegetarian.

Weatherill was discharged from the Army in 1946, having served for seven years.

Member of Parliament

He was electedMember of Parliament(MP) on 15 October 1964 forCroydon North Eastas aConservative.He became a partywhipthree years later, and deputyChief Whipsix years after that. He was re-elected seven times for the same seat until his retirement in 1992.

From October 1971 to April 1973, Weatherill wasVice-Chamberlain of Her Majesty's Household,an office usually held by a Government whip, as Weatherill then was. He wrote a letter (hand-carried by messenger, or sent by telegram) to the Queen at the end of each day the House of Commons met, describing the debates, reactions, and political gossip. His lettersare believed to have been more entertaining than the debates themselves. Weatherill is the most recent Speaker to have served in Government prior to the Speakership; his successors have all been longtimebackbenchMPs.

In 1979, Weatherill played a critical role in the defeat of theLabourgovernment ina vote of confidence.As the vote loomed, Labour's deputy Chief Whip,Walter Harrison,approached Weatherill to enforce the convention andgentleman's agreement(otherwise known aspairing) that if a sick MP from the Government could not vote, an MP from the Opposition would abstain to compensate. Labour MPAlfred Broughtonwas on his deathbed and could not vote, meaning the Government would probably lose by one vote. Weatherill said that the convention had never been intended for such a critical vote that meant the life or death of the Government and it would be impossible to find a Conservative MP who would agree to abstain. However, after a moment's reflection, he offered that he would abstain, because he felt it would be dishonourable to break his word to Harrison. Harrison was so impressed by Weatherill's offer (which would have effectively ended his political career) that he released Weatherill from his obligation, and the Government fell by one vote.

He was sworn of thePrivy Councilon 8 January 1980.

Speaker of the House of Commons

He wasSpeaker of the House of Commonsfrom 1983 to 1992. As Speaker at the time television cameras were first allowed to cover proceedings in theHouse of Commons,he became widely known due to broadcasts ofPrime Minister's Questions.

He was the last Speaker to wear a wig while in the chair. He commented that the wig is a wonderful device that allows the Speaker to pretend not to hear some things. He enforced the rights of Parliament to be publicly told of government policies before they were announced to the press or elsewhere.A portrait of him byRobin-Lee Hallhangs inPortcullis House.

Life peer

He stood down in 1992, and was made alife peeron 15 July 1992 taking the titleBaron Weatherill,ofNorth East Croydonin theLondon Borough of Croydon.As is customary for former Speakers, the government put before the House of Commons an address to the Queen, asking that Weatherill be appointed a peer as a mark of "royal favour". Given a rare opportunity to discuss constitutional arrangements relating to the monarch and the Upper House, left-wing members of Parliament forced a debate on the petition.

He sat in theHouse of Lordsas acrossbencher,the convention for former Speakers, irrespective of their previous party affiliation.

In 1993, he was elected alternateConvenor of the Crossbench Peers,and was a convenor from 1995 until 1999. In the House of Lords he made a major contribution to theHouse of Lords Act 1999by stitching together the compromise that allowed a limited number ofhereditary peersto remain as members.

In 2006, he became Patron of theBetter Off Outcampaign, calling for Britain to leave the European Union.

Later life

In 1989, he succeededLord Blakeas High Bailiff and Searcher of the Sanctuary ofWestminster Abbey.He resigned both of those offices at the end of 1998 in protest at the manner in which the Dean and Chapter dealt with terminating the employment of the organist.He was succeeded bySir Roy Strong.

He was Vice-Chancellor of the British charitableOrder of St Johnfrom 1983 to 2000, and was a knight of the Order from 1992.

AnUrduspeaker, he was decorated with theHilal-i-Pakistan(Crescent of Pakistan, second class) by theGovernment of Pakistanin 1993.

In 1994, he was named aDeputy Lieutenantof Kent.

He was a member of theEuropean Reform Forum.

Weatherill was an advocate ofvegetarianismand appeared at the first Vegetarian Rally inHyde Parkin 1990, alongsideTony Benn.He once stated, "as a lifelong vegetarian I believe that since man cannot give life he has no moral right to take it away".

In 2005, he announced he was suffering fromprostate cancer.On 6 May 2007, he died from cancer at theMarie CurieCommunity Hospice inCaterham,Surrey,aged 86.

Bernard Weatherill House,council offices in Croydon, is named after him.

Arms

Coat of arms of Bernard Weatherill

Crest A horse rampant Argent supporting a mace erect Or. Escutcheon Azure a cross floretty Or surmounting two lances in saltire Proper flying from each a forked pennon per fess Gules and Argent. Supporters Dexter a captain in the 19th King George V's Own Lancers (Indian Army) sinister a Knight of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem both Proper. Motto A Stitch In Time

Sources

• "Weatherill Papers".Library.kent.ac.uk.10 October 2023.
• "Lord Weatherill".The Telegraph(obituary). 8 May 2007.Retrieved26 November2019.

External links

• Media related toBernard Weatherillat Wikimedia Commons
• Hansard1803–2005:contributions in Parliament by Bernard Weatherill
• AppearancesonC-SPAN