Bruce Grocott, Baron Grocott
Bruce Joseph Grocott, Baron GrocottPC(born 1 November 1940) is a British politician who has been a Member of theHouse of Lordssince 2001. A member of theLabour Party,he served as aMember of Parliamentfor four terms between 1974 and 2001, representing constituencies inStaffordshireandShropshire.
Early life[edit]
Grocott was born inKings LangleynearWatford,Hertfordshire.He received aBachelor of Artsin Politics from theUniversity of Leicesterin 1962. Grocott later obtained aMaster of Artsfrom theUniversity of Manchesterfor research into Local Government.
He was appointed to the post of lecturer, and later a senior lecturer, at the City of Birmingham College of Commerce (laterBirmingham Polytechnic,nowBirmingham City University). During this time he was elected to Bromsgrove Urban District Council. From 1972 to 1974 he was a principal lecturer atNorth Staffordshire Polytechnic.
House of Commons[edit]
His first attempt to become a member of Parliament was in the 1970 election when he stood unsuccessfully forSouth West Hertfordshire.He was then selected as a candidate and elected asMember of ParliamentforLichfield and Tamworthin October 1974,[1]in which position he became Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister for Local Government and Planning, and later the Minister of Agriculture.[2]
He lost his seat at the1979 general electionand joinedCentral Televisionas a presenter and producer, working on programmes such asLeft, Right and Centre,Central LobbyandCentral Weekend.
He was re-elected forThe Wrekinin 1987[1]and he was very shortly thereafter appointed Deputy Shadow Leader of the House toJack Cunninghambefore becoming advisor to the Leader of the Opposition,Neil Kinnockand, later, a Foreign Affairs Spokesman underJohn Smith.He served asParliamentary Private SecretarytoTony Blair,first asLeader of the Oppositionand thenPrime Minister,from 1994 until 2001.[3]
He transferred toTelfordin 1997 when The Wrekin was divided. He served this seat until the2001 general election,when he stepped down from the Commons.
House of Lords[edit]
He was made alife peerunder the title ofBaron Grocott,of Telford, in the County ofShropshire,on 2 July 2001,[4]quickly being promoted to a government whip in theHouse of Lords.
From 2002 to 2008 he was the GovernmentChief Whipin the House of Lords as well asCaptain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms,the honorary post usually held by the Chief Whip. As the Chief Whip, he was sworn of thePrivy Councilin 2002. He has promoted further reform of the Lords, including attempts to abolishby-elections for hereditary peers.[5]
In October 2012 it was announced that Lord Grocott had been elected as the nextchancellorof the University of Leicester, the first time in the university's history that a former student had been appointed to the post. He was installed as chancellor at the degree ceremony in DeMontfort Hall on 24 January 2013.[6]His term finished in July 2018 and he was replaced byLord Willetts.[7]
Personal life[edit]
Grocott is married with two sons and lives inStaffordshire.
Notes[edit]
- ^As Member of Parliament forThe Wrekin.
References[edit]
- ^ab"Mr Bruce Grocott (Hansard)".Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).Retrieved17 July2016.
- ^"Lord Grocott, former MP".TheyWorkForYou. 7 July 2016.Retrieved17 July2016.
- ^"Politics".The Guardian.1 January 1970.Retrieved17 July2016.
- ^"No. 56265".The London Gazette.5 July 2001. p. 7935.
- ^Garland, Jessica."A handful of hereditary peers are trying to stifle reform – they are on the wrong side of history".Electoral Reform Society.
- ^"University of Leicester elects former student as new Chancellor".University of Leicester. 31 October 2012.Retrieved3 November2012.
- ^"Fond farewell for University's sixth Chancellor".University of Leicester. 25 January 2018.Retrieved28 July2018.
External links[edit]
- Short interviewgiving his views on House of Lords reform
- Hansard1803–2005:contributions in Parliament by Bruce Grocott
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
- Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages[self-published source][better source needed]
| Cabinet members | Gordon Brown
|  |
|---|---|---|
| Also attended meetings | ||
| Attended while on agenda | ||
- 1940 births
- Living people
- Academics of Birmingham City University
- Academics of Staffordshire University
- Alumni of the University of Leicester
- Alumni of the University of Manchester
- British television presenters
- Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms
- Labour Party (UK) life peers
- Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
- Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
- Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for constituencies in Shropshire
- Parliamentary Private Secretaries to the Prime Minister
- UK MPs 1974–1979
- UK MPs 1987–1992
- UK MPs 1992–1997
- UK MPs 1997–2001
- Life peers created by Elizabeth II
- New Labour