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David Waddington

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The Lord Waddington
Portrait byNick Sinclair,1991
Governor of Bermuda
In office
11 April 1992 – 2 May 1997
MonarchElizabeth II
Premier
Preceded byDesmond Langley
Succeeded byThorold Masefield
In office
28 November 1990 – 11 April 1992
Prime MinisterJohn Major
Preceded byThe Lord Belstead
Succeeded byThe Lord Wakeham
Home Secretary
In office
26 October 1989 – 28 November 1990
Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher
Preceded byDouglas Hurd
Succeeded byKenneth Baker
In office
13 June 1987 – 24 July 1989
Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher
Preceded byJohn Wakeham
Succeeded byTim Renton
Minister of State for Immigration
In office
6 January 1983 – 13 June 1987
Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher
Preceded byTimothy Raison
Succeeded byTim Renton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment
In office
5 January 1981 – 6 January 1983
Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher
Preceded byPatrick Mayhew
Succeeded byJohn Gummer
Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
In office
16 May 1979 – 5 January 1981
Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher
Preceded byAlfred Bates
Succeeded byJohn Wakeham
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
In office
4 December 1990 – 26 March 2015
Life peerage
Member of Parliament
forRibble Valley
Clitheroe(1979–1983)
In office
1 March 1979 – 29 November 1990
Preceded byDavid Walder
Succeeded byMichael Carr
Member of Parliament
forNelson and Colne
In office
27 June 1968 – 20 September 1974
Preceded bySydney Silverman
Succeeded byDoug Hoyle
Personal details
Born
David Charles Waddington

(1929-08-02)2 August 1929
Burnley,Lancashire, England
Died23 February 2017(2017-02-23)(aged 87)
South Cheriton,Somerset, England
Political partyConservative
Spouse
Gillian Green
(m.1958)
Children5
Alma mater

David Charles Waddington, Baron Waddington,GCVO,PC,QC,DL(2 August 1929 – 23 February 2017) was a British politician andbarrister.

A member of theConservative Party,he served as aMember of Parliament(MP) in theHouse of Commonsfrom 1968 to 1974 and 1979 to 1990, and was then made alife peerin theHouse of Lords.During his parliamentary career, Waddington worked in government asChief Whip,then asHome Secretaryand finally asLeader of the House of Lords.He then served as theGovernor of Bermudabetween 1992 and 1997.

Early life[edit]

Waddington was born inBurnley,Lancashire,the youngest of five. His father and grandfather were both solicitors in Burnley. He was educated atCressbrook SchoolandSedbergh School,both independent schools.[1]

He then attendedHertford College, Oxford,where he became President of theOxford University Conservative Association.He wascalled to the BaratGray's Innin 1951.[2]

Waddington failed to adequately defend Stefan Kiszko, a civil servant accused of themurder of Lesley Molseed,atLeeds Crown Courtin July 1976 in what would become one of the most notorious miscarriages of justice in British legal history. Waddington did not review or question any of the 6000+ statements that the prosecution presented at the last minute. He also failed to ask about semen evidence that could have proved Kiszko's innocence since the sample Kiszko provided did not match semen retained from Molseed's body. Kiszko served 16 years in prison, receiving frequent violent attacks for being a "child killer", after wrongly being found guilty. He died of a massive heart attack 20 months after he was fully released. The real murderer was eventually convicted in 2007. Waddington was a strong supporter ofCapital Punishment.

Political career[edit]

Waddington stood for election several times before being successful. He was theConservativecandidate atFarnworthin the1955 general election,atNelson and Colnein1964,and atHeywood and Roytonin1966.[3]

He was first elected to Parliament at the1968 Nelson and Colne by-election,caused by the death ofLabourMPSydney Silverman.He was re-elected there in1970and inFebruary 1974,but lost his seat at theOctober 1974 general electionby a margin of 669 votes to Labour'sDoug Hoyle.[2]

Waddington was returned to Parliament forClitheroeat aby-election in March 1979,and was subsequently elected for the broadly similarRibble Valleyconstituency in1983.[1]

In government[edit]

A junior minister underMargaret Thatcher,Waddington was aLord Commissioner of the Treasuryand Government Whip (1979–81),Parliamentary Under-Secretaryat the Department of Employment (1981–83), Minister of State at theHome Office(1983–87), andChief Whipfrom 1987 until his elevation toCabinetlevel in 1989, when he becameHome Secretary.[3]On Monday 5 November 1990, he was the guest-of-honour at the annual dinner of theConservative Monday Club[4]

Life peer[edit]

On 4 December 1990, he was created alife peerasBaron Waddington,ofReadin theCounty of Lancashire.[5]He served asLord Privy SealandLeader of the House of Lordsuntil 1992. He then served asGovernor of Bermudafrom 1992 until 1997.[6][7]

Lord Waddington was appointed aKnight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order(GCVO) in 1994.[8]In 2008, his amendment to theCriminal Justice and Immigration Bill,known as theWaddington Amendment,inserted afreedom of speechclause into new anti-homophobichate crimelegislation.[9]

In November 2009, the Government failed to repeal the Waddington Amendment in the Coroners and Justice Bill.[10][11]On 26 March 2015, Lord Waddington retired from the House of Lords pursuant to Section 1 of theHouse of Lords Reform Act 2014.[12]

Personal life[edit]

Waddington married Gillian Rosemary Green (born 1939), the daughter ofAlan Green,on 20 December 1958. The couple had three sons and two daughters.[13]

Lord Waddington died ofpneumoniaon 23 February 2017, at his home inSouth Cheriton,Somerset, aged 87.[2][13]

Arms[edit]

Coat of arms of David Waddington
Coronet
ACoronet of a Baron
Crest
An Arm embowed vested Azure, issuing from the Sleeve of a Silk Gown Sable, the Hand proper, holding a Wreath of four Roses Gules, barbed and seeded proper, enfiled by a Sword point upwards Argent, Hilt Pommel and Quillons Or.
Escutcheon
Ermine, on a Cross Azure, between four Roses Gules, barbed and seeded proper, a Lion's Head guardant Or, langued Gules.
Supporters
Dexter: A Lion in trian aspect; Sinister: a Griffin, both Or, armed and langued Gules, gorged with a Bar dancetty Ermine, edged Azure, each statant erect amid Reeds growing from a Grassy Mount proper.
Motto
Deus Noster Refugium Et Virtus(God is our refuge and courage)

References[edit]

  1. ^abKavanagh, Dennis (25 February 2017)."Lord Waddington obituary: Chief Whip and former Home Secretary was loyal supporter of Margaret Thatcher".The Independent.
  2. ^abcBates, Stephen (24 February 2017)."Lord Waddington obituary".The Guardian.
  3. ^ab"Lord Waddington profile".UK Parliament.Retrieved25 February2017.
  4. ^Monday NewsJan 1991.
  5. ^"No. 52357".The London Gazette.7 December 1990. p. 18904.
  6. ^Staff (7 May 1997)."From Bermuda to the treacle mines for Lord David".Lancashire Evening Telegraph.Archived fromthe originalon 24 May 2009.Retrieved24 May2009.After almost five years as Governor of Bermuda, Lord Waddington has come home to the Ribble Valley.
  7. ^"FROM BERMUDA TO THE TREACLE MINES FOR LORD DAVID".Webcitation.org.Archived fromthe originalon 24 May 2009.Retrieved29 May2016.
  8. ^"No. 53640".The London Gazette.12 April 1994. p. 5476.
  9. ^"Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008".Opsi.gov.uk.Archived fromthe originalon 13 June 2010.Retrieved29 May2016.
  10. ^"Coroners and Justice Bill".Publications.parliament.uk.Retrieved29 May2016.
  11. ^Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons, Westminster."House of Commons Hansard Debates for 12 November 2009 (pt 0008)".Publications.parliament.uk.Retrieved29 May2016.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^"Lords Hansard text for 26 March 2015 (pt 0001)".Publications.parliament.uk.Retrieved29 May2016.
  13. ^abHeffer, Simon(14 January 2021). "Waddington, David Charles, Baron Waddington (1929–2017), politician".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.90000380379.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)

External links[edit]

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament forNelson and Colne
19681974
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament forClitheroe
19791983
Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament forRibble Valley
19831990
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Chief Whip of the Conservative Party
1987–1989
Succeeded by
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
1987–1989
Preceded by Home Secretary
1989–1990
Succeeded by
Preceded by Leader of the House of Lords
1990–1992
Succeeded by
Lord Privy Seal
1990–1992
Party political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Conservative Partyin theHouse of Lords
1990–1992
Succeeded by
Government offices
Preceded by Governor of Bermuda
1992–1997
Succeeded by