Bert Hazell
Encyclopedia
Bertie Hazell, CBE
(18 April 1907 – 11 January 2009), also known as Bert Hazell, was a British
Labour Party
politician and trade union activist.
The son of a Norfolk
farm worker, he left school at 14 to work on a farm in Wymondham
, where his duties included scaring crows. When agricultural wages slumped after the First World War sparking the Norfolk farm workers' strike in 1923, Hazell became active in the National Union of Agricultural Workers
. He worked as a District Organiser for the NUAW, 1937-1964.
He unsuccessfully contested the safe Tory parliamentary seat of Barkston Ash
in Yorkshire in the 1945 and 1950 elections, before returning to Norfolk to help North Norfolk
Labour MP Edwin Gooch
. In 1945 he came within 116 votes of victory in Barkston Ash.
He was elected Member of Parliament
(MP) for North Norfolk in 1964 by just 53 votes. The constituency was unusual in being an agricultural seat electing Labour MPs since 1945, owing to a history of organised agricultural trade unionism and a working-class rural Labour vote in Norfolk at the time, very atypical of the rest of the country. He was re-elected in 1966, when his majority was 737 votes. He lost his seat at the 1970 general election
to the Conservative
Ralph Howell
who held the seat for 27 years. Subsequently Labour have never regained Norfolk North, and were relegated to third place when the Liberal Democrats
gained the seat in 2001
.
As president of the NUAW for 10 years until he retired in 1978, Bert devoted nearly 60 years to the cause of agricultural workers.
He had a lengthy career in the health service including as chair of York Health Authority in the 1980s.
Hazell was made an MBE for services to agriculture in 1946 and a CBE for services as chairman of the regional board for industry in 1962.
Hazell, who reached his 100th birthday in April 2007, was the second longest-living MP in British history; only Theodore Cooke Taylor
lived longer, beating Hazell in the longevity stakes by around six months. On 6 November 2008 he overtook the late Lord Shinwell's record as the longest-living former MP of recent times. Upon Hazell's death, James Allason
became the oldest living former MP.
He died on 11 January 2009, aged 101. He was three months short of his 102nd birthday.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(18 April 1907 – 11 January 2009), also known as Bert Hazell, was a British
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...
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...
politician and trade union activist.
The son of a Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
farm worker, he left school at 14 to work on a farm in Wymondham
Wymondham
Wymondham is a historic market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It lies 9.5 miles to the south west of the city of Norwich, on the A11 road to Thetford and London.- Before The Great Fire :...
, where his duties included scaring crows. When agricultural wages slumped after the First World War sparking the Norfolk farm workers' strike in 1923, Hazell became active in the National Union of Agricultural Workers
National Union of Agricultural and Allied Workers
The National Union of Agricultural and Allied Workers was a trade union in the United Kingdom.It was established as the Eastern Counties Agricultural Labourers & Small Holders Union at a conference of Norfolk agricultural workers at the Angel Hotel, North Walsham on 20 July 1906...
. He worked as a District Organiser for the NUAW, 1937-1964.
He unsuccessfully contested the safe Tory parliamentary seat of Barkston Ash
Barkston Ash (UK Parliament constituency)
Barkston Ash was a parliamentary constituency centred on the village of Barkston Ash in the West Riding of Yorkshire . It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until 1983...
in Yorkshire in the 1945 and 1950 elections, before returning to Norfolk to help North Norfolk
North Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)
North Norfolk is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
Labour MP Edwin Gooch
Edwin Gooch
Edwin George Gooch was a British Labour Party politician and trade union leader.Gooch was appointed an Alderman for Norfolk County Council...
. In 1945 he came within 116 votes of victory in Barkston Ash.
He was elected 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,...
(MP) for North Norfolk in 1964 by just 53 votes. The constituency was unusual in being an agricultural seat electing Labour MPs since 1945, owing to a history of organised agricultural trade unionism and a working-class rural Labour vote in Norfolk at the time, very atypical of the rest of the country. He was re-elected in 1966, when his majority was 737 votes. He lost his seat at the 1970 general election
United 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...
to the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Ralph Howell
Ralph Howell
Sir Ralph Frederic Howell was a British farmer and Conservative Party politician. He served as Member of Parliament for North Norfolk for 27 years.-Early life:...
who held the seat for 27 years. Subsequently Labour have never regained Norfolk North, and were relegated to third place when the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
gained the seat in 2001
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
.
As president of the NUAW for 10 years until he retired in 1978, Bert devoted nearly 60 years to the cause of agricultural workers.
He had a lengthy career in the health service including as chair of York Health Authority in the 1980s.
Hazell was made an MBE for services to agriculture in 1946 and a CBE for services as chairman of the regional board for industry in 1962.
Hazell, who reached his 100th birthday in April 2007, was the second longest-living MP in British history; only Theodore Cooke Taylor
Theodore Cooke Taylor
Theodore Cooke Taylor was a British businessman and Liberal politician. He was best known for pioneering profit-sharing in his business activities and for leading a movement against the opium trade...
lived longer, beating Hazell in the longevity stakes by around six months. On 6 November 2008 he overtook the late Lord Shinwell's record as the longest-living former MP of recent times. Upon Hazell's death, James Allason
James Allason
Lieutenant Colonel James Harry Allason OBE was a British Conservative Party politician, sportsman, and former military planner who worked with Mountbatten and Churchill...
became the oldest living former MP.
He died on 11 January 2009, aged 101. He was three months short of his 102nd birthday.