Brian Sedgemore
Encyclopedia
Brian Charles John Sedgemore (born 17 March 1937) is a former Labour Party
politician in the United Kingdom
; he was a Member of Parliament
from 1974 until 1979, and from 1983 until 2005. A noted left-winger, he defected to the Liberal Democrats shortly before he stood down at the 2005 general election
.
, Devon
; his father, a stoker in the Royal Navy, died during active service in World War II
.
He attended Newtown Primary School in Newtown, Exeter
and Hele's School, Exeter
, a grammar school
. He did RAF national service from 1956-8. He graduated in PPE, from Corpus Christi College, Oxford
in 1962 and, while working as a Whitehall civil servant, trained at night as a barrister specialising in Criminal Law at Middle Temple
, London
being called to the bar in 1966. During the 1970s he contributed pseudonymous articles on politics to Private Eye
. He has written a number of books including The Secret Constitution and a novel, Power Failure.
for Luton West
, but lost this seat in 1979. In 1976 he voted for Tony Benn
, the Energy Secretary, in the Labour leadership election and during 1978–79 served as Benn's Parliamentary Private Secretary
, or PPS. Early in 1979 he was forced to resign over a leak of treasury papers on the European Exchange Rate Mechanism to the Treasury Select Committee. Having lost his seat, he worked as a journalist for Granada Television
.
Sedgemore returned to Parliament
at the 1983 general election
, as MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch, and stood down at the 2005 general election
. He had been elected on a wave of left-wing activity in the Labour Party
, culminating in the breakaway of the Social Democratic Party
(SDP). Sedgemore himself replaced the SDP MP Ronald Brown
as member for Shoreditch.
, but he left the faction when he reversed his hostility to the (then) European Commission
in the late 'eighties. He was later one of the few Labour MPs to vote in favour of the Maastricht Treaty
, even though the Labour Party, though itself positive, used abstention as a tactic against the Conservatives.
(now Tate Britain) he disparaged the 1997 intake of female Labour MPs as "Stepford Wives…who've had the chip inserted into their brain to keep them on message and who collectively put down women and children in the vote on lone parent benefits" http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/politics/54262.stm — in the previous month benefits had been reduced for this group of (mainly) women. In the 2001–5 parliament he was the fifth most frequent rebel on the Labour benches in divisions on government motions and the tenth most frequent rebel on motions put forward by his own party.
of which he has been a long-term critic, university tuition fees and anti-terrorism laws as reasons for his defection and Blair's "scorn for liberal Britain". He made various comments about Tony Blair
being a liar, Blair responded on a BBC live television broadcast saying "He was not present at any meeting I had with George Bush
and I don't remember having any conversation on the issue with Brian Sedgemore". Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy
called Sedgemore's defection "a pivotal moment" in the election campaign.
and a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association
.
He married Audrey Reece, a fellow barrister in 1964. They have a son. They divorced in 2002.
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 in the United Kingdom
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...
; he was a 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,...
from 1974 until 1979, and from 1983 until 2005. A noted left-winger, he defected to the Liberal Democrats shortly before he stood down at the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
.
Early life
Brian Sedgemore, with his two siblings, was raised by his mother in ExmouthExmouth, Devon
Exmouth is a port town, civil parish and seaside resort in East Devon, England, sited on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe. In 2001, it had a population of 32,972.-History:...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
; his father, a stoker in the Royal Navy, died during active service in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
He attended Newtown Primary School in Newtown, Exeter
Newtown, Exeter
Newtown is an area of Exeter between St Sidwells and Heavitree and has been an area for the poor since Saxon times. A workhouse was built in 1671 on a site currently used as a car park, but Newtown remained largely rural up until the 19th century...
and Hele's School, Exeter
Hele's School, Exeter
Hele's School was a boys' grammar school, and latterly a comprehensive school, in the city of Exeter, Devon, England.- Elize Hele’s bequest :...
, a grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
. He did RAF national service from 1956-8. He graduated in PPE, from Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
in 1962 and, while working as a Whitehall civil servant, trained at night as a barrister specialising in Criminal Law at Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
being called to the bar in 1966. During the 1970s he contributed pseudonymous articles on politics to Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
. He has written a number of books including The Secret Constitution and a novel, Power Failure.
Parliamentary career
Sedgemore was first elected to the House of Commons at the February 1974 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
for Luton West
Luton West (UK Parliament constituency)
Luton West is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was created upon the abolition of the Luton constituency in 1974 and, with Luton East, divided into Luton North and Luton South in 1983.-Members of Parliament:...
, but lost this seat in 1979. In 1976 he voted for Tony Benn
Tony Benn
Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC is a British Labour Party politician and a former MP and Cabinet Minister.His successful campaign to renounce his hereditary peerage was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963...
, the Energy Secretary, in the Labour leadership election and during 1978–79 served as Benn's Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
, or PPS. Early in 1979 he was forced to resign over a leak of treasury papers on the European Exchange Rate Mechanism to the Treasury Select Committee. Having lost his seat, he worked as a journalist for Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
.
Sedgemore returned to Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
at the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
, as MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch, and stood down at the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
. He had been elected on a wave of left-wing activity in the 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...
, culminating in the breakaway of the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
(SDP). Sedgemore himself replaced the SDP MP Ronald Brown
Ronald Brown (English politician)
Ronald William Brown was a British Labour Party politician. He was the younger brother of George Brown, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1960 to 1970....
as member for Shoreditch.
Europe
Initially, he was a member of the (now Socialist) Campaign GroupSocialist Campaign Group
The Socialist Campaign Group is a left-wing democratic socialist grouping of Labour Party Members of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. It was formed in December 1982 as an alternative Parliamentary left-wing group to the Tribune Group...
, but he left the faction when he reversed his hostility to the (then) European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
in the late 'eighties. He was later one of the few Labour MPs to vote in favour of the Maastricht Treaty
Maastricht Treaty
The Maastricht Treaty was signed on 7 February 1992 by the members of the European Community in Maastricht, Netherlands. On 9–10 December 1991, the same city hosted the European Council which drafted the treaty...
, even though the Labour Party, though itself positive, used abstention as a tactic against the Conservatives.
Female Labour MPs
On 6 February 1998 in a controversial speech at the Tate GalleryTate Gallery
The Tate is an institution that houses the United Kingdom's national collection of British Art, and International Modern and Contemporary Art...
(now Tate Britain) he disparaged the 1997 intake of female Labour MPs as "Stepford Wives…who've had the chip inserted into their brain to keep them on message and who collectively put down women and children in the vote on lone parent benefits" http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/politics/54262.stm — in the previous month benefits had been reduced for this group of (mainly) women. In the 2001–5 parliament he was the fifth most frequent rebel on the Labour benches in divisions on government motions and the tenth most frequent rebel on motions put forward by his own party.
Defection
On 25 April 2005, during the run-up to the 2005 general election, he announced he would be defecting to the Liberal Democrats, ironically the successor party to the SDP, citing the invasion of Iraq2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
of which he has been a long-term critic, university tuition fees and anti-terrorism laws as reasons for his defection and Blair's "scorn for liberal Britain". He made various comments about Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
being a liar, Blair responded on a BBC live television broadcast saying "He was not present at any meeting I had with George Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and I don't remember having any conversation on the issue with Brian Sedgemore". Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy
Charles Kennedy
Charles Peter Kennedy is a British Liberal Democrat politician, who led the Liberal Democrats from 9 August 1999 until 7 January 2006 and is currently a Member of Parliament for the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency....
called Sedgemore's defection "a pivotal moment" in the election campaign.
Personal life
He is an Honorary Associate of the National Secular SocietyNational Secular Society
The National Secular Society is a British campaigning organisation that promotes secularism and the separation of church and state. It holds that no-one should gain advantage or disadvantage because of their religion or lack of religion. It was founded by Charles Bradlaugh in 1866...
and a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association
British Humanist Association
The British Humanist Association is an organisation of the United Kingdom which promotes Humanism and represents "people who seek to live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs." The BHA is committed to secularism, human rights, democracy, egalitarianism and mutual respect...
.
He married Audrey Reece, a fellow barrister in 1964. They have a son. They divorced in 2002.