David Ennals, Baron Ennals
Encyclopedia
David Hedley Ennals, Baron Ennals PC
(19 August 1922 – 17 June 1995) was a British Labour Party
politician and campaigner for human rights. He served as Secretary of State for Social Services
from 1976 to 1979.
, Walsall
and the Loomis Institute in Windsor, Connecticut
on a one-year student exchange scholarship. In 1939 he was a reporter on the Walsall Observer
and during World War II
he served in the Royal Armoured Corps
from 1941 to 1945. Commissioned into Reconnaissance Corps
in 1942 and posted to 3rd Reconnaissance Corps
. He served in North Africa, Italy and the Rhine Crossing. He failed to return from a night patrol during the Normandy campaign in June 1944 and spent several months as a prisoner of war
. He was invalided out with the rank of Lieutenant.
candidate for Richmond (Surrey)
in the 1950 general election
and again in 1951
. He later joined the Labour Party and served as secretary to the international department at the Labour Party's head office.
In 1964
he was elected as the Member of Parliament for Dover
. Following the 1966 election
, Harold Wilson
appointed Ennals as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Army. He moved to become Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department
in 1967 under James Callaghan
before being appointed as a Minister of State for Social Services in 1968. He lost his government post and his seat following Labour's defeat in the 1970 general election
.
Ennals returned to parliament representing Norwich North following the February 1974 general election
as was appointed Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
. In 1976 he became Secretary of State for Social Services
, which he held until Labour lost power in 1979
. During his tenure he appointed Sir Douglas Black
to produce the Black Report
(published in 1980) into health inequality. After losing his seat in the general election of 1983
, he was created a life peer
, as Baron Ennals, of Norwich in the County of Norfolk.
He may be the only politician to be remembered for telling the truth and being laughed at for it. In a debate on health inequalities he told the House of Commons that "people who smoke cigarettes are going to die" - and a Member sang the line from "Fame
": "I'm gonna live forever". The House collapsed in laughter and Ennals never quite lived the joke down.
After serving as secretary to the United Nations Association
from 1952 to 1957, he became Chairman in 1984, as well as Chairman of the Gandhi Foundation
, which he held until 1995.
Ennals's younger brother, Martin Ennals
, was a human rights activist and Secretary-General of Amnesty International
. His son, Sir Paul Ennals
, is chief executive of the National Children's Bureau
.
He died in 1995 of pancreatic cancer
at his home in Belsize Park
, London
.
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Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(19 August 1922 – 17 June 1995) was a British 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 campaigner for human rights. He served as Secretary of State for Social Services
Secretary of State for Social Services
The Secretary of State for Social Services was a position in the UK cabinet, created on 1 November 1968 with responsibility for the Department of Health and Social Security...
from 1976 to 1979.
Early life and military career
Born in 1922 to Arthur Ford Ennals and his wife Jessie Edith Taylor, Ennals was educated at Queen Mary's Grammar SchoolQueen Mary's Grammar School
Queen Mary's Grammar School is a selective grammar school located in Sutton Road, Walsall, England, about a mile from the town centre.-Admissions:...
, Walsall
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
and the Loomis Institute in Windsor, Connecticut
Windsor, Connecticut
Windsor is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, and was the first English settlement in the state. It lies on the northern border of Connecticut's capital, Hartford. The population was estimated at 28,778 in 2005....
on a one-year student exchange scholarship. In 1939 he was a reporter on the Walsall Observer
Walsall Observer
The Walsall Observer was a weekly newspaper, published in Walsall in the West Midlands of England from 1868 to 2009.- History :Founded October 24, 1868 as The Walsall Observer, and General District Advertiser, it became a regional weekly...
and during 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 served in the Royal Armoured Corps
Royal Armoured Corps
The Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army...
from 1941 to 1945. Commissioned into Reconnaissance Corps
Reconnaissance Corps
The Reconnaissance Corps or simply Recce Corps was a short-lived elite corps of the British Army whose units provided the mobile spearhead of infantry divisions from the Far East to Europe during the Second World War. It was formed from Infantry Brigade Reconnaissance Groups on 14 January 1941...
in 1942 and posted to 3rd Reconnaissance Corps
Reconnaissance Corps
The Reconnaissance Corps or simply Recce Corps was a short-lived elite corps of the British Army whose units provided the mobile spearhead of infantry divisions from the Far East to Europe during the Second World War. It was formed from Infantry Brigade Reconnaissance Groups on 14 January 1941...
. He served in North Africa, Italy and the Rhine Crossing. He failed to return from a night patrol during the Normandy campaign in June 1944 and spent several months as a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. He was invalided out with the rank of Lieutenant.
Political life
Ennals stood unsuccessfully as a LiberalLiberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
candidate for Richmond (Surrey)
Richmond (Surrey) (UK Parliament constituency)
Not to be confused with the Richmond constituency in Yorkshire.Richmond was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Richmond, which is in the north-western part of the historic county of Surrey and in South London...
in the 1950 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
and again in 1951
United Kingdom general election, 1951
The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats...
. He later joined the Labour Party and served as secretary to the international department at the Labour Party's head office.
In 1964
United Kingdom general election, 1964
The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power...
he was elected as the Member of Parliament for Dover
Dover (UK Parliament constituency)
Dover is a 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.-Boundaries:...
. Following the 1966 election
United Kingdom general election, 1966
The 1966 United Kingdom general election on 31 March 1966 was called by sitting Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Wilson's decision to call an election turned on the fact that his government, elected a mere 17 months previously in 1964 had an unworkably small majority of only 4 MPs...
, Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
appointed Ennals as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Army. He moved to become Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department
-Non-permanent and parliamentary under-secretaries, 1782-present:*April 1782: Evan Nepean*April 1782: Thomas Orde*July 1782: Henry Strachey*April 1783: George North*February 1784: Hon. John Townshend*June 1789: Scrope Bernard*July 1794: The Hon...
in 1967 under James Callaghan
James Callaghan
Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC , was a British Labour politician, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980...
before being appointed as a Minister of State for Social Services in 1968. He lost his government post and his seat following Labour's defeat in 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...
.
Ennals returned to parliament representing Norwich North following the February 1974 general election
United 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,...
as was appointed Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs is a junior ministerial position in the British government.-Ministers of State for Foreign Affairs 1945-1968:*1945: William Mabane*1945-1946: Philip Noel-Baker*1946-1950: Hector McNeil*1950-1951: Kenneth Younger...
. In 1976 he became Secretary of State for Social Services
Secretary of State for Social Services
The Secretary of State for Social Services was a position in the UK cabinet, created on 1 November 1968 with responsibility for the Department of Health and Social Security...
, which he held until Labour lost power in 1979
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
. During his tenure he appointed Sir Douglas Black
Douglas Black
Sir Douglas Andrew Kilgour Black, was a physician in the United Kingdom, famous as the author of the Black Report.He was born in Shetland in 1913, and studied medicine at the Bute Medical School, University of St Andrews, graduating with MB ChB in 1933.He conducted research into water loss and...
to produce the Black Report
Black Report
The Black report was a 1980 document published by the Department of Health and Social Security in the United Kingdom, which was the report of the expert committee into health inequality chaired by Sir Douglas Black...
(published in 1980) into health inequality. After losing his seat in the general election of 1983
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...
, he was created a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
, as Baron Ennals, of Norwich in the County of Norfolk.
He may be the only politician to be remembered for telling the truth and being laughed at for it. In a debate on health inequalities he told the House of Commons that "people who smoke cigarettes are going to die" - and a Member sang the line from "Fame
Fame (Irene Cara song)
"Fame" is a pop song, written by Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford that was released in 1980, and achieved chart success as the theme song to the Fame film and TV series. The song was performed by Irene Cara, who played the role of Coco Hernandez in the original movie...
": "I'm gonna live forever". The House collapsed in laughter and Ennals never quite lived the joke down.
Other work
Following his exit from parliament in 1970, Ennals became Campaign Director for the National Association for Mental Health (MIND), which he served as until 1973. He became Chairman in 1984, and served as President from 1989 to 1995.After serving as secretary to the United Nations Association
United Nations Association
The United Nations Associations are non-governmental organizations that exist in various countries to enhance the relationship between the people of a member state and the United Nations, raise public awareness of the UN and its work, promote the general goals of the UN and act as an advisory body...
from 1952 to 1957, he became Chairman in 1984, as well as Chairman of the Gandhi Foundation
Gandhi Foundation
The Gandhi Foundation is a United Kingdom-based voluntary organisation which seeks to further the work of Mahatma Gandhi through a variety of educational events and activities.- History :...
, which he held until 1995.
Personal life
Ennals married Eleanor Maud Caddick (born 1924/1925) on 10 June 1950, and they had four children before they divorced in 1977. Later that year he married Katherine Gene Tranoy (born 1926/1927).Ennals's younger brother, Martin Ennals
Martin Ennals
Martin Ennals was a British human rights activist.Ennals served as the Secretary-General of Amnesty International, between 1968 and 1980....
, was a human rights activist and Secretary-General of Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
. His son, Sir Paul Ennals
Paul Ennals
The Honourable Sir Paul Martin Ennals, CBE is chief executive of the United Kingdom's National Children's Bureau, a post he took up in 1998, having previously been director of education and employment for the RNIB...
, is chief executive of the National Children's Bureau
National Children's Bureau
The National Children's Bureau is a children's charity based in Islington, London. It was founded in 1963 The National Children's Bureau (NCB) is a children's charity based in Islington, London. It was founded in 1963 The National Children's Bureau (NCB) is a children's charity based in Islington,...
.
He died in 1995 of pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
at his home in Belsize Park
Belsize Park
Belsize Park is an area of north-west London, England, in the London Borough of Camden.It is located north-west of Charing Cross and situated on the Northern Line. It borders Hampstead to the north and west, Kentish Town and Gospel Oak to the east, Camden Town to the south east and Primrose Hill...
, 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...
.
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