Fred Harris
Encyclopedia
Frederic Walter Harris (6 March 1915 – 4 January 1979, Kenya) was a British politician and businessman. He was Conservative
Member of Parliament in Croydon
between 1948 and 1970.
Fred Harris was born in Balham
, South London and educated at Belmont College, Streatham
. After working for a period in local government, he set up his own business with money invested by Sir Sydney Marshall. Marshall's Malted Milk was set up in Clapham
but soon moved to Croydon. The company expanded and during World War II making a range of foodstuffs. Harris made his fortune. The company became Marshall's Universal Ltd, then was publicly listed. By 1965, the company had fourteen subsidiaries in Britain and East Africa, working in engineering, vehicles, canning, food manufacture and farming. It had an annual turnover of £5million and Fred Harris remained Chairman of every company, even as MP.
Harris was active in the local Conservative Party. He stood in the 1945 and 1946 local elections in Broad Green
and Addiscombe
respectively but was unsuccessful. He was elected to the council of the County Borough of Croydon
for Central ward in December 1946 in a by-election, however, and was re-elected in 1947 for a full four-year term. He served as a ratepayers' association representative, which was effectively a cover for the local Conservatives. He was also elected as the youngest councillor on Surrey
County Council, representing Godstone
.
Croydon had been safe Conservative territory since first electing its own Member of Parliament in 1885. But in the 1945 General Election
, Labour
had taken Croydon South
and come within 607 votes in Croydon North
. In January 1948, Sir Henry Willink
resigned as Conservative MP for Croydon North. Labour and the Liberals
selected high-profile candidates – Harold Nicolson
for Labour and Air Vice-Marshal Don Bennett
for the Liberal Party. Harris was selected by the local Conservative Association as their candidate for the Croydon North by-election
, and had their wholehearted support.
Conservative Central Office were not so sure. They were concerned that a local businessman with little fame or track record would struggle to beat the former MP and author and the World War II hero. Odds were given of 6:1 against the Conservatives winning. Harris was summoned to see Party leader Winston Churchill
, which Harris realised was to dissuade him from standing. He later said, "when he discovered how determined I was to win the seat, he put his arm around my shoulders and said he would help me all he could." Churchill toured the constituency, making speeches from the top of his car. Helpfully, his daughter Mary Soames was then in a Croydon maternity hospital giving birth to her son, Nicholas
, bringing the campaign positive publicity. In the end, Harris triumphed with an 11,664 majority. A national newspaper the next morning ran the headline "Oh what a beautiful morning". The song
(from Oklahoma!
) became his theme tune when touring Croydon.
Harris never shone in Parliament. He was a moderate Tory and embraced change and democracy. He had no time for the right-wing, predicting that their politics would "die". In Croydon however, he was extremely popular, working hard especially on casework for individual constituents, which he said was the most rewarding part of the job. He was given the honour to drive the last tram (before Tramlink
returned) through the constituency with the Mayor of Croydon. He increased his majority and served as MP for Croydon North, then Croydon North West
for 22 years until he stepped down at the 1970 general election
. This at that time made him the longest-serving Croydon MP (a record later broken by Bernard Weatherill
).
Fred Harris had three children with his first wife – Roger who became an engineer in Kenya, Gillian, who also moved to East Africa, and Jacqueline who worked as secretary to the Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party. His wife died in 1955. In 1957 he married Joan Bagnall. He lived in Woldingham
, Surrey and on his farm in Subukia, Kenya.
Harris was very keen on sport. He had held a schoolboy cricket record and played football (soccer) in the Spartan League
. He played tennis all his life and was an occasional croc hunter. He campaigned successfully for Croydon Council to build Croydon Sports Arena in South Norwood
. He was also a racehorse owner, with Gordon Richards
as a regular jockey. In the 1940s he had a considerable lucky streak, with 50 wins out of 90 outings. His horse 'Now or Never' won the Great Metropolitan at Epsom
in 1948.
Harris died in January 1979 in Kenya after a long illness.
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...
Member of Parliament in Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
between 1948 and 1970.
Fred Harris was born in Balham
Balham
Balham is a district of London, EnglandBalham can also refer to:*Balham, Ardennes, a commune in France*Balham station, railway and tube station in Balham, London*Balaam, a Biblical figure...
, South London and educated at Belmont College, Streatham
Streatham
Streatham is a district in Surrey, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
. After working for a period in local government, he set up his own business with money invested by Sir Sydney Marshall. Marshall's Malted Milk was set up in Clapham
Clapham
Clapham is a district in south London, England, within the London Borough of Lambeth.Clapham covers the postcodes of SW4 and parts of SW9, SW8 and SW12. Clapham Common is shared with the London Borough of Wandsworth, although Lambeth has responsibility for running the common as a whole. According...
but soon moved to Croydon. The company expanded and during World War II making a range of foodstuffs. Harris made his fortune. The company became Marshall's Universal Ltd, then was publicly listed. By 1965, the company had fourteen subsidiaries in Britain and East Africa, working in engineering, vehicles, canning, food manufacture and farming. It had an annual turnover of £5million and Fred Harris remained Chairman of every company, even as MP.
Harris was active in the local Conservative Party. He stood in the 1945 and 1946 local elections in Broad Green
Broad Green, London
Broad Green is a small residential and retail area of the London Borough of Croydon in London. The area was centred on a triangular green space bounded by shops and houses, which was subsequently developed upon at the end of the 19th century...
and Addiscombe
Addiscombe
Addiscombe is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Croydon. It is situated south of Charing Cross.It is situated just to the northeast of central Croydon, and is home to a high proportion of people who commute to Central London, owing to its proximity to the busy...
respectively but was unsuccessful. He was elected to the council of the County Borough of Croydon
County Borough of Croydon
Croydon was a local government district in north east Surrey, England from 1849 to 1965.-History:A local board of health was formed for the parish of Croydon St John the Baptist in 1849. On March 9, 1883 the town received a charter of incorporation to become a municipal borough...
for Central ward in December 1946 in a by-election, however, and was re-elected in 1947 for a full four-year term. He served as a ratepayers' association representative, which was effectively a cover for the local Conservatives. He was also elected as the youngest councillor on Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
County Council, representing Godstone
Godstone
Godstone is a village in the county of Surrey, England. It is located approximately six miles east of Reigate at the junction of the A22 and A25 major roads, and near the M25 motorway.-History:...
.
Croydon had been safe Conservative territory since first electing its own Member of Parliament in 1885. But in the 1945 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
, Labour
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...
had taken Croydon South
Croydon South (historic UK Parliament constituency)
-Politics and history of the constituency:The seat was created in 1918 and the first MP was Ian Malcolm who had been the MP for all of Croydon. H.T. Muggeridge, father of Malcolm Muggeridge, fought the seat for Labour four times from 1918, later becoming MP for Romford...
and come within 607 votes in Croydon North
Croydon North (UK Parliament constituency)
Croydon North 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...
. In January 1948, Sir Henry Willink
Henry Willink
Sir Henry Urmston Willink, 1st Baronet PC, MC, KC , was a British politician and public servant.He is best known for his service in the Conservative Party as Minister of Health from 1943-1945 in the wartime Coalition Government of the United Kingdom...
resigned as Conservative MP for Croydon North. Labour and the Liberals
Liberal 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...
selected high-profile candidates – Harold Nicolson
Harold Nicolson
Sir Harold George Nicolson KCVO CMG was an English diplomat, author, diarist and politician. He was the husband of writer Vita Sackville-West, their unusual relationship being described in their son's book, Portrait of a Marriage.-Early life:Nicolson was born in Tehran, Persia, the younger son of...
for Labour and Air Vice-Marshal Don Bennett
Don Bennett
Air Vice Marshal Donald Clifford Tyndall Bennett CB CBE DSO RAF was an Australian aviation pioneer and bomber pilot who rose to be the youngest Air Vice-Marshal in the Royal Air Force. He led the "Pathfinder Force" from 1942 to the end of the Second World War in 1945...
for the Liberal Party. Harris was selected by the local Conservative Association as their candidate for the Croydon North by-election
Croydon North by-election, 1948
The Croydon North by-election, 1948 was a parliamentary by-election held in the British House of Commons constituency of Croydon North on 11 March 1948...
, and had their wholehearted support.
Conservative Central Office were not so sure. They were concerned that a local businessman with little fame or track record would struggle to beat the former MP and author and the World War II hero. Odds were given of 6:1 against the Conservatives winning. Harris was summoned to see Party leader Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, which Harris realised was to dissuade him from standing. He later said, "when he discovered how determined I was to win the seat, he put his arm around my shoulders and said he would help me all he could." Churchill toured the constituency, making speeches from the top of his car. Helpfully, his daughter Mary Soames was then in a Croydon maternity hospital giving birth to her son, Nicholas
Nicholas Soames
Arthur Nicholas Winston Soames MP , known as Nicholas Soames, is a British Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the constituency of Mid Sussex....
, bringing the campaign positive publicity. In the end, Harris triumphed with an 11,664 majority. A national newspaper the next morning ran the headline "Oh what a beautiful morning". The song
Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'
"Oh What a Beautiful Mornin" is the opening song from the musical Oklahoma! written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. It is sung by Curly McLain at the beginning of the first scene and was the first a cappella opening to a musical.*Joe Loss Orchestra recorded...
(from Oklahoma!
Oklahoma!
Oklahoma! is the first musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs. Set in Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance...
) became his theme tune when touring Croydon.
Harris never shone in Parliament. He was a moderate Tory and embraced change and democracy. He had no time for the right-wing, predicting that their politics would "die". In Croydon however, he was extremely popular, working hard especially on casework for individual constituents, which he said was the most rewarding part of the job. He was given the honour to drive the last tram (before Tramlink
Tramlink
Tramlink is a tramway system in south London in the United Kingdom which began operation in May 2000...
returned) through the constituency with the Mayor of Croydon. He increased his majority and served as MP for Croydon North, then Croydon North West
Croydon North West (UK Parliament constituency)
Croydon North West was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Politics and history of the constituency :...
for 22 years until he stepped down 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...
. This at that time made him the longest-serving Croydon MP (a record later broken by Bernard Weatherill
Bernard Weatherill
Bruce Bernard Weatherill, Baron Weatherill, PC, DL, KStJ was a British Conservative Party politician who became Speaker of the House of Commons.-Tailor:...
).
Fred Harris had three children with his first wife – Roger who became an engineer in Kenya, Gillian, who also moved to East Africa, and Jacqueline who worked as secretary to the Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party. His wife died in 1955. In 1957 he married Joan Bagnall. He lived in Woldingham
Woldingham
Woldingham is a village and civil parish in Surrey located above sea level just within the M25, southeast of London. Situated high on the North Downs between Oxted and Warlingham, it is a village of 2,326 inhabitants...
, Surrey and on his farm in Subukia, Kenya.
Harris was very keen on sport. He had held a schoolboy cricket record and played football (soccer) in the Spartan League
Spartan League
The Spartan League was an English football league covering London and adjacent counties.Formed in 1907, the league was along with the Isthmian League and the Athenian League, one of the strong amateur competitions in the South, with three clubs reaching the FA Amateur Cup semi-finals...
. He played tennis all his life and was an occasional croc hunter. He campaigned successfully for Croydon Council to build Croydon Sports Arena in South Norwood
South Norwood
South Norwood is an urban town and in south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is a suburban development 7.8 miles south-east of Charing Cross. South Norwood is an electoral with a resident population in 2001 of just over 14,000...
. He was also a racehorse owner, with Gordon Richards
Gordon Richards
Sir Gordon Richards was an English jockey, and is often considered the world's greatest ever jockey. He remains the only jockey to have been knighted....
as a regular jockey. In the 1940s he had a considerable lucky streak, with 50 wins out of 90 outings. His horse 'Now or Never' won the Great Metropolitan at Epsom
Epsom
Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England. Small parts of Epsom are in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The town is located south-south-west of Charing Cross, within the Greater London Urban Area. The town lies on the chalk downland of Epsom Downs.-History:Epsom lies...
in 1948.
Harris died in January 1979 in Kenya after a long illness.