Gerald Howarth
Encyclopedia
James Gerald Douglas Howarth known as Gerald Howarth (born 12 September 1947) is a British Conservative Party
politician. He has been the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Aldershot since 1997
, having been the MP for Cannock and Burntwood
from 1983 to 1992.
He is currently Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
at the Ministry of Defence
as Minister for International Security Strategy.
and the University of Southampton
(BA Hons), and married in 1973, Elizabeth Jane, née Squibb. They have two sons and a daughter. A qualified private pilot
, he was commissioned into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
in 1968, and 20 years later, in 1988 received the Britannia Airways
Parliamentary Pilot of the Year Award. In 1971 was employed by the Bank of America
International Ltd., where he remained until 1977, when he moved to the European Arab Bank until 1981 (Manager 1979-81). He then became the Syndication Manager for the Standard Chartered Bank
for the next two years, after which he was first elected to parliament.
Howarth was General Secretary of the pressure group, the Society for Individual Freedom
1969-1971, and was once an active member of the Conservative Monday Club
. He and Graham Webster Gardiner (the UKIP Candidate for Epsom and Ewell
in the 2001 General Election), representing the Club's Universities Group, spoke at the Club's all-day Conference on Subversion, at Church House, Westminster, in January 1970. On 16 April 1970 he took part in a protest in London demanding the abolition of exchange controls, which Sir Geoffrey Howe eventually abolished in December 1980.
In 1971 and 1972 he is recorded as a member of the National Monday Club's Executive Council. From 1973-77 he was Director of the Freedom Under The Law Group. He served as an elected councillor on the London Borough of Hounslow
1982-3, and sat on their Environmental Planning, and Finance and General Purposes Committees.
constituency in the Conservative landslide victory at the 1983 general election
, but lost his seat nine years later, at the 1992 general election
. He left Parliament for five years, but was re-elected at the 1997 general election
as MP for Aldershot
.
Howarth was Parliamentary Private Secretary to Michael Spicer when Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Energy 1987-90, and as Minister of State, Department of the Environment in 1990.
He is a supporter of the UK defence industry, when, speaking in support of the industry, he told delegates at a meeting sponsored by the Defense Industries Council that "People who decry the defence industry should hang their heads in shame because it is a noble industry". He also told the meeting that, should his party attain government, he could accept the title of "Minister for War" reflecting his belief that wider Government should recognise that the UK is at war and support UK Armed Forces appropriately.
Allegations of far-right sympathies were made against Howarth in a controversial January 1984 Panorama
programme, "Maggie's Militant Tendency". Howarth and his close friend Neil Hamilton
both successfully sued the BBC and were each awarded £20,000 damages for libel in October 1986, with their court costs paid. Further problems arose in 2001 when he was one of several famous faces duped into appearing on the Channel Four Brass Eye
TV programme; this was the notorious 'Paedogeddon' spoof episode, where he agreed to read out a fairly ridiculous statement.
He is known for his views on limited immigration
, free market economics, and support for UK Armed Forces; he is a member of the Thatcherite 'No Turning Back' group and the Freedom Association
.
He was one of those who questioned the conclusion of the Macpherson report (into Stephen Lawrence
's death) that the Metropolitan police are institutionally racist as "a grotesque over-reaction."
After British Airways
in November 2006 indicated that a member of its check-in staff would not be permitted to display a cross over her uniform, Howarth announced his decision to boycott the flag carrier
and claimed that "the idea that somehow it has become unacceptable to demonstrate that (Christian) faith is bizarre...the cross is a modest symbol. It is not an aggressive or provocative gesture... it is a quiet demonstration of faith".
In a programme about the fall of Margaret Thatcher
in 2008, Howarth told Michael Portillo
that he was "gutted" when Thatcher resigned in November 1990, and that he "is, was, and always will be, devoted to her".
Following the expenses scandal of 2009, Howarth claimed that he had "acted within the rules" set out by the House of Commons, but nonetheless repaid expenses identified by Sir Thomas Legg as being unreasonable..
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...
politician. He has been the 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 Aldershot since 1997
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
, having been the MP for Cannock and Burntwood
Cannock and Burntwood (UK Parliament constituency)
Cannock and Burntwood was a parliamentary constituency in Staffordshire which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 until it was abolished for the 1997 general election.- History :...
from 1983 to 1992.
He is currently Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
A Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State is the lowest of three tiers of government minister in the government of the United Kingdom, junior to both a Minister of State and a Secretary of State....
at the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
as Minister for International Security Strategy.
Early life
The son of James and Mary Howarth, he was educated at Bloxham SchoolBloxham School
Bloxham School is an independent co-educational day and boarding school located in the village of Bloxham, three miles from the town of Banbury in Oxfordshire, England. It was founded in 1860 by the Reverend Philip Reginald Egerton and has since become a member of the Woodard Corporation...
and the University of Southampton
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
(BA Hons), and married in 1973, Elizabeth Jane, née Squibb. They have two sons and a daughter. A qualified private pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
, he was commissioned into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve consists of a number of groupings of individual military reservists for the management and operation of the Royal Air Force's Air Training Corps and CCF Air Cadet formations, Volunteer Gliding Squadrons , Air Experience Flights, and also to form the...
in 1968, and 20 years later, in 1988 received the Britannia Airways
Britannia Airways
Britannia Airways was the largest charter airline in the United Kingdom, rebranded as Thomsonfly in 2005. Its main bases were Gatwick, London Luton, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow...
Parliamentary Pilot of the Year Award. In 1971 was employed by the Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
International Ltd., where he remained until 1977, when he moved to the European Arab Bank until 1981 (Manager 1979-81). He then became the Syndication Manager for the Standard Chartered Bank
Standard Chartered Bank
Standard Chartered PLC is a multinational financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom with operations in more than seventy countries...
for the next two years, after which he was first elected to parliament.
Howarth was General Secretary of the pressure group, the Society for Individual Freedom
Society for Individual Freedom
The Society for Individual Freedom is a United Kingdom-based association of libertarians, classical liberals, free-market conservatives and others promoting individual freedom....
1969-1971, and was once an active member of the Conservative Monday Club
Conservative Monday Club
The Conservative Monday Club is a British pressure group "on the right-wing" of the Conservative Party.-Overview:...
. He and Graham Webster Gardiner (the UKIP Candidate for Epsom and Ewell
Epsom and Ewell
Epsom and Ewell is a local government district with borough status in Surrey, England, covering the town of Epsom and the village of Ewell. The borough was formed as an urban district in 1894, and was known as Epsom until 1934. It was made a municipal borough in 1937...
in the 2001 General Election), representing the Club's Universities Group, spoke at the Club's all-day Conference on Subversion, at Church House, Westminster, in January 1970. On 16 April 1970 he took part in a protest in London demanding the abolition of exchange controls, which Sir Geoffrey Howe eventually abolished in December 1980.
In 1971 and 1972 he is recorded as a member of the National Monday Club's Executive Council. From 1973-77 he was Director of the Freedom Under The Law Group. He served as an elected councillor on the London Borough of Hounslow
London Borough of Hounslow
-Political composition:Since the borough was formed it has been controlled by the Labour Party on all but two occasions. In 1968 the Conservatives formed a majority for the first and last time to date until they lost control to Labour in 1971. Labour subsequently lost control of the council in the...
1982-3, and sat on their Environmental Planning, and Finance and General Purposes Committees.
Parliamentary career
Howarth was first elected for the Cannock and BurntwoodCannock and Burntwood (UK Parliament constituency)
Cannock and Burntwood was a parliamentary constituency in Staffordshire which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 until it was abolished for the 1997 general election.- History :...
constituency in the Conservative landslide victory 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...
, but lost his seat nine years later, at the 1992 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
. He left Parliament for five years, but was re-elected at the 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
as MP for Aldershot
Aldershot (constituency)
Aldershot is a borough constituency in Hampshire, 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....
.
Howarth was Parliamentary Private Secretary to Michael Spicer when Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Energy 1987-90, and as Minister of State, Department of the Environment in 1990.
He is a supporter of the UK defence industry, when, speaking in support of the industry, he told delegates at a meeting sponsored by the Defense Industries Council that "People who decry the defence industry should hang their heads in shame because it is a noble industry". He also told the meeting that, should his party attain government, he could accept the title of "Minister for War" reflecting his belief that wider Government should recognise that the UK is at war and support UK Armed Forces appropriately.
Allegations of far-right sympathies were made against Howarth in a controversial January 1984 Panorama
Panorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
programme, "Maggie's Militant Tendency". Howarth and his close friend Neil Hamilton
Neil Hamilton (politician)
Mostyn Neil Hamilton is a former British barrister, teacher and Conservative MP. Since losing his seat in 1997 and leaving politics, Hamilton and his wife Christine have become media celebrities...
both successfully sued the BBC and were each awarded £20,000 damages for libel in October 1986, with their court costs paid. Further problems arose in 2001 when he was one of several famous faces duped into appearing on the Channel Four Brass Eye
Brass Eye
Brass Eye is a UK television series of satirical spoof documentaries. A series of six aired on Channel 4 in 1997, and a further episode in 2001....
TV programme; this was the notorious 'Paedogeddon' spoof episode, where he agreed to read out a fairly ridiculous statement.
He is known for his views on limited immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
, free market economics, and support for UK Armed Forces; he is a member of the Thatcherite 'No Turning Back' group and the Freedom Association
The Freedom Association
The Freedom Association is a pressure group in the United Kingdom that describes itself as non-partisan, centre-right and libertarian, which has links to the Conservative Party. TFA was founded in 1975 as the National Association for Freedom and gained public prominence through its anti-trade...
.
He was one of those who questioned the conclusion of the Macpherson report (into Stephen Lawrence
Stephen Lawrence
Stephen Lawrence was a black British teenager from Eltham, southeast London, who was stabbed to death while waiting for a bus on the evening of 22 April 1993....
's death) that the Metropolitan police are institutionally racist as "a grotesque over-reaction."
After British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
in November 2006 indicated that a member of its check-in staff would not be permitted to display a cross over her uniform, Howarth announced his decision to boycott the flag carrier
Flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transportation company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given country, enjoys preferential rights or privileges, accorded by the government, for international operations. It may be a state-run, state-owned or private but...
and claimed that "the idea that somehow it has become unacceptable to demonstrate that (Christian) faith is bizarre...the cross is a modest symbol. It is not an aggressive or provocative gesture... it is a quiet demonstration of faith".
In a programme about the fall of Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
in 2008, Howarth told Michael Portillo
Michael Portillo
Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo is a British journalist, broadcaster, and former Conservative Party politician and Cabinet Minister...
that he was "gutted" when Thatcher resigned in November 1990, and that he "is, was, and always will be, devoted to her".
Following the expenses scandal of 2009, Howarth claimed that he had "acted within the rules" set out by the House of Commons, but nonetheless repaid expenses identified by Sir Thomas Legg as being unreasonable..
External links
- Gerald Howarth MP official constituency website
- Gerald Howarth MP Conservative Party profile
- Aldershot and North Hampshire Conservatives