Humfrey Malins
Encyclopedia
Humfrey Jonathon Malins CBE
(born 31 July 1945, Nuneaton
, Warwickshire
) is a British
Conservative Party
politician, who was Member of Parliament
(MP) for Croydon North West
and later Woking
.
, gaining a MA in Jurisprudence in 1967. He qualified as a solicitor in 1971 and worked in a major Surrey law firm from 1975 to 1988. From 1973 to 1983, Malins was a member of Mole Valley District Council.
in both 1974 general elections and Lewisham East in the 1979 general election
.
In the 1983 general election
he was elected MP for Croydon North West
, beating by-election victor Bill Pitt. He spent most of his time on the backbenches, and was also Parliamentary Private Secretary
to Timothy Renton from 1987 to 1989 and then Virginia Bottomley
from 1989 to 1992.
In the 1992 general election
he was defeated for re-election by the Labour
candidate Malcolm Wicks
.
In 1993 he founded the Immigration Advisory Service
, a charitable organisation providing free legal advice on immigration and asylum issues.
He became a District Judge in 1991 and in 1996 became a Recorder at the Crown Court
. In 1997 he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to immigration policy.
At the 1997 general election
he was able to be selected for the usually safe Conservative seat of Woking. On his return to Parliament, he became a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee
.
Malins supported Kenneth Clarke
's failed bid in the 2001 leadership contest
, but nonetheless was appointed to Iain Duncan Smith
's front bench team as a junior home affairs spokesman.
In March 2003 he resigned from the opposition front bench in protest at their support of the Invasion of Iraq
. He was later re-appointed to the front bench as a shadow home affairs minister when Michael Howard
became leader in November 2003, but returned to the backbenches under David Cameron
.
With his legal experience as a solicitor, a District Judge and a Crown Recorder he was one of Parliaments foremost experts in criminal justice and home affairs.
He announced in March 2009 his intention to stand down, and left parliament at the 2010 general election.
. They have a son Harry and daughter, Katherine.
His brother Julian Malins
QC
is barrister and a Farrington Ward Deputy Councillor.
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...
(born 31 July 1945, Nuneaton
Nuneaton
Nuneaton is the largest town in the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth and in the English county of Warwickshire.Nuneaton is most famous for its associations with the 19th century author George Eliot, who was born on a farm on the Arbury Estate just outside Nuneaton in 1819 and lived in the town for...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
) is 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...
Conservative Party
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, who was 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 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 :...
and later Woking
Woking (UK Parliament constituency)
Woking 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...
.
Early life
Malins was educated at St John's School, Leatherhead and Brasenose College, OxfordBrasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College , is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. As of 2006, it has an estimated financial endowment of £98m...
, gaining a MA in Jurisprudence in 1967. He qualified as a solicitor in 1971 and worked in a major Surrey law firm from 1975 to 1988. From 1973 to 1983, Malins was a member of Mole Valley District Council.
Parliamentary career
He contested Liverpool ToxtethLiverpool Toxteth (UK Parliament constituency)
Liverpool Toxteth 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.- Boundaries :...
in both 1974 general elections and Lewisham East in the 1979 general election
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...
.
In 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...
he was elected MP for 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 :...
, beating by-election victor Bill Pitt. He spent most of his time on the backbenches, and was also 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...
to Timothy Renton from 1987 to 1989 and then Virginia Bottomley
Virginia Bottomley
Virginia Bottomley, Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone, PC, DL is a British Conservative Party politician. She was a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons from 1984 to 2005. She was raised to the peerage in 2005...
from 1989 to 1992.
In 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 was defeated for re-election by the 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...
candidate Malcolm Wicks
Malcolm Wicks
Malcolm Hunt Wicks is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Croydon North since 1997. He was MP for Croydon North West from 1992 to 1997.-Early life and education:...
.
In 1993 he founded the Immigration Advisory Service
Immigration Advisory Service
The Immigration Advisory Service is a UK organisation registered as a charity, providing direct legal assistance to refugees, asylum seekers and others needing advice and guidance around British immigration law. Founded in 1993, it was formed out of the former United Kingdom Immigrants Advisory...
, a charitable organisation providing free legal advice on immigration and asylum issues.
He became a District Judge in 1991 and in 1996 became a Recorder at the Crown Court
Crown Court
The Crown Court of England and Wales is, together with the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal, one of the constituent parts of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
. In 1997 he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to immigration policy.
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...
he was able to be selected for the usually safe Conservative seat of Woking. On his return to Parliament, he became a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee
Home Affairs Select Committee
The Home Affairs Select Committee is a Committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Remit:The Home Affairs Committee is one of the House of Commons Select Committees related to government departments: its terms of reference are to examine "the expenditure,...
.
Malins supported Kenneth Clarke
Kenneth Clarke
Kenneth Harry "Ken" Clarke, QC, MP is a British Conservative politician, currently Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. He was first elected to Parliament in 1970; and appointed a minister in Edward Heath's government, in 1972, and is one of...
's failed bid in the 2001 leadership contest
Conservative Party (UK) leadership election, 2001
The 2001 Conservative leadership election was held after the United Kingdom Conservative Party failed to make inroads into the Labour government's lead in the 2001 general election. Party leader William Hague resigned, and a leadership contest was called under new rules Hague had introduced...
, but nonetheless was appointed to Iain Duncan Smith
Iain Duncan Smith
George Iain Duncan Smith is a British Conservative politician. He is currently the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and was previously leader of the Conservative Party from September 2001 to October 2003...
's front bench team as a junior home affairs spokesman.
In March 2003 he resigned from the opposition front bench in protest at their support of the Invasion of Iraq
2003 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...
. He was later re-appointed to the front bench as a shadow home affairs minister when Michael Howard
Michael Howard
Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne, CH, QC, PC is a British politician, who served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005...
became leader in November 2003, but returned to the backbenches under David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
.
With his legal experience as a solicitor, a District Judge and a Crown Recorder he was one of Parliaments foremost experts in criminal justice and home affairs.
He announced in March 2009 his intention to stand down, and left parliament at the 2010 general election.
Personal life
He married Lynda on 21 July 1979 in GreenwichGreenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
. They have a son Harry and daughter, Katherine.
His brother Julian Malins
Julian Malins
Julian Malins , MA, QC, is a British barrister, Farrington Ward Councillor of the City of London and a Governor of the Museum of London.-Early life:Malins was born in B.A.O.R. West Germany, where his father was serving in the army...
QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
is barrister and a Farrington Ward Deputy Councillor.