John Pardoe
Encyclopedia
John Wentworth Pardoe is a retired British
businessman and Liberal Party
politician.
, he was active in the famous Footlights
Society; one critic of their 1955 revue panned future comedian Jonathan Miller
whilst predicting a bold comedic future for Pardoe.
Pardoe stood as the Liberal candidate against Margaret Thatcher
in Finchley
. In the 1966 election
, the Liberal Party increased its number of MPs from nine to twelve - one of them was Pardoe, capturing the North Cornwall
seat from the Conservative Party
's James Scott-Hopkins
. He rapidly became the party's Economic Affairs spokesman in parliament, respected for the intellect of his views if not the often partisan nature of his comments.
In 1976, after the resignation of Jeremy Thorpe
, Pardoe was a candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Party. He lost to David Steel
by a wide margin.
In 1978, John Pardoe MP played the fairy-tale Liberal prime minister in BBC Radio 4's Christmas Pantomime, Black Cinderella Two Goes East
, on the basis that you only get Liberal prime ministers in fairy-tales. The 'often partisan nature of his comments' became a running gag within the programme.
In the 1979 general election
, he lost his seat, possibly because of his outspoken support for neighbouring MP Jeremy Thorpe
, who was then standing trial at the Old Bailey
for conspiracy and incitement to murder.
In the general election of 1987
, Pardoe served as campaign manager of the SDP-Liberal Alliance
.
In the 1960s John Pardoe was a member of Mebyon Kernow
as well as the Liberal Party.
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...
businessman and Liberal Party
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...
politician.
Education
Educated at Corpus Christi College, CambridgeCorpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is notable as the only college founded by Cambridge townspeople: it was established in 1352 by the Guilds of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary...
, he was active in the famous Footlights
Footlights
Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club, commonly referred to simply as the Footlights, is an amateur theatrical club in Cambridge, England, founded in 1883 and run by the students of Cambridge University....
Society; one critic of their 1955 revue panned future comedian Jonathan Miller
Jonathan Miller
Sir Jonathan Wolfe Miller CBE is a British theatre and opera director, author, physician, television presenter, humorist and sculptor. Trained as a physician in the late 1950s, he first came to prominence in the 1960s with his role in the comedy revue Beyond the Fringe with fellow writers and...
whilst predicting a bold comedic future for Pardoe.
Liberal Party
In the 1964 general electionUnited 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...
Pardoe stood as the Liberal candidate against Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
in Finchley
Finchley (UK Parliament constituency)
Finchley was a 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; its best-known MP was Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990...
. In 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...
, the Liberal Party increased its number of MPs from nine to twelve - one of them was Pardoe, capturing the North Cornwall
North Cornwall (UK Parliament constituency)
North Cornwall is a county 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 :...
seat from the 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...
's James Scott-Hopkins
James Scott-Hopkins
Sir James Sidney Rawdon Scott-Hopkins was a British Conservative Party politician.Born in Croydon, Scott-Hopkins was educated at Eton College and Oxford University. He joined the British Army in 1939...
. He rapidly became the party's Economic Affairs spokesman in parliament, respected for the intellect of his views if not the often partisan nature of his comments.
In 1976, after the resignation of Jeremy Thorpe
Jeremy Thorpe
John Jeremy Thorpe is a British former politician who was leader of the Liberal Party from 1967 to 1976 and was the Member of Parliament for North Devon from 1959 to 1979. His political career was damaged when an acquaintance, Norman Scott, claimed to have had a love affair with Thorpe at a time...
, Pardoe was a candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Party. He lost to David Steel
David Steel
David Martin Scott Steel, Baron Steel of Aikwood, KT, KBE, PC is a British Liberal Democrat politician who served as the Leader of the Liberal Party from 1976 until its merger with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the Liberal Democrats...
by a wide margin.
In 1978, John Pardoe MP played the fairy-tale Liberal prime minister in BBC Radio 4's Christmas Pantomime, Black Cinderella Two Goes East
Black Cinderella Two Goes East
Black Cinderella Two Goes East was a radio pantomime broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on 25 December 1978. The programme is notable for being one of only a few radio programmes -produced by Douglas Adams while he was employed by the BBC as a radio producer...
, on the basis that you only get Liberal prime ministers in fairy-tales. The 'often partisan nature of his comments' became a running gag within the programme.
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...
, he lost his seat, possibly because of his outspoken support for neighbouring MP Jeremy Thorpe
Jeremy Thorpe
John Jeremy Thorpe is a British former politician who was leader of the Liberal Party from 1967 to 1976 and was the Member of Parliament for North Devon from 1959 to 1979. His political career was damaged when an acquaintance, Norman Scott, claimed to have had a love affair with Thorpe at a time...
, who was then standing trial at the Old Bailey
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
for conspiracy and incitement to murder.
In the general election of 1987
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
, Pardoe served as campaign manager of the SDP-Liberal Alliance
SDP-Liberal Alliance
The SDP–Liberal Alliance was an electoral pact formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Party in the United Kingdom which was in existence from 1981 to 1988, when the bulk of the two parties merged to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, later referred to as simply the Liberal...
.
In the 1960s John Pardoe was a member of Mebyon Kernow
Mebyon Kernow
Mebyon Kernow is a left-of-centre political party in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It primarily campaigns for devolution to Cornwall in the form of a Cornish Assembly, as well as social democracy and environmental protection.MK was formed as a pressure group in 1951, and contained as members activists...
as well as the Liberal Party.