Larry Whitty, Baron Whitty
Encyclopedia
John Lawrence Whitty, Baron Whitty, PC
(born 15 June 1943), known as Larry Whitty, is a British
Labour Party
politician.
Born in 1943, Whitty was educated at Latymer Upper School
and graduated from St John's College, Cambridge
with a BA (Hons) degree in Economics
. He worked for Hawker Siddeley Aviation from 1960 to 1962 and at the Ministry of Aviation Technology from 1965 to 1970.
He was employed by the Trades Union Congress
from 1970 to 1973 and the General Municipal Boilermakers and Allied Trade Union from 1973 to 1985.
In 1985, Whitty became the General Secretary of the Labour Party
, a post he held until 1994. He was part of the reforming leadership of Neil Kinnock
and in the role progressed a wide-ranging agenda including reform of internal rules, a shift towards a national membership scheme, the internal Policy Review and the expulsion of the entryist Militant Tendency
. Whitty's period as General Secretary meant that he oversaw the 1987 and 1992 general elections and the election of John Smith
and Tony Blair
as Leaders of the Party. He was the European Co-ordinator for the Labour Party from 1994 to 1997.
He is the brother of Geoff Whitty
, sometime Director of the Institute of Education
, London University.
in 1996 as Baron Whitty, of Camberwell in the London Borough of Southwark. From July 1998, Lord Whitty was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions with responsibility for roads and road safety issues. From 1997 Lord Whitty was a Lord-in-Waiting (Government Whip
) covering education and foreign affairs.
Lord Whitty became Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at DEFRA with responsibility for Farming, Food and Sustainable Energy in June 2001, serving in this position until the general election of May 2005.
Lord Whitty was appointed as the first Chairman of Consumer Focus in July 2007. Consumer Focus is the statutory organisation campaigning for a fair deal for consumers in England, Wales, Scotland, and, for postal services, Northern Ireland. Consumer Focus was created through the merger of three organisations – energywatch, Postwatch and the National Consumer Council (including the Scottish and Welsh Consumer Councils) – by the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007.
Lord Whitty is married, with two sons from a previous marriage.
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...
(born 15 June 1943), known as Larry Whitty, 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...
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.
Born in 1943, Whitty was educated at Latymer Upper School
Latymer Upper School
Latymer Upper School, founded by Edward Latymer in 1624, is a selective independent school in Hammersmith, West London, England, lying between King Street and the Thames. It is a day school for 1,130 pupils – boys and girls aged 11–18; there is also the Latymer Preparatory School for boys and girls...
and graduated from St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
with a BA (Hons) degree in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. He worked for Hawker Siddeley Aviation from 1960 to 1962 and at the Ministry of Aviation Technology from 1965 to 1970.
He was employed by the Trades Union Congress
Trades Union Congress
The Trades Union Congress is a national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions in the United Kingdom, representing the majority of trade unions...
from 1970 to 1973 and the General Municipal Boilermakers and Allied Trade Union from 1973 to 1985.
In 1985, Whitty became the General Secretary of the Labour Party
General Secretary of the Labour Party
The General Secretary is the most senior employee of the British Labour Party, and acts as the non-voting secretary to the National Executive Committee...
, a post he held until 1994. He was part of the reforming leadership of Neil Kinnock
Neil Kinnock
Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock is a Welsh politician belonging to the Labour Party. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995 and as Labour Leader and Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition from 1983 until 1992 - his leadership of the party during nearly nine years making him...
and in the role progressed a wide-ranging agenda including reform of internal rules, a shift towards a national membership scheme, the internal Policy Review and the expulsion of the entryist Militant Tendency
Militant Tendency
The Militant tendency was an entrist group within the British Labour Party based around the Militant newspaper that was first published in 1964...
. Whitty's period as General Secretary meant that he oversaw the 1987 and 1992 general elections and the election of John Smith
John Smith (UK politician)
John Smith was a British Labour Party politician who served as Leader of the Labour Party from July 1992 until his sudden death from a heart attack in May 1994...
and Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
as Leaders of the Party. He was the European Co-ordinator for the Labour Party from 1994 to 1997.
He is the brother of Geoff Whitty
Geoff Whitty
Geoffrey "Geoff" James Whitty CBE is the former Director of the Institute of Education, University of London, in the United Kingdom....
, sometime Director of the Institute of Education
Institute of Education
The Institute of Education is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom specialised in postgraduate study and research in the field of education and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It is the largest education research body in the United Kingdom, with...
, London University.
Election NHS/Geneva Convention controversy
Mr Whitty, as General Secretary, was held answerable for Labour Party election literature from the 1992 General Election which used a symbol akin to the Red Cross symbol in electoral literature about the NHS, which, by inadvertently associating a symbol similar to the Red Cross symbol with a political matter, breached the protection afforded to the symbol by law. The Labour Party was prosecuted as a consequence through the personage of Mr Whitty.Subsequent career
Larry Whitty was created a Life PeerLife 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...
in 1996 as Baron Whitty, of Camberwell in the London Borough of Southwark. From July 1998, Lord Whitty was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions with responsibility for roads and road safety issues. From 1997 Lord Whitty was a Lord-in-Waiting (Government Whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
) covering education and foreign affairs.
Lord Whitty became Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at DEFRA with responsibility for Farming, Food and Sustainable Energy in June 2001, serving in this position until the general election of May 2005.
Lord Whitty was appointed as the first Chairman of Consumer Focus in July 2007. Consumer Focus is the statutory organisation campaigning for a fair deal for consumers in England, Wales, Scotland, and, for postal services, Northern Ireland. Consumer Focus was created through the merger of three organisations – energywatch, Postwatch and the National Consumer Council (including the Scottish and Welsh Consumer Councils) – by the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007.
Lord Whitty is married, with two sons from a previous marriage.