Michael Shaw, Baron Shaw of Northstead
Encyclopedia
Michael Norman Shaw, Baron Shaw of Northstead (born 9 October 1920) is a British
Conservative Party
politician who served as a Member of Parliament
(MP) from 1960 to 1964 and from 1966 to 1992.
At the general election in October 1959
, Shaw contested the Labour
-held marginal constituency
of Brighouse and Spenborough
. He lost by only 47 votes to the sitting MP Lewis John Edwards, who died the following month.
At the resulting by-election in March 1960
, he won the seat with a majority of 666 votes over Labour's Colin Jackson
. However, Jackson regained the seat for Labour at the general election
by a majority of 922.
Shaw returned to Parliament
at the 1966 general election
, when he was elected for the safe Conservative constituency of Scarborough and Whitby. He held that seat until it was abolished for the February 1974 general election
, when he was re-elected for the new Scarborough constituency
. He continued to represent Scarbrorough until he retired at the 1992 general election
, making a total of 30 years as an MP.
He also served as a Member of the European Parliament
(MEP) from 1974 until 1979, when MEPs were not directly elected, but were chosen by the House of Commons and House of Lords as delegates.
In 1994 some time after retiring from the House of Commons
, he was created a life peer with the title Baron Shaw of Northstead, of Liversedge in the County of West Yorkshire
. He was educated at Sedbergh School
.
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 served as a 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) from 1960 to 1964 and from 1966 to 1992.
At the general election in October 1959
United Kingdom general election, 1959
This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan...
, Shaw contested 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...
-held marginal constituency
United Kingdom constituencies
In the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly.Within the United Kingdom there are now five bodies with members elected by constituencies:...
of Brighouse and Spenborough
Brighouse and Spenborough (UK Parliament constituency)
Brighouse and Spenborough was a parliamentary constituency in the West Riding of Yorkshire, comprising the areas of the two municipal boroughs of Brighouse and Spenborough...
. He lost by only 47 votes to the sitting MP Lewis John Edwards, who died the following month.
At the resulting by-election in March 1960
Brighouse and Spenborough by-election, 1960
A by-election was held for the British House of Commons constituency of Brighouse and Spenborough on 17th March 1960. The seat became vacant following the death on 23 November 1959 of the Labour Party Member of Parliament Lewis John Edwards, who had held the seat since a by-election in 1950, but...
, he won the seat with a majority of 666 votes over Labour's Colin Jackson
Colin Jackson (UK politician)
George Colin Jackson was a British Labour Party politician, barrister, lecturer and writer.He was twice Member of Parliament for the marginal constituency of Brighouse and Spenborough, in West Yorkshire...
. However, Jackson regained the seat for Labour at the general election
United 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...
by a majority of 922.
Shaw returned to Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
at the 1966 general 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...
, when he was elected for the safe Conservative constituency of Scarborough and Whitby. He held that seat until it was abolished for the February 1974 general election
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
, when he was re-elected for the new Scarborough constituency
Scarborough (UK Parliament constituency)
Scarborough was the name of a constituency in Yorkshire, electing Members of Parliament to the House of Commons, at two periods. From 1295 until 1918 it was a parliamentary borough consisting only of the town of Scarborough, electing two MPs until 1885 and one from 1885 until 1918...
. He continued to represent Scarbrorough until he retired 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...
, making a total of 30 years as an MP.
He also served as a Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
(MEP) from 1974 until 1979, when MEPs were not directly elected, but were chosen by the House of Commons and House of Lords as delegates.
In 1994 some time after retiring from the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
, he was created a life peer with the title Baron Shaw of Northstead, of Liversedge in the County of West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
. He was educated at Sedbergh School
Sedbergh School
Sedbergh School is a boarding school in Sedbergh, Cumbria, for boys and girls aged 13 to 18. Nestled in the Howgill Fells, it is known for sporting sides, such as its Rugby Union 1st XV.-Background:...
.