Raymond Blackburn
Encyclopedia
Albert Raymond Blackburn (11 March 1915 - 3 November 1991) was a British
Labour Party
politician who served as Member of Parliament
for the Birmingham King's Norton
and Birmingham Northfield constituencies.
in the Watford by-election, 1943. He then won the King's Norton seat for Labour at the 1945 general election
, defeating the sitting Conservative
MP Basil Arthur John Peto
but at the 1950 general election
switched to the newly created Northfield seat. He left Parliament the following year
.
, was blighted by his alcoholism
with the first of a series of arrests for drunkenness coming in 1947. Falling into further legal difficulties Blackburn was declared bankrupt
in 1952 and imprisoned in 1956 for fraud regarding the illegal use of a caravan site. He publicly acknowledged his drink problem and even wrote a 1959 book discussing how alcohol had ruined his career.
campaigner Lord Longford. His other campaigns included a failed drive against gambling and attempts to prosecute the films Mera ur kärlekens språk
and Language of Love for gross indecency
, the former successfully the latter unsuccessfully. Although Mera ur kärlekens språk was the sequel of Language of Love Blackburn opted to prosecute the later film first.
Blackburn also took part in a number of prominent legal challenges of major constitutional significance, including R v Commissioner of Metropolitan Police, ex parte Blackburn, on illegal gambling and the duties of the police, and Blackburn v Attorney-General, on the constitutionality of the European Communities Act 1972
.
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 who served as 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,...
for the Birmingham King's Norton
Birmingham King's Norton (UK Parliament constituency)
Birmingham King's Norton was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1955. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election.- Boundaries :...
and Birmingham Northfield constituencies.
Politics
Blackburn stood unsuccessfully for the Common Wealth PartyCommon Wealth Party
The Common Wealth Party was a socialist political party in the United Kingdom in the Second World War. Thereafter, it continued in being, essentially as a pressure group, until 1993.-The war years:...
in the Watford by-election, 1943. He then won the King's Norton seat for Labour at the 1945 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
, defeating the sitting Conservative
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...
MP Basil Arthur John Peto
Basil Arthur John Peto
Basil Arthur John Peto was a British Conservative Party politician.He was elected as Member of Parliament for Birmingham King's Norton at a by-election in May 1941 following the death of the sitting MP Ronald Cartland, but was defeated at the 1945 general election by the Labour Party candidate,...
but at the 1950 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
switched to the newly created Northfield seat. He left Parliament the following year
United Kingdom general election, 1951
The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats...
.
Downfall
Blackburn's political career, which began promisingly with his maiden speech being praised by Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, was blighted by his alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
with the first of a series of arrests for drunkenness coming in 1947. Falling into further legal difficulties Blackburn was declared bankrupt
Bankruptcy in the United Kingdom
Bankruptcy in the United Kingdom does not have a singular law. There is one system for England and Wales, one for Northern Ireland and one for Scotland.Across the United Kingdom, bankruptcy refers only to insolvency of individuals and partnerships...
in 1952 and imprisoned in 1956 for fraud regarding the illegal use of a caravan site. He publicly acknowledged his drink problem and even wrote a 1959 book discussing how alcohol had ruined his career.
Campaigning
After disappearing from the public view for a time Blackburn returned as a moral crusader, working closely with anti-pornographyAnti-pornography movement
The term anti-pornography movement is used to describe those who argue that pornography has a variety of harmful effects, such as encouragement of human trafficking, desensitization, pedophilia, dehumanization, sexual exploitation, sexual dysfunction, and inability to maintain healthy sexual...
campaigner Lord Longford. His other campaigns included a failed drive against gambling and attempts to prosecute the films Mera ur kärlekens språk
Mera ur kärlekens språk
Mera ur kärlekens språk is a 1970 sequel to Language of Love. It dealt more with alternative sexuality and life styles and the disabled but was equally successful financially....
and Language of Love for gross indecency
Gross indecency
Gross indecency is a UK and Canadian legal term of art which was used in the definition of the following criminal offences:*Gross indecency between men, contrary to section 11 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885 and later contrary to section 13 of the Sexual Offences Act 1956.*Indecency with a...
, the former successfully the latter unsuccessfully. Although Mera ur kärlekens språk was the sequel of Language of Love Blackburn opted to prosecute the later film first.
Blackburn also took part in a number of prominent legal challenges of major constitutional significance, including R v Commissioner of Metropolitan Police, ex parte Blackburn, on illegal gambling and the duties of the police, and Blackburn v Attorney-General, on the constitutionality of the European Communities Act 1972
European Communities Act 1972
European Communities Act 1972 can refer to:*European Communities Act 1972 * European Communities Act 1972...
.