Everything about Edward Short Baron Glenamara totally explained
Edward Watson Short, Baron Glenamara,
CH,
PC (born
17 December 1912) is a former
Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for
Newcastle upon Tyne Central in the
United Kingdom. He was a minister during the Labour Governments of
Harold Wilson.
Short was elected a councillor on
Newcastle City Council where he led the Labour Group. He was first elected to Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne Central at the
1951 general election. He was appointed to the
Privy Council in 1964, and is also a
Companion of Honour.
He became a notorious figure among fans of
offshore radio because he was
Postmaster-General (then the minister with responsibility for broadcasting) in 1967 when the
Marine etc. Broadcasting and Offences Act, which clamped down on the "pirate" stations, was passed.
He subsequently served as
Education Secretary 1968–70, and became Labour's deputy leader in April
1972 when
Roy Jenkins resigned over differences on European policy. Short was seen at the time as a "safe pair of hands." His main rival for the job was the left-winger
Michael Foot who was viewed by many on the centre and right of the party as a divisive figure. Short defeated Foot and
Anthony Crosland in the same vote.
Short's new seniority was reflected in his appointment as
Lord President of the Council – though not
Deputy Prime Minister – 1974–76, but he didn't have the stature to mount a leadership bid himself on Wilson's retirement. He wasn't offered a Cabinet post on
James Callaghan's election as Premier. His resignation letter said that the time had come for him to step aside for a younger man; this expressed in sarcasm, as he was replaced by Michael Foot, who is seven months younger than himself. He refused to resign as Labour's deputy leader until he was made a
life peer as
Baron Glenamara, of Glenridding in the County of
Cumbria on
28 January 1977, when he left the Commons. One year before, he was appointed Chairman of
Cable and Wireless Ltd, which was at the time a
nationalised industry. He served in that post until
1980.
As a life peer he's still a member of the
House of Lords, although he stopped attending regularly a few years ago.
His name lives on in the
House of Commons with the term "
Short Money". This refers to funds paid by the Government to help run the Parliamentary office of the
Leader of the Opposition. The then Mr Short pioneered this idea during his time in the House.
He was made a
Freeman of the City of Newcastle in 2001 "in recognition of his eminent and outstanding public service as former Member of Newcastle City Council, former MP for Newcastle Central Constituency, former Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Deputy Prime Minister and currently Chancellor of the
University of Northumbria at Newcastle." He retired from this Chancellorship in
2005.
It has been suggested that the British secret services set up a fake bank account in Short's name in 1974, designed specifically to create the impression that he was corrupt. This has never been officially confirmed or denied. See also
Harold Wilson conspiracy theories.
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