Bruce Grocott, Baron Grocott

The Right Honourable
The Lord Grocott
PC
Government Chief Whip in the House of Lords
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms
In office
29 May 2002 – 24 January 2008
Prime Minister Tony Blair
Gordon Brown
Preceded by The Lord Carter
Succeeded by The Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister
In office
2 May 1997 – 8 June 2001
Serving with Ann Coffey
Leader Tony Blair
Preceded by John Devereux Ward
Succeeded by David Hanson
Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition
In office
1994–1997
Leader Tony Blair
Preceded by Hilary Armstrong
Succeeded by John Whittingdale
Member of Parliament
In office
11 June 1987 – 7 June 2001
Preceded by Warren Hawksley
Succeeded by David Wright
Constituency Telford
The Wrekin (1987–1997)
In office
10 October 1974 – 3 May 1979
Preceded by Jack d'Avigdor-Goldsmid
Succeeded by John Heddle
Constituency Lichfield and Tamworth
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
In office
2 July 2001 – July 2018
Life Peerage
Personal details
Born (1940-11-01) 1 November 1940
Watford, United Kingdom
Political party Labour
Alma mater University of Leicester
University of Manchester

Bruce Joseph Grocott, Baron Grocott PC (born 1 November 1940) is a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.

Early life

Grocott was born in Kings Langley near Watford, and was educated at the University of Leicester. He obtained an MA from Manchester University after conducting research on Local Government. He was appointed to the post of lecturer, and later a senior lecturer, at the City of Birmingham College of Commerce (later Birmingham Polytechnic, now Birmingham City University). During this time he was elected to Bromsgrove Urban District Council. From 1972 to 1974 he was a principal lecturer at North Staffordshire Polytechnic.

Parliamentary career

His first attempt to become a member of Parliament was in the 1970 election when he stood unsuccessfully for South West Hertfordshire. He was then selected as a candidate and was elected as Member of Parliament for Lichfield and Tamworth in October 1974,[1] in which position he became Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister for Local Government and Planning, and later the Minister of Agriculture.[2] He lost his seat at the 1979 general election and joined Central Television as a presenter and producer, working on programmes such as Left, Right and Centre, Central Lobby and Central Weekend.

He was re-elected for The Wrekin in 1987[1] and he was very shortly thereafter appointed Deputy Shadow Leader of the House to Jack Cunningham before becoming advisor to the Leader of the Opposition, Neil Kinnock and, later, a Foreign Affairs Spokesman under John Smith. He served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Tony Blair from 1994 until 2001.[3]

He transferred to Telford in 1997 when The Wrekin was divided. He served this seat until the 2001 general election, when he stepped down from the Commons.

House of Lords

He was made a life peer under the title of Baron Grocott, of Telford, in the County of Shropshire, on 2 July 2001,[4] quickly being promoted to a government whip in the House of Lords. From 2002 to 2008 he was the Government Chief Whip in the House of Lords as well as Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms, the honorary post usually held by the Chief Whip. As the Government Chief Whip, he was sworn of the Privy Council in 2002. He has promoted further reform of the Lords, including attempts to abolish by-elections for hereditary peers. [5]

In October 2012 it was announced that Lord Grocott has been elected as the next chancellor of the University of Leicester, the first time in the university's history that a former student has been appointed to the post. He was installed as chancellor at the degree ceremony in DeMontfort Hall on 24 January 2013.[6] His term finished in July 2018 and he was replaced by Lord Willetts.[7]

Family

Grocott is married with two sons and lives in Staffordshire.

Styles of address

  • 1940–1974: Mr Bruce Grocott
  • 1974–1979: Mr Bruce Grocott MP
  • 1979–1987: Mr Bruce Grocott
  • 1987–2001: Mr Bruce Grocott MP
  • 2001: Mr Bruce Grocott
  • 2001–2002: The Rt Hon. The Lord Grocott
  • 2002–: The Rt Hon. The Lord Grocott PC

References

  1. 1 2 "Mr Bruce Grocott (Hansard)". Hansard.millbanksystems.com. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  2. ↑ "Lord Grocott, former MP". TheyWorkForYou. 2016-07-07. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  3. ↑ "Politics". The Guardian. 1970-01-01. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  4. ↑ "No. 56265". The London Gazette. 5 July 2001. p. 7935.
  5. ↑ Garland, Jessica. "A handful of hereditary peers are trying to stifle reform – they are on the wrong side of history". Electoral Reform Society.
  6. ↑ "University of Leicester elects former student as new Chancellor". University of Leicester. 31 October 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  7. ↑ "Fond farewell for University's sixth Chancellor". University of Leicester. 25 Jan 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Jack d'Avigdor-Goldsmid		 Member of Parliament
for Lichfield and Tamworth
1974–1979		 Succeeded by
John Heddle
Preceded by
Warren Hawksley		 Member of Parliament
for Telford
The Wrekin (1987–1997)
1987–2001		 Succeeded by
David Wright
Political offices
Preceded by
The Lord Carter		 Government Chief Whip in the House of Lords
2002–2008		 Succeeded by
The Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms
2002–2008
Party political offices
Preceded by
The Lord Carter		 Labour Chief Whip in the House of Lords
2002–2008		 Succeeded by
The Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
Academic offices
Preceded by
Peter Williams		 Chancellor of the University of Leicester
2013–2018		 Succeeded by
The Lord Willetts
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.