David Penhaligon

David Charles Penhaligon (June 6, 1944–December 22, 1986) was a British politician from Cornwall who was a Liberal Member of Parliament from 1974 until his death. He was a popular figure in all parties and would have been a front-runner for the party leadership had he not been killed in a tragic car accident at the age of 42. Image File history File links Davidpenhaligon. ... Image File history File links Davidpenhaligon. ... June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The politics of the United Kingdom are based upon a unitary state and a constitutional monarchy. ... Motto: Onen hag oll (Cornish: One and all) Geography Status Ceremonial and (smaller) Non-metropolitan county Region South West England Population - Total (2004 est. ... The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the 1920s, and a third party of varying strength and importance up to 1988, when it merged with the Social Democratic Party (the SDP) to form a new party which would become... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ... A car accident in Yate, near Bristol, England, in July 2004. ...

Background

Penhaligon's father Robert ran a garage and caravan site in Truro. He was born on D-Day and brought up in Truro where he attended the local school and then Cornwall Technical College where he studied mechanical engineering. He worked for Holman Brothers in Camborne as a research and development engineer working on rock drilling. By 1973 he had qualified as a Chartered Mechanical Engineer; he also took over from his father a sub-post office in Chacewater from 1967 (after his marriage in 1968 to Annette Lidgey, she ran the business). His Liberal activities led to some work in local broadcasting. Truro is Cornwalls only city and its administrative centre. ... Land on Normandy In military parlance, D-Day is a term often used to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. ... Location within the British Isles. ... A drill is a tool with a rotating drill bit used for drilling holes in various materials. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1973 calendar). ... Small-town post office and town hall in Lockhart, Alabama A post office is a facility (in most countries, a government one) where the public can purchase postage stamps for mailing correspondence or merchandise, and also drop off or pick up packages or other special-delivery items. ... Chacewater is a small village in the south-west of Cornwall, United Kingdom. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...

Penhaligon's decision to join the Liberal Party was inspired in 1963 when he was an important witness to a murder case. His evidence, which supported the case of the defendants, was not enough to prevent them from being convicted and hanged. Penhaligon was appalled by the practice of Capital punishment. He lead the Truro Young Liberals and built up the local party (which had been the weakest in Cornwall) into one of the strongest; he was the chair of the Cornish Young Liberals from 1966 to 1968. However he was not selected as Liberal candidate for Truro in the 1966 general election (nor for any other seat), and he was also rejected for Falmouth and Camborne in 1968 apparently because his strong Cornish accent was thought unattractive. The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the 1920s, and a third party of varying strength and importance up to 1988, when it merged with the Social Democratic Party (the SDP) to form a new party which would become... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... It has been suggested that Capital punishment debate be merged into this article or section, because the split violates the Wikipedia:Content forking guideline. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... The UK general election in 1966 was called by Harold Wilson because his government, elected in the 1964 election, had an unworkably small majority. ... Creation 1950 MP Julia Goldsworthy Party Liberal Democrat Type House of Commons County Cornwall EP constituency South West England Falmouth and Camborne is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...

In the 1970 general election he fought the Devon constituency of Totnes when the previous candidate Paul Tyler transferred to North Cornwall. He polled poorly in the context of an election in which the party as a whole suffered. However, Penhaligon had acquired useful experience of fighting election campaigns and picked up additional tips from Wallace Lawler's practices in inner-city Birmingham. The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on June 18, 1970, and resulted in a surprise loss of power for Labour under Harold Wilson, who was replaced as Prime Minister by the Conservative leader, Edward Heath. ... The inner harbour, Brixham, south Devon, at low tide Devon is a large county in South West England, bordering on Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... Totnes is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Paul Tyler, Baron Tyler (29 October 1941) is a politician in the United Kingdom. ... The city from above Centenary Square. ...

Campaigning in Truro

In 1971 Penhaligon was easily selected as candidate for Truro, a seat which did not look an easier prospect than Totnes. This gave him three years in which to get his name known and meet his prospective constituents (a practice known as 'nursing' a constituency) and when the election came in February 1974 he won nearly 21,000 votes and cut the majority of the sitting Conservative MP to 2,561. Truro became the fourth 'target' constituency for the Liberals for the next election — which would take place within months because of the inconclusive outcome in February. 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... Truro and St Austell is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The UK general election of February 1974 was held on February 28, 1974. ... The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the right-of-centre in the United Kingdom. ...

Parliamentary activity

Penhaligon was readopted and worked on trying to persuade the remaining Labour voters in the seat to back him. In the October 1974 election he was elected with a majority of 464 votes – the only Liberal gain of that election. Due to House of Commons rules on 'offices of profit under the crown' he transferred his sub-postmastership to his wife. In Parliament he swiftly won a reputation for humorous speeches, urging a national minimum wage and increased state pensions. He voted for fellow Cornish MP John Pardoe over David Steel in the Liberal leadership election of 1976. He was hard to place in conventional political terms: he changed his mind over capital punishment, initially voting against in December 1974, but supporting it in December 1975. The Labour Party has historically been the principal left wing political party of the United Kingdom since its formation in the early 20th century (see British politics). ... The UK general election of October 1974 took place on October 10, 1974. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and is now the dominant branch of Parliament. ... The minimum wage is the minimum rate a worker can legally be paid (usually per hour) as opposed to wages that are determined by the forces of supply and demand in a free market. ... John Pardoe (born July 27, 1934) is a retired British politician and businessman. ... David Martin Scott Steel, Baron Steel of Aikwood KT PC KBE (born March 31, 1938) is a British and Scottish politician and a Liberal Democrat member of the UK House of Lords. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ... It has been suggested that Capital punishment debate be merged into this article or section, because the split violates the Wikipedia:Content forking guideline. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ...

Although frequently speaking on national issues, it was clear that Penhaligon's main concern was local. He became known in particular for defending the Cornish tin mining industry and the local Fishing fleets. He spoke with conviction and knowledge about the problems of rural areas in Cornwall with road fuel costs and inadequate infrastructure. General Name, Symbol, Number tin, Sn, 50 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 5, p Appearance silvery lustrous gray Atomic mass 118. ... The El Chino Mine located near Silver City, New Mexico is an open-pit copper mine This article is about mineral extraction. ... A lobster boat unloading its catch in Ilfracombe harbour, North Devon, England A fishery (plural: fisheries) is an organized effort by humans to catch fish or other aquatic species, an activity known as fishing. ...

Lib-Lab Pact

When the Lib-Lab Pact was first mooted in March 1977, Penhaligon was initially opposed and spoke against it. He later came round and told the Liberal Assembly in September 1977 that it had achieved an 'economic revolution'. At a special Assembly in January 1978 he was a star speaker in persuading the delegates representing Liberal members to continue the pact. The pact allowed the Liberals to influence government legislation and Penhaligon objected to proposals from Tony Benn for an Electricity Industry Bill which would centralise control, which single-handedly prevented any progress. Lib-Lab Pact has been the term used to describe a working arrangement between the UKs political parties of the Liberals (later Liberal Democrats) and the Labour Party. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... Tony Benn about to join March 2005 anti-war demo in London The Right Honourable Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn (born April 3, 1925), known as Tony Benn, formerly 2nd Viscount Stansgate, is a British politician on the left of the Labour Party. ...

Part of Penhaligon's support for the Lib-Lab pact was his fear that an early general election would result in a poor performance for the Liberals, and his own seat may be vulnerable. In October 1978 after the pact had lapsed, he explained that "Turkeys don't volunteer for Christmas!". The scandal over former party leader Jeremy Thorpe, who was charged with conspiracy to murder in August 1978, was a matter of particular concern and Penhaligon urged Thorpe to stand down and the Liberal Party not to endorse him. When Thorpe did seek re-election, Penhaligon refused to help his campaign. 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... The Right Honourable John Jeremy Thorpe (born April 29, 1929) is a British politician, who was leader of the Liberal Party from 1967 to 1976. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ...

Despite his narrow majority and the belief that he was the most vulnerable of the Liberal MPs, Penhaligon kept his seat with a much larger majority (8,708) in the 1979 general election. Against the Conservative government, he strongly opposed nuclear power. Against the majority of Liberal Party members he strongly supported NATO and nuclear weapons, describing a separate European non-nuclear defence as 'akin to a behaving like a virgin in a brothel', although he supported demands for 'dual key control' of United States cruise missiles based in Britain. The UK general election, 1979 was held on May 3, 1979 and is regarded as a pivotal point in 20th century British politics. ... A nuclear power station. ... The NATO flag NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for collective security established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, D.C., on... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the epicenter. ... A Tomahawk cruise missile A cruise missile is a guided missile which uses a lifting wing and most often a jet propulsion system to allow sustained flight. ...

In the Alliance

Penhaligon supported the SDP-Liberal Alliance from the start, although he resented SDP attempts to take control of the Liberal Party's target seats. He was named in January 1982 as one of the 'firemen' who would sort out any disagreements between the parties (John Horam was his SDP counterpart). He was particularly prominent and impressive in the 1983 election campaign in which he spoke for the Liberal Party on Transport, Industry and Energy; Hugo Young described him as having "a closer grasp of national electoral politics ... than any other Liberal MP". After the election he became an early proponent of a merger between the SDP and the Liberals under a single leader, largely to avoid disputes over allocations of Parliamentary seats. The SDP-Liberal Alliance was an electoral alliance of the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Party in the UK that ran from 1981 to 1988, when the bulk of the two parties merged to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, later referred to as simply the Liberal Democrats. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... John Rhodes Horam (born 7 March 1939, Preston) is a politician in the United Kingdom, and currently sits as member of Parliament for Orpington, and is a member of the Conservatives. ... The UK general election, 1983 was held on June 9, 1983 and gave the Conservatives and Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945. ... Hugo John Smelter Young (October 13, 1938 - September 22, 2003) was a British journalist and columnist and The Guardians senior political commentator. ... This article is about the Social Democratic Party that existed from 1981 until 1988. ...

Career cut short

From 1983 Penhaligon headed the Liberal byelection unit which planned the campaigns in individual seats. At the Liberal Assembly in September 1984 he was chosen as President-elect of the Liberal Party (the first sitting MP to be elected to the post), and served as Party President from 1985 to 1986. This carried with it the job of presiding over the Liberal Assembly at the end of his term, which saw a party split over defence policy and whether to support nuclear weapons; Penhaligon did not intervene, something he regretted afterwards. 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

He was appointed as Chief spokesman on the economy from 1985; though admitting he had no financial experience, he challenged the Conservative policy on privatisation and monetarism. He was a central figure in planning the Alliance general election campaign when he was killed in a car crash in his constituency. At 6:45 AM three days before Christmas in 1986, he was travelling to a constituency engagement visiting the Royal Mail workers on the Christmas post at St Austell Post Office, when a van skidded on an icy road and hit his car near Truck Fork, Probus, Cornwall. The van driver, who was injured, was not prosecuted for the accident, which took place at a time when the road was normally quiet. This article is about the year. ... Privatization (sometimes privatisation, denationalization, or — especially in India — disinvestment) is the process of transferring property, from public ownership to private ownership. ... Monetarism is a set of views concerning the determination of national income and monetary economics. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ...

He had employed Matthew Taylor, an Oxford University graduate, as his research assistant on the economy; Taylor was selected to follow him as Liberal candidate for Truro and was duly returned in the Truro by-election, 1987. Penhaligon's wife Annette wrote his biography after his death; his son Matthew is an active member of the Liberal Democrats who has been selected as candidate for the Mayoralty of Hackney for the election in May 2006. Matthew Taylor Matthew Owen John Taylor (born 3 January 1963) is a politician in the United Kingdom. ... The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford in England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... The Truro by-election, 1987 was caused by the death of David Penhaligon, the Liberal MP for Truro on December 22, 1986. ... Sir Thomas Malory wrote the most famous fictional biography of the Middle Ages with Le Morte dArthur about the life of King Arthur. ... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal political party in the United Kingdom. ... Hackney Town Hall was built in the 1930s for the old Metropolitan Borough. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• Andrew Roth, 'David Penhaligon' in 'Parliamentary Profiles L-R' (Parliamentary Profiles Service, London, 1985), ISBN 0-90-058223-5
• Annette Penhaligon, 'Penhaligon' (Bloomsbury, London, 1989), ISBN 0-74-750501-2