Encyclopedia > John Richard Attlee, 3rd Earl Attlee
John Richard Attlee, 3rd Earl Attlee was born in 1956 and educated at Stowe School from where he went into industry.
He trained with Smiths Industries and worked mainly in materials management. In 1985 he went into business in the field of commercial vehicle recovery and repair. After starting to become active in the House of Lords in 1992, he undertook a tour with the NGO, British Direct Aid in Bosnia during the winter of 1993/4. He then ran that NGO’s operation in Rwanda for most of 1995.
He is President of the Heavy Transport Association and Patron of the Road Rescue Recovery Association. He is also a trustee of the Attlee Foundation.
Political Biography
Prior to taking his seat in 1992 Lord Attlee had no experience of debating, public speaking, politics or local government. He originally sat on the crossbenches. Shortly before the 1997election he joined the Conservative Party. He is currently a Shadow Minister for Trade & Industry and is also a Member of the Lords Opposition Whips' Office.
He survived the first stage of Lord’s reform by becoming an elected hereditary peer under the House of Lords Act 1999.
The earl is the grandson of Clement Attlee, former British Labour Prime Minister.
Attlee was Lord Privy Seal (1940-1942), Deputy Prime Minister (1942-1945), Dominions Secretary (1942-1943), and Lord President of the Council (1943-1945).
Attlee's government was also responsible for the nationalisation of utilities such as coal mining, the steel industry, and the creation of British Railways.
Attlee led the party in opposition until December 1955, when he retired from the Commons and was elevated to the peerage to take his seat in the House of Lords as EarlAttlee and Viscount Prestwood on 16 December 1955.
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