Patrick Chrestien Gordon Walker, Baron Gordon-Walker CH (7 April 1907 – 2 December 1980) was a British Labour Party politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for nearly thirty years, and served twice as a Cabinet minster. He is best-remembered for the circumstances surrounding the loss of his Smethwick parliamentary seat at the 1964 general election, in a bitterly racial campaign. The Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations was a British Cabinet office existing between 1947 and 1966, responsible for dealing with British relationship with members of the Commonwealth of Nations (its former colonies). ... is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Philip John Noel-Baker, Baron Noel-Baker (November 1, 1889 – October 8, 1982) was a politician, diplomat, academic and outstanding amateur athlete who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1959. ... Hastings Lionel Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay, KG, GCB, CH, DSO, PC (21 June 1887–17 December 1965) was a British soldier and diplomat. ... The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (commonly referred to as Foreign Secretary) is a member of the British Government responsible for relations with foreign countries, heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (often called simply the Foreign Office). ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ... is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... Richard Austen Butler, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden, familiarly known as Rab, (1902-1982) was a British politician, one of the few to have served in all three posts of Chancellor of the Exchequer, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary. ... The Right Honourable Captain Robert Maitland Michael Stewart, Baron Stewart of Fulham, PC (November 6, 1906, Bromley - March 13, 1990) was a British Labour politician who served twice as Foreign Secretary in the first cabinet of Harold Wilson. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Year 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Worthing (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... The Order of the Companions of Honour is a British and Commonwealth Order. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Year 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Smethwick was a parliamentary constituency, centred on the town of Smethwick in West Midlands. ... The United Kingdom general election of 1964 result was a very slim majority for the Labour Party, of 4, and led to their first government since 1951. ...

Early life

Born in Worthing, Gordon Walker was the son of Alan Lachlan Gordon Walker, a Scottish Judge in the Indian Civil Service. He was educated at Wellington College and at Christ Church, Oxford, where he served as history tutor until 1941.^[1] For other uses, see Worthing (disambiguation). ... Indian Civil Service, popularly known by its acronym ICS, was the elite civil service of the Indian Government. ... Wellington College, Berkshire, the national monument to the Duke of Wellington, is an English public school, which was granted its royal charter in 1853. ... and of the Christ Church College name Christ Church Latin name Ædes Christi Named after Jesus Christ Established 1546 Sister college Trinity College, Cambridge Dean The Very Revd Christopher Andrew Lewis JCR president Laura Ellis Undergraduates 426 GCR president Tim Benjamin Graduates 154 Location of Christ Church within central Oxford... This article is about the study of the past in human terms. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ...

From 1940 to 1944, he worked for the BBC's European Service, where from 1942 he arranged the BBC's daily broadcasts to Germany. In 1945 he worked as Assistant Director of BBC's German Service working from Radio Luxembourg, travelling with the British forces. He broadcast about the liberation of the German concentration camp at Bergen-Belsen, and wrote a book on the subject called "The Lid Lifts".^[2] Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... Piles of bodies in a liberated Nazi concentration camp in Germany Prior to and during World War II, Nazi Germany maintained concentration camps (Konzentrationslager, abbreviated KZ or KL) throughout the territories it controlled. ... This article is about the Nazi concentration camp. ...

From 1946 to 1948, he was Chairman of the British Film Institute.^[3] The British Film Institute (BFI) is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to encourage the development of the arts of film, television and the moving image throughout the United Kingdom, to promote their use as a record of contemporary life and manners, to promote education about film, television and...

Political career

He first stood for Parliament at the 1935 general election, when he was unsuccessful in the Conservative-held Oxford constituency.^[2] Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin MP Speaker of the House of Lords Hélène Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist... Stanley Baldwin Clement Attlee The UK general election held on 14th November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Stanley Baldwin. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... Oxford was a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom. ...

Gordon Walker did not contest the 1945 general election, but was elected later in 1945 as Member of Parliament (MP) for Smethwick in a by-election on 1 October, after Labour's Alfred Dobbs had been killed in a car accident one day after winning the seat at the 1945 general election.^[2] Clement Attlee Winston Churchill The United Kingdom General Election of 1945 held on 5 July 1945 but not counted and declared until 26 July 1945 (due to the time it took to transport the votes of those serving overseas) was one of the most significant general elections of the 20th... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Smethwick was a parliamentary constituency, centred on the town of Smethwick in West Midlands. ... The Smethwick by-election, 1945 was a by-election held on 1st October 1945 for the British House of Commons constituency of Smethwick in Staffordshire (now in the West Midlands county). ... Alfred James Dobbs (1882, Wellingborough-27 July 1945) was a British Labour politician and trade unionist. ... Clement Attlee Winston Churchill The United Kingdom General Election of 1945 held on 5 July 1945 but not counted and declared until 26 July 1945 (due to the time it took to transport the votes of those serving overseas) was one of the most significant general elections of the 20th...

Once in Parliament, Gordon Walker was promoted rapidly through the ranks of Clement Attlee's Labour government. In 1946, he was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Herbert Morrison, the Leader of the House of Commons. From 1947 to 1950 he was a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Commonwealth Relations Office, and in 1950 he joined the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, serving until Labour's defeat at the 1951 general election.^[2] Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC (3 January 1883 – 8 October 1967) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951. ... Members of the Cabinet are in bold face. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) is a junior role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament (MP). ... Herbert Morrison For others named Herbert Morrison, see Herbert Morrison (disambiguation). ... The Leader of the House of Commons is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Commons. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, in the United Kingdom government structure, is a minister who is junior to a Minister of State who is then junior to a Secretary of State. ... The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom abroad. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations was a British Cabinet office existing between 1947 and 1966, responsible for dealing with British relationship with members of the Commonwealth of Nations (its former colonies). ... The 1951 election was held soon after the UK general election, 1950, which Labour won, but with an unworkable majority. ...

At the 1964 general election, following a successful career in opposition, he was destined to become Foreign Secretary in a widely anticipated Labour government. However, Gordon Walker was defeated in controversial circumstances by the Conservative candidate Peter Griffiths. Smethwick had been a focus of immigration from the Commonwealth in the economic and industrial growth of the years following World War II and Griffiths ran a campaign critical of the opposition's, and the government's, policy. There were rumours that Griffiths' supporters had covertly circulated the slogan If you want a nigger for a neighbour, vote Liberal or Labour.^[2] Many felt that Gordon Walker had pandered to such sentiment when his local party ran an eve-of-poll leaflet saying:^[4] The United Kingdom general election of 1964 result was a very slim majority for the Labour Party, of 4, and led to their first government since 1951. ... The title of Foreign Secretary has been traditionally used to refer to the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... Peter Griffiths (born May 24, 1928) is an English politician. ... The Commonwealth of Nations as of 2007 Headquarters Marlborough House, London, UK Official languages English Membership 53 sovereign states Leaders  -  Queen Elizabeth II  -  Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma Appointed 24 November 2007 Establishment  -  Balfour Declaration 18 November 1926   -  Statute of Westminster 11 December 1931   -  London Declaration 28 April 1949  Area  -  Total... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... // Nigger is a racial slur used to refer to dark-skinned people, especially those of African ancestry. ... This article is about the historic Liberal Party. ...

Be fair. Immigrants only arrived in Smethwick in large numbers during the past ten years--while the Tory [conservative] government was in power. You can't blame Labour or Gordon Walker for that. Labour favours continued control of immigration, stricter health checks and deportation of those convicted of criminal offences. Labour will give local authorities greater power to help overcrowding. Labour will provide new and better housing.

His reputation on racial issues was further damanged by the accusation that, while at the Commonwealth Office in 1951, he had obstructed Seretse Khama's chieftancy of Bechuanaland under pressure from South Africa's objections to Khama's marriage to a white woman.^[2] Year 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sir Seretse Khama KBE (July 1, 1921 - July 13, 1980) was the first President of Botswana. ... The Bechuanaland Protectorate (BP) was a protectorate established in 1885 by Britain in the area of what is now Botswana. ...

Nevertheless, he was appointed to the Foreign Office by Harold Wilson and stood for the safe Labour constituency of Leyton in the Leyton by-election in January 1965, losing again, and was forced to resign as Foreign Secretary.^[2] After a sabbatical conducting research in Southeast Asia,^{[citation needed]} he finally won Leyton in the 1966 general election. Following this election, he served in the Cabinet in 1967-8, first as Minister without Portfolio, then as Secretary of State for Education and Science. On his retirement from the Cabinet in 1968, he was made an Companion of Honour.^[2] James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, PC (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was one of the most prominent British politicians of the 20th century. ... Leyton was a parliamentary constituency, centred on the town of Leyton in North-East London. ... The Leyton by-election, 1965 was a parliamentary by-election held on 21st January 1965 for the British House of Commons constituency of Leyton in East London. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian 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. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A Minister without Portfolio is a government minister with no specific responsibilities. ... The Secretary of State for Education and Skills is the chief minister of the Department for Education and Skills in the United Kingdom government. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Order of the Companions of Honour is a British and Commonwealth Order. ...

Gordon-Walker retired from the House of Commons at the 1974 general election. On 4 July that year he was made a life peer as Baron Gordon-Walker, of Leyton in the County of Essex in 1974 and was briefly a Member of the European Parliament.^[2] Type Lower House Speaker Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Leader Harriet Harman, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader Theresa May, (Conservative) since May 5, 2005 Members 659 Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist Party Sinn Féin... The UK general election of February 1974 was held on February 28, 1974. ... is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... In the United Kingdom, Life Peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles may not be inherited (those whose titles are inheritable are known as hereditary peers). ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... A Member of the European Parliament (English abbreviation MEP)[1] is a member of the European Unions directly-elected legislative body, the European Parliament. ...

Gordon Walker died in London, aged 73.^[2] This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

See also

• Smethwick (UK Parliament constituency)
• Smethwick by-election, 1945
• Leyton (UK Parliament constituency)
• Leyton by-election, 1965

Smethwick was a parliamentary constituency, centred on the town of Smethwick in West Midlands. ... The Smethwick by-election, 1945 was a by-election held on 1st October 1945 for the British House of Commons constituency of Smethwick in Staffordshire (now in the West Midlands county). ... Leyton was a parliamentary constituency, centred on the town of Leyton in North-East London. ... The Leyton by-election, 1965 was a parliamentary by-election held on 21st January 1965 for the British House of Commons constituency of Leyton in East London. ...

References

The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom (and the Kingdom of Great Britain before the United Kingdom existed) since 1788 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Bibliography

By Gordon Walker

• Gordon Walker, P. C. (1939). An Outline of Man’s History. London: N.C.L.C. Publishing Society. 
• — (1951). Restatement of Liberty. London: Hutchinson. 
• — (1945). The Lid Lifts: An Account of the Author’s Experiences During Two Visits to Occupied Germany in the Spring of 1945. London: Victor Gollancz. 
• — (1962). The Commonwealth. London: Secker & Warburg. 
• — (1970). The Cabinet. London: Cape. ISBN 0224618199. 
• — (c. 1991). in Robert Pearce (editor): Patrick Gordon Walker: Political Diaries 1932-1971. London: Historians' Press. ISBN 187227305X. 

Obituary

• The Times, 3 December 1980

The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom (and the Kingdom of Great Britain before the United Kingdom existed) since 1788 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ... is the 337th day of the year (338th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ...

About Gordon Walker

• This page incorporates information from Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page.

• Craig, F. W. S. [1969] (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, 3rd edition, Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X. 
• Griffiths, P. (1966). A Question Of Colour. The Smethwick Election Of 1964. London: Leslie Frewin. 
• Pearce, R. (2004) "Walker, Patrick Chrestien Gordon, Baron Gordon-Walker (1907–1980)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, accessed 26 August 2007 (subscription or UK/ Ireland public library membership required)
• Prem, D. R. (1965). Parliamentary Leper: A History of Colour Prejudice in Britain. Aligarh University Press: Metric Publications. 

Frederick Walter Scott Craig (1929 - March 23, 1989) was a British psephologist and compiler of reference books. ... Peter Griffiths (born May 24, 1928) is an English politician. ... is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

External links

• Janus: Papers of Baron Gordon-Walker
• BBC Recording of Gordon-Walker reporting from newly liberated Bergen Belsen