Difference between revisions of "Humphrey Atkins"

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|description=British politician and a member of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] described as "[[Margaret Thatcher|Maggie]]'s Poodle"
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'''Humphrey Edward Gregory Atkins, Baron Colnbrook''' was a British politician and a member of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]. He was a [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for 32 years, and sat in the Cabinet of [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] [[Margaret Thatcher]] from 1979 to 1982.<ref name=indy>https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituaries-lord-colnbrook-1357357.html</ref>
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Margaret Thatcher may have had an affair with Atkins, at the time [[Tory chief whip]] and once described as "Maggie’s Poodle", who backed her for the party leadership in [[1975]], especially when husband [[Denis Thatcher|Denis]] disappeared to [[South Africa]] in the early Sixties.<ref>https://www.standard.co.uk/news/londoners-diary/was-humphrey-atkins-more-than-maggie-s-poodle-8928960.html</ref>
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== Early life ==
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Atkins was born on 12 August 1922, in [[Chalfont St Peter]], Buckinghamshire, son of Captain Edward Davis Atkins and Violet Mary (nee Preston) and lived in Kenya until the age of three. He and his wife, Margaret (née Spencer-Nairn; 1924–2012), had four children, three daughters and one son.<ref name=ulster>http://www.newulsterbiography.co.uk/index.php/home/viewPerson/1791</ref>
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Atkins was educated at [[Wellington College (Berkshire)|Wellington College]], [[Berkshire]], and served in the [[Royal Navy]] from 1940 to 1948. In [[1944]], Atkins married a highly political wife, [[Margaret Spencer-Nairn]], and formed an alliance with her prosperous linoleum manufacturing family; the war over, Margaret's father took him into the business, and she set about "fully awakening his fairly dormant Tory political instincts".<ref name=indy/>
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==Political career==
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Atkins contested the constituency of [[West Lothian (UK Parliament constituency)|West Lothian]] in 1951, and was elected as a [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Merton and Morden (UK Parliament constituency)|Merton and Morden]] in 1955. He became MP for [[Spelthorne (UK Parliament constituency)|Spelthorne]] in 1970.
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Atkins was the [[Conservative Chief Whip]] from 1973 to 1979, and worked as a [[Secretary of State for Northern Ireland]] from 1979 to 1981. During his tenure, the Irish hunger strike in 1980/81 came, to end the Northern Ireland conflict. Ten [[IRA]] prisoners died, including [[Bobby Sands]], who was elected to the [[House of Commons]] himself in a by-election in the constituency of Fermanagh & South Tyrone almost four weeks before his death on 5 May [[1981]], but was unable to stand for office because of his prison sentence. Atkins commented on the situation at that time with the words:
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:"If Mr. Sands persisted in his wish to [[commit suicide]], that was his choice. The Government would not force medical treatment upon him."<ref>Provos The IRA & Sinn Féin, S. 242–243</ref>
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In September 1981, he was appointed as [[Lord Privy Seal]], which was a role as the chief government spokesman in the House of Commons for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. This role was necessary because the [[Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs|Foreign Secretary]], [[Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington|Lord Carrington]], sat in the [[House of Lords]]. He resigned in April 1982, along with Lord Carrington, over the [[Falklands War|Falklands invasion]]. Atkins was particularly unfortunate (due to late briefings) because he made a statement to the House denying that an attack was imminent, hours after [[Argentina/Military|Argentinian troops]] had taken Port Stanley.<ref name=indy/>
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He was Chairman of the [[Select Committee on Defence]] 1984-87.<ref name=indy/>
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Atkins was appointed to the [[Order of St Michael and St George]] as a Knight Commander (KCMG) in the [[1983 Dissolution Honours]].<ref>https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/49424/supplement/9700</ref> He left the House of Commons in 1987 and was created a [[life peer]] on 16 October as '''Baron Colnbrook''' ''of [[Waltham St Lawrence]] in the [[Royal County of Berkshire]].<ref>https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/51097/page/12971</ref><ref name="ulster" />
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==Death==
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Atkins died from cancer on 4 October 1996 at the age of 74 in Waltham St Lawrence, Berkshire.
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==References==
 
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Latest revision as of 02:08, 17 March 2024

Person.png Humphrey Atkins  Rdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
(politician)
Humphrey Atkins 1963.jpg
Born12 August 1922
Died4 October 1996 (Age 74)
NationalityUK
Alma materWellington College
SpouseMargaret Spencer-Nairn
PartyConservative
British politician and a member of the Conservative Party described as "Maggie's Poodle"

Employment.png Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal

In office
11 September 1981 - 7 April 1982

Employment.png Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Wikipedia-icon.png

In office
4 May 1979 - 11 September 1981
Preceded byRoy Mason

Employment.png Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury Wikipedia-icon.png

In office
2 December 1973 - 4 March 1974
Preceded byFrancis Pym

Employment.png Government Chief Whip of the House of Commons

In office
2 December 1973 - 4 March 1974

Employment.png Member of Parliament for Spelthorne

In office
18 June 1970 - 18 May 1987

Humphrey Edward Gregory Atkins, Baron Colnbrook was a British politician and a member of the Conservative Party. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for 32 years, and sat in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher from 1979 to 1982.[1]

Margaret Thatcher may have had an affair with Atkins, at the time Tory chief whip and once described as "Maggie’s Poodle", who backed her for the party leadership in 1975, especially when husband Denis disappeared to South Africa in the early Sixties.[2]

Early life

Atkins was born on 12 August 1922, in Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, son of Captain Edward Davis Atkins and Violet Mary (nee Preston) and lived in Kenya until the age of three. He and his wife, Margaret (née Spencer-Nairn; 1924–2012), had four children, three daughters and one son.[3]

Atkins was educated at Wellington College, Berkshire, and served in the Royal Navy from 1940 to 1948. In 1944, Atkins married a highly political wife, Margaret Spencer-Nairn, and formed an alliance with her prosperous linoleum manufacturing family; the war over, Margaret's father took him into the business, and she set about "fully awakening his fairly dormant Tory political instincts".[1]

Political career

Atkins contested the constituency of West Lothian in 1951, and was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Merton and Morden in 1955. He became MP for Spelthorne in 1970.

Atkins was the Conservative Chief Whip from 1973 to 1979, and worked as a Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 1979 to 1981. During his tenure, the Irish hunger strike in 1980/81 came, to end the Northern Ireland conflict. Ten IRA prisoners died, including Bobby Sands, who was elected to the House of Commons himself in a by-election in the constituency of Fermanagh & South Tyrone almost four weeks before his death on 5 May 1981, but was unable to stand for office because of his prison sentence. Atkins commented on the situation at that time with the words:

"If Mr. Sands persisted in his wish to commit suicide, that was his choice. The Government would not force medical treatment upon him."[4]

In September 1981, he was appointed as Lord Privy Seal, which was a role as the chief government spokesman in the House of Commons for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. This role was necessary because the Foreign Secretary, Lord Carrington, sat in the House of Lords. He resigned in April 1982, along with Lord Carrington, over the Falklands invasion. Atkins was particularly unfortunate (due to late briefings) because he made a statement to the House denying that an attack was imminent, hours after Argentinian troops had taken Port Stanley.[1]

He was Chairman of the Select Committee on Defence 1984-87.[1]

Atkins was appointed to the Order of St Michael and St George as a Knight Commander (KCMG) in the 1983 Dissolution Honours.[5] He left the House of Commons in 1987 and was created a life peer on 16 October as Baron Colnbrook of Waltham St Lawrence in the Royal County of Berkshire.[6][3]

Death

Atkins died from cancer on 4 October 1996 at the age of 74 in Waltham St Lawrence, Berkshire.


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References

  1. ↑ a b c d https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituaries-lord-colnbrook-1357357.html
  2. ↑ https://www.standard.co.uk/news/londoners-diary/was-humphrey-atkins-more-than-maggie-s-poodle-8928960.html
  3. ↑ a b http://www.newulsterbiography.co.uk/index.php/home/viewPerson/1791
  4. ↑ Provos The IRA & Sinn Féin, S. 242–243
  5. ↑ https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/49424/supplement/9700
  6. ↑ https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/51097/page/12971
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