Alan Beith

Alan Beith    (politician)
Born	1943-04-20 Poynton, Cheshire
Nationality	United Kingdom
Alma mater	Oxford University
Religion	Methodism
Children	1 daughter 1 son
Spouse	Barbara Ward
Party	Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Democrats (UK)
UK politician  Lib Dem Shadow Leader of the Commons In office 29 August 1999 - 15 May 2003  Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats In office 11 April 1992 - 12 February 2003 Succeeded by Menzies Campbell  Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesman In office 12 July 1994 - 29 August 1999  Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party  In office 1985 - 16 July 1988 Boss David Steel  Liberal Chief Whip in the Commons In office 1977 - 1985  Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed In office 8 November 1973 - 30 March 2015

Alan Beith was Liberal Democrat MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed. He was also the longest serving Lib Dem MP, first elected in 1973.

Background

Beith went to Nuffield and Balliol colleges, Oxford University and went on to be a Politics lecturer before becoming MP.

Career

Beith was former Chief Whip of the Liberal Party and a former Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party and the Liberal Democrats (1992-2002).

He is also Vice Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the UK Aluminium Industry run by the Aluminium Federation.

According to 'your next MP' website:

'He is currently Chairman of the Justice Committee of the House of Commons, and was a member of the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee from its creation in 1994 to 2008. In the House of Commons he served for 18 years as a member of the House of Commons Commission, and previously served on the Treasury Select Committee and the Procedure Committee. He was made a Privy Counsellor in 1992, and was Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Privy Counsellors to review the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 and the Privy Council Review of the use of telephone intercept as evidence in prosecutions (2007) and currently serving of the Advisory Group on the implementation of its proposals.

He has held a wide range of posts within the Liberal Democrats' Parliamentary Party. Was Northern Ireland Spokesman from 1974 to 1976 and again in 1982. Between 1977 and 1983 covered the Education and Fisheries portfolios and from 1985 to 1987 was Foreign Affairs Spokesman, before taking on the Treasury portfolio which he held until 1994. From 1994 to 1999 Alan Beith was the Liberal Democrats' Home Affairs Spokesman.

Alan Beith was the Chief Whip of the Liberal Party from 1976 to 1985 when he became the party's Deputy Leader. In 1988 he stood against Paddy Ashdown for the leadership of the Social and Liberal Democrats (later shortened to the Liberal Democrats), the party formed following the merger of the Liberal Party and the SDP. Alan Beith was Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1992 to 2003 under Paddy Ashdown and subsequently Charles Kennedy's leadership.'

Connection

He is now married to Baroness Maddock (formerly Diana Maddock, Liberal Democrat MP for Christchurch, 1993-1997).

 

Event Participated in

Event	Start	End	Location(s)	Description
2006 Counter Terror World Summit	5 December 2006	6 December 2006	London Olympia	Bunch of "counter-terrorists" who met in London 2006

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