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Gang Of Four (SDP)
In UK politics, the Gang of Four was a breakaway group of four Labour politicians who founded the Social Democratic Party in 1981, including two sitting Labour MPs and a former deputy leader of the party. The term Gang of Four is a reference to the political faction of four Chinese Communist Party officials who came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and were accused of attempting to seize power following the death of Mao Zedong. History Bill Rodgers, Shirley Williams, Roy Jenkins and David Owen proposed a group called the Council for Social Democracy, which ended up becoming the Social Democratic Party. Their first public move was the Limehouse Declaration, named after the house in Limehouse where David Owen lived, and where the group met. The Gang of Four were followed by a score of other Labour MPs. The Gang of Four Views and legacy In March 2017, the three then-living members of the SDP Gang of Four all said Jeremy Corbyn should step down ...
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Shirley Williams
Shirley Vivian Teresa Brittain Williams, Baroness Williams of Crosby (''née'' Catlin; 27 July 1930 – 12 April 2021) was a British politician and academic. Originally a Labour Party (UK), Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP), she served in the Labour cabinet from 1974 to 1979. She was one of the "Gang of Four (SDP), Gang of Four" rebels who founded the Social Democratic Party (UK), Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 1981 and, at the time of her retirement from politics, was a Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrat. Williams was elected to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons for Hitchin (UK Parliament constituency), Hitchin in the 1964 United Kingdom general election, 1964 general election. She served as minister for Education and Science from 1967 to 1969 and Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, Minister of State for Home Affairs from 1969 to 1970. She served as Shadow Home Secretary from 1971 and 1973. In 1974, she became Secretary of S ...
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Chancellor Of The Exchequer
The chancellor of the exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and the head of HM Treasury, His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, the chancellor is a high-ranking member of the British Cabinet. Responsible for all economic and financial matters, the role is equivalent to that of a finance minister in other countries. The chancellor is now always second lord of the Treasury as one of at least six Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, lords commissioners of the Treasury, responsible for executing the office of the Treasurer of the Exchequer the others are the prime minister and Commons government whips. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, it was common for the prime minister also to serve as Chancellor of the Exchequer if he sat in the Commons; the last Chancellor who was simultaneously prime minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer was Stanley Baldwin in 1923. Formerl ...
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Department Of Prices And Consumer Protection
The Department of Prices and Consumer Protection was a short-lived United Kingdom government department created by the incoming Labour government in 1974 when the functions of the Department of Trade and Industry were divided between three new departments (the Department of Trade, the Department of Industry and the Department of Prices and Consumer Protection). In 1979 the department was abolished by the new Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ... government and its responsibilities were re-integrated into the Department of Trade. Secretaries of State for Prices and Consumer Protection Colour key (for political parties): References {{DEFAULTSORT:Department Of Prices And Consumer Protection Prices and Consumer Protection Ministries established ...
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Paymaster General
His Majesty's Paymaster General or HM Paymaster General is a ministerial position in the Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom. The position is currently held by Nick Thomas-Symonds of the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party. History The post was created in 1836 by the merger of the positions of the offices of the Paymaster of the Forces (1661–1836), the Treasurer of the Navy (1546–1835), the Paymaster and Treasurer of Chelsea Hospital (responsible for Chelsea Pensioner, Army pensions) (1681–1835) and the Treasurer of the Ordnance (1670–1835). Initially, the Paymaster General only had responsibilities in relation to the armed services but in 1848 two more offices were merged into that of Paymaster General: the Paymaster of Exchequer Bills (1723–1848) and the Paymaster of the Civil Service (1834–1848), the latter followed by its Irish counterpart in 1861. They thus became 'the principal paying agent of the government and the banker for all government departments except t ...
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Secretary Of State For Education
The secretary of state for education, also referred to as the education secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, responsible for the work of the Department for Education. The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. As education is fully devolved to the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive, the post holder has no jurisdiction or influence in education policy or direction in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Therefore, the Cabinet Secretary for Education legislates on education matters only in England. The office holder works alongside the other Department for Education#Ministers, Education ministers. The corresponding shadow minister is the Shadow Secretary of State for Education, shadow secretary of state for education, and the work of the secretary of state is also scrutinised by the Education Select Committee. The current education secretary is Bri ...
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Crosby (UK Parliament Constituency)
Crosby was a constituency in Merseyside, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 until 2010. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. History Prior to 1997, the constituency was seen as a safe seat for the Conservative Party. They held the seat from its creation in 1950 until the death in 1981 of Sir Graham Page. The resulting by-election was notable as it was won by Shirley Williams, one of the "gang of four" senior members of the Labour Party who had founded the new Social Democratic Party (SDP), becoming the first SDP member to be elected. However, Williams lost the seat to the Conservative candidate Malcolm Thornton at the 1983 general election. Thornton held the seat until the 1997 election, when he lost to Labour's Claire Curtis-Thomas who held the seat until its abolition. On 7 October 2009, it was announced that Curtis-Thomas would stand down at the 2010 general e ...
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Shirley Williams, 1984
Shirley may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Shirley'' (novel), an 1849 novel by Charlotte Brontë * ''Shirley'' (1922 film), a British silent film * ''Shirley'' (2020 film), an American biographical film about Shirley Jackson * ''Shirley'' (2024 film), an American biographical film about Shirley Chisholm * ''Shirley'' (album), a 1961 album by Shirley Bassey * "Shirley" (song), a 1958 song by John Fred and the Playboys * ''Shirley'' (TV series), a 1979 TV series * ''Shirley'' (manga), a 2003 manga series People * Shirley (name), a given name and a surname * Shirley (Dutch singer) (born 1946), Dutch singer and pianist * Szhirley (born 1976), Danish singer Places United Kingdom *Shirley, Derbyshire, England * Shirley, Hampshire, a hamlet in Sopley parish, New Forest *Shirley, Southampton, a district of Southampton, Hampshire *Shirley, London, in Croydon *Shirley, West Midlands, England United States *Shirley, Arkansas *Shirley, Illinois * Shirley, Indiana * Shirley, Maine *Sh ...
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Transport Secretary
The secretary of state for transport, also referred to as the transport secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for the policies of the Department for Transport. The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. The office holder works alongside the other transport ministers. The corresponding shadow minister is the shadow secretary of state for transport, and the secretary of state is also scrutinised by the Transport Select Committee. The position of secretary of state for transport is held by Heidi Alexander, who was appointed by Keir Starmer following the resignation of Louise Haigh. History The Ministry of Transport absorbed the Ministry of Shipping and was renamed the Ministry of War Transport in 1941, but resumed its previous name at the end of the war. The Ministry of Civil Aviation was created by Winston Churchill in 1944 to look at peaceful ways of using aircraft and to find something ...
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Stockton-on-Tees (UK Parliament Constituency)
Stockton-on-Tees is a former borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election from 1868 to 1983. History The constituency was created as the parliamentary borough of Stockton by the Reform Act 1867, but was named as Stockton-on-Tees under the Boundary Act 1868. It included Thornaby-on-Tees until the redistribution of seats for the 1950 general election. In 1966, the borough of Stockton was absorbed into the newly created County Borough of Teesside and at the next periodic review of parliamentary constituencies which came into effect for the February 1974 election, it was officially named as Teesside, Stockton. A further local government reorganisation which came into effect in April 1974 saw Stockton re-established as a borough within the new county of Cleveland and, at the next redistribution which did not come into effect until the 1983 e ...
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Official Portrait Of Lord Rodgers Of Quarry Bank Crop 2
An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless of whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority (either their own or that of their superior or employer, public or legally private). An elected official is a person who is an official by virtue of an election. Officials may also be appointed ''ex officio'' (by virtue of another office, often in a specified capacity, such as presiding, advisory, secretary). Some official positions may be inherited. A person who currently holds an office is referred to as an incumbent. Something "official" refers to something endowed with governmental or other authoritative recognition or mandate, as in official language, official gazette, or official scorer. Etymology The word ''official'' as a noun has been recorded since the Middle English period, first seen in 1314. It comes from the Old French ' (12th century), from the Latin">-4; ...
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Foreign Secretary (United Kingdom)
The secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs, also known as the foreign secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The role is seen as one of the most senior ministers in the UK Government and is a Great Office of State. The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom and National Security Council, and reports directly to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, prime minister. The officeholder works alongside the other Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office#Ministers, Foreign Office ministers. The corresponding shadow minister is the Shadow Foreign Secretary. The Foreign Affairs Select Committee also evaluates the secretary of state's performance. The current foreign secretary is David Lammy. He was appointed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer on 5 July 20 ...
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Plymouth Devonport
Plymouth, Devonport was, from 1832 until 2010, a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It covered part of the city of Plymouth in South West England, including the former borough of Devonport, Devon, Devonport. History The constituency was created as Devonport in 1832, and elected two members until 1918, when the number was reduced to one. Following the amalgamation of Devonport into Plymouth, the constituency was renamed as Plymouth, Devonport. Devonport has had a number of prominent MPs, including Leslie Hore-Belisha, Michael Foot (who began his Commons career in the seat), and the former Social Democratic Party (UK), SDP leader David Owen. One of its longest serving MPs was the National Liberal, later Conservative Dame Joan Vickers, who held the seat from 1955 until her defeat at the General Election of February 1974. Abolition Following the Fifth Periodic Review of Westm ...
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