Robert William Dixon-Smith, Baron Dixon-Smith, DL (born 30 September 1934), is a British farmer and Conservative Party politician. Lord Dixon-Smith is a former Shadow Minister at the

Department for Communities and Local Government The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for housing, communities, and local government in England. It was established in May 200 ...

.Peer's apology over racist phrase
BBC News, 9 July 2008

Early life and career

The son of Dixon and Alice Winifred Smith, Dixon-Smith was educated at

Oundle School Oundle School is a public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Private schools in the United Kingdom, fee-charging boarding school, boarding and day school) for pupils 11–18 situated in the market town of Oundle in Northamptonshire ...

, at the St. Johnsbury Academy in

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

, and Writtle Agricultural College in

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

. He served in the

King's Dragoon Guards The 1st King's Dragoon Guards was an Cavalry regiments of the British Army, armoured cavalry and dragoon guard regiment in the British Army. The regiment was raised by John Lanier, Sir John Lanier in 1685 as the 2nd Queen's Regiment of Horse, name ...

in the years 1956 and 1957, serving as a Second Lieutenant. From 1967 to 1994, Dixon-Smith was Governor of the Writtle Agricultural College, from 1973 to 1985 chair. In 1993 and 1994, he was Chair of Anglia Polytechnic University governors, governor from 1973 to 2000 of what was originally Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology (now

Anglia Ruskin University Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is a public research university in the region of East Anglia, United Kingdom. Its origins date back to the Cambridge School of Art (CSA), founded by William John Beamont, a Fellow of Trinity College at the Unive ...

). Dixon-Smith was elected to the

Essex County Council Essex County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Essex in England. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county; the non-metropolitan county excludes Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock which ...

in 1965, being vice chairman from 1983 to 1986, and chairman from 1986 to 1989 before losing his seat to Labour in

1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...

. He was briefly Shadow Minister for Environment. In 1994, he was made an Honorary Doctor at

Life peer

On 11 October 1993, he was created a

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...

as Baron Dixon-Smith, ''of Bocking in the

County of Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

''. In December 1998, he was appointed the Conservatives' local government spokesman in the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

by party leader

William Hague William Jefferson Hague, Baron Hague of Richmond (born 26 March 1961) is a British politician and life peer who was Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from 1997 to 2001 and Deputy Leader from 2005 to 2010. He was th ...

Use of controversial idiom

In July 2008, he was forced to apologise to the chamber after using the racist idiom, "

nigger in the woodpile "Nigger in the woodpile" or "nigger in the fence" is a figure of speech originating in the United States meaning "some fact of considerable importance that is not disclosed—something suspicious or wrong". Commonly used in the late 19th and ...

", during a House of Lords debate. Dixon-Smith said the phrase had "slipped out without my thinking", and that "It was common parlance when I was younger". He added, "I apologise, I left my brains behind".

Personal life

Lord Dixon-Smith has been married to Georgina Janet Cook, since 1960. They have one son and one daughter.

Arms

References

External links

* * 1934 births Living people Conservative Party (UK) life peers Members of Essex County Council Deputy lieutenants of Essex 1st King's Dragoon Guards officers People educated at Oundle School St. Johnsbury Academy alumni Life peers created by Elizabeth II {{Life-peer-stub Peers removed under the House of Lords Reform Act 2014