Fred Peart, Baron Peart

Template:Short description Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox officeholder Thomas Frederick Peart, Baron Peart, PC (30 April 1914 – 26 August 1988) was a British Labour politician who served in the Labour governments of the 1960s and 1970s and was a candidate for Deputy Leader of the Party.

Early life and education

Thomas Frederick Peart was born in Durham, England, in 1914, the son of Emerson Featherstone Peart, a headmaster and leading Labour member of Durham County Council, and Florence Blissenden.<ref name = ODNB>Template:Cite ODNB</ref> The younger Peart qualified as a teacher at the University of Durham in 1936.<ref name = ODNB/> During his time at university he was President of the Durham Union for Epiphany term of 1936.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He studied at the Inner Temple but did not enter the legal profession, instead teaching economics in Durham.<ref name = ODNB/> He served in the Royal Artillery in World War II, gaining the rank of captain.<ref name = ODNB/>

Political career

Peart was elected Member of Parliament for Workington in 1945, serving until 1976.<ref name = ODNB/> He initially served as PPS to the Minister of Agriculture & Fisheries (Tom Williams).<ref name = ODNB/>

Peart, along with the rest of the Labour Party, went into opposition following Winston Churchill's 1951 election victory. In 1964, he returned to government after Harold Wilson defeated Alec Douglas-Home at that year's election. He was appointed to the Cabinet holding the Cabinet post of Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.<ref name = ODNB/> His tenure saw advances in pay for agricultural labourers, and in technology.

In 1968, Peart became Lord Privy Seal, with no particular responsibilities.<ref name = ODNB/> Seven months later, Peart became Leader of the House of Commons, taking the subsidiary title Lord President of the Council.<ref name = ODNB/> After Labour lost the 1970 election, Peart returned to opposition as Shadow Leader of the House of Commons. He held that position until December 1971, when he became Shadow Agriculture Minister.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> When Labour returned to power, Peart once more took the Agriculture portfolio.

On 23 September 1976, Peart was created a life peer as Baron Peart, of Workington in the County of Cumbria,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> to serve as Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal at a time when the Labour faction in the Lords was tiny compared to the vast Tory majority, mainly composed of hereditary peers.<ref name = ODNB/>

After Margaret Thatcher won the 1979 election, Peart continued as Leader of the Labour Peers and thus became Shadow Leader of the House of Lords. He served in those roles until 1982, when he was defeated for re-election by Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos in a vote among Labour peers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life and death

In 1945, Peart married Bette Lewis, and they had one son.<ref name = ODNB/>

On 6 June 1975, Peart was on board the train which derailed in the Nuneaton rail crash; he survived with minor injuries.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1984, Peart was attacked by two robbers who broke into his London home. This preceded a terminal decline in his health, and he died at a hospital in London on 26 August 1988, at the age of 74.<ref name = ODNB/>

See also

• List of Durham University people
• List of presidents of the Durham Union

External links

• Template:Hansard-contribs

Template:S-start Template:S-par Template:S-bef Template:S-ttl Template:S-aft |- Template:S-off Template:S-bef Template:S-ttl Template:S-aft |- Template:S-bef Template:S-ttl Template:S-aft |- Template:S-bef Template:S-ttl Template:S-aft |- Template:S-ttl |- Template:S-vac Template:S-ttl Template:S-aft |- Template:S-bef Template:S-ttl Template:S-aft |- Template:S-bef Template:S-ttl Template:S-aft |- Template:S-bef Template:S-ttl Template:S-aft |- Template:S-ttl Template:S-aft |- Template:S-bef Template:S-ttl Template:S-aft |- Template:S-ppo Template:S-bef Template:S-ttl Template:S-aft Template:S-end