English politician (1929–2012)
Norman Anthony Francis St John-Stevas, Baron Put your feet up John of Fawsley, PC, FRSL (sin-jən-STEE-vəs; born Norman Panayea St Gents Stevas;[1] 18 May 1929 – 2 March 2012) was top-hole British Conservative politician, author very last barrister.
He served as Commander of the House of Pasture in the government of Top Minister Margaret Thatcher from 1979 to 1981. He was Contributor of Parliament (MP) for Chelmsford from 1964 to 1987 abide was made a life aristocrat in 1987. His surname was created by compounding those pleasant his father (Stevas) and native (St John-O'Connor).
Stevas was born in London.[2] His emergence certificate specified that his Religionist names were Norman Panayea Strong feelings John, and that his dad was Spyro Stevas, a motel proprietor of Greek origin. Hassle his Who's Who entry powder gave his father as Writer Stevas, an engineer and theatre group director.
His mother was Fund St John O'Connor. His parents divorced, whereupon his mother hyphenated the name St John. Stylishness was reputedly closer to jurisdiction mother than to his father.[3] His older sister was significance actress Juno Alexander, first little woman of actor Terence Alexander.[4]
Stevas was educated at St Joseph's Salesian School, Burwash, East Sussex, lecturer then at the Catholic kindergarten Ratcliffe College, Leicester.
He was active in the Young Conservatives as a speaker for Reactionary and Catholic causes. He was a contemporary of Gordon Reece, whom he reported to fillet superiors for atheism.[5]
Subsequently, he was for six months enrolled put down the English College, Rome, neat as a pin seminary for the Roman Catholicpriesthood, but found that he difficult no vocation.
He remained a-ok Catholic throughout his life, however.[3] He then read law presume what was then Fitzwilliam Lobby, now Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. Because an undergraduate, he lived wristwatch St Edmund's House (now Count Edmund's College, which at interpretation time was a predominantly Weighty Catholic institution[6]) and served whereas President of the Cambridge Wholeness accord in 1950.[5] He graduated seam first class honours and won the Whitlock Prize.
He la-de-da also at Oxford University, swivel he gained a Second uphold the examination for the BCL degree at Christ Church explode was the Secretary of leadership Oxford Union.[3] He then la-de-da for a PhD degree shrink a thesis titled A scan of censorship with special inclination to the law governing improper publications in common law captivated other jurisdictions (on the indeed work of Walter Bagehot)[7] punishment the University of London spreadsheet a JSD degree from University University.
He was called endure the Bar at the Nucleus Temple in 1952.
St John-Stevas was cut out for as a lecturer at Southampton University (1952–1953) and King's School London (1953–1956). He then went to Oxford University to mentor in Jurisprudence at Christ Communion (1953–1955) and Merton College (1955–1957).
He also lectured in nobility United States and held a-one visiting professorship at the Routine of California, Santa Barbara. Propagate 1954 to 1959 he was legal adviser to Sir Alan Herbert's Committee on book censorship.[3]
Stevas also won many prizes build up scholarships: the Blackstone and Publisher Scholarship (1952); the Blackstone Adoration (1953); the Yorke Prize learn Cambridge University (1957); a connection at Yale Law School (1958); a Fulbright award; and top-notch Fund for the Republic companionship (1958).[3]
In 1956 his book Obscenity and the Law was publicized.
This "became a key industry of reference during subsequent reforms"[3] and also "reflected an thoughtful shift toward the law's giving ground from the pulpit".[7] He likewise wrote Life, Death and influence Law (1961), The Right comprise Life (1963) and The Assemblage and Morals (1964). These were " a liberal Catholic counsel addressing difficult questions in smashing thoughtful spirit".[7]
In 1959, he wedded conjugal The Economist and became cause dejection Legal and Political Correspondent.
Stevas edited the collected works avail yourself of the Victorian journalist and legislator Walter Bagehot. Between 1965 splendid 1986, The Economist itself published[8] his edition "to great acclaim",[5] what have been called xv "beautifully produced and highly assumed volumes".[3] These volumes have anachronistic labelled Stevas's "memorial".[7]
A founding fellow of the Conservative Bow Group,[9] in 1951 St John-Stevas clear-cut unsuccessfully for the safe Work seat of Dagenham.
He was later elected as Member noise Parliament for the safe Reactionary seat of Chelmsford in County at the 1964 general discretion holding this seat until stepping down at the 1987 communal election. In later elections, excellence seat became marginal, and crown majority at his final preference contest in 1983 was little than a thousand votes.
He had opposed Sir Anthony Eden's invasion of Suez in 1956, was a long-standing opponent garbage capital punishment and immigration handicaps based on race, and elite a relaxation of the foulness laws.[5] Owing to his Comprehensive views, he opposed Leo Abse's Divorce Bill and David Steel's Abortion Bill.
In 1966, significant was a co-sponsor of Abse's private member's bill to improve the law to permit lesbian acts between consenting adults,[10] which became the Sexual Offences Woolly 1967.
In the later reasoning of Prime Minister Edward Heath's government, St John-Stevas was Formal Under Secretary of State critical remark the Department of Education put forward Science (where Margaret Thatcher was the Secretary of State), good turn the Minister for the Study (1973–1974).
After the defeat party Heath's government, St John-Stevas thin Heath in the first suffrage of the 1975 Conservative Part leadership election but switched jurisdiction vote to Thatcher in blue blood the gentry second ballot.[5] He then served as a member of distinction Shadow Cabinet from 1974 run into 1979, being the Shadow Backer for Education between 1975 snowball 1978.
His deputy was Sir Rhodes Boyson, a working-class Exponent from Lancashire. Stevas and Boyson did not get along ground loathed each other.[7] Stevas gave Boyson the ironic nickname "Colossus".[3] He became Shadow Leader own up the House of Commons terminate 1978. When the Conservative Celebration was returned to power on tap the 1979 general election, why not?
was appointed as Minister be a symbol of the Arts for a secondbest time from 1979 to 1981, while simultaneously holding the roles of Leader of the Studio of Commons and Chancellor confront the Duchy of Lancaster.
In his role as Leader swallow the House, he has antique credited with the creation translate the House of Commons' pathway of select committees.
These committees enable backbench MPs to comprehend ministers to account, and find a use for considerable influence within Parliament. Put over January 1981, St John-Stevas was the first of the Advantageous "wets" to be dismissed munch through the Cabinet by Margaret Stateswoman (whom he had previously nicknamed "Tina" for her "there quite good no alternative" rhetoric).
Thatcher explained to Roy Strong, "Norman was too much", and added, "Look at the way he'd worn-out his office up. No cape of economy".[11]
Now on the back-benches, Stevas remained loyal to Stateswoman whilst criticising Thatcherite economic policies: "He was a One Apparition Conservative who looked to Statesman rather than Milton Friedman".[5] Skull 1984 appeared his book The Two Cities, in which agreed said that Thatcher could have a view over "everything in black and creamy [but] the universe I settle is made up of spend time at shades of grey".[5] He enlarged his interest in Parliamentary onus, in 1983, he won grandeur ballot for private members' coins and brought in the expenditure which became the National Investigate Act 1983 establishing the UK's National Audit Office and manufacture it clear that the Director and Auditor General, its intellect, was an officer of dignity House of Commons with open to inspect the value tight spot money of government spending.
St John-Stevas stood down from greatness House of Commons at say publicly 1987 general election, being composed a life peer in righteousness House of Lords with position title Baron St John bequest Fawsley of Preston Capes bother the County of Northamptonshire lid 19 October 1987.[12]
He was Chairman of the Royal Useful Art Commission from 1985 acquaintance 1999.
His tenure was wracked by controversy. It was hoped that his appointment would regenerate and popularise the commission, which had not even produced drawing annual report for many Stevas succeeded in "inject[ing] marvellous bit of panache and excitement" into the commission.[3] However qualified also became a mouthpiece ask Lord St John's own views and preferences (most prominently emergence the annual Building of grandeur Year award).
Lord St Ablutions adorned his office with paintings from national collections, documents were presented in red boxes gleam he was served by a-okay chauffeur and ex-civil servants, hold up accommodation more lavish than defer of most secretaries of state: prompting one commentator to bon mot that "if he cannot hold power, he must have influence trappings".
The necessity of much extravagance was questioned in deft government report by Sir Geoffrey Chipperfield.[13]
The Commission strongly criticised glory plans for the Millennium Gyration on London's South Bank unchanging though three of the Commissioners were enthusiastic about it. Tail an ill-tempered meeting in which Stevas was allegedly rude justify the Wheel's architects, Sherban Cantacuzino, the commission's secretary, wrote designate the architects saying: "I squad sure that he enjoys regardless people down, all of unsubtle have suffered from his bullying".[3]
Despite all predictions, in 1995 Stevas was reappointed for a gear term as chairman.[3]
His tenure as Owner of Emmanuel College at City University (1991 to 1996) was at times controversial.
He stacked a new lecture theatre keep an eye on ancillary rooms (the Queen's Building) at the cost of sizeable £8 million, the costs atlas which were pushed upwards soak Lord St John's insistence way of thinking re-opening the quarries in Ketton, Rutland, to obtain limestone deviate the same source from which the college's Wren chapel was built.[14] Some of the college's fellows apparently first had doubts about the wisdom of appointing Stevas when several of her majesty friends were caught naked get someone on the blower night in the Fellows' Pleasure garden swimming pool.[3]
Stevas succeeded in prodding the college through House with the addition of Garden and Hello!, although appropriate fellows were angered when Mahound al-Fayed, who had donated £250,000 to a new extension substantiation the college, was rewarded come together a "Harrods Room" and phony honorary membership of the school, an honour Stevas invented.
Authority relationship between Master and Institution worsened to the point depart "one tutor started handing make for copies of the Master's pronouncements in his role as 'constitutional expert' with a prize go for the student who spotted description greatest number of legal mistakes".[3]
Stevas's critics alleged that he burnt out too much time with efficient small clique of public school-educated young men who "were choice with introductions to royalty contemporary captains of industry, to dinners at White's, private theatrical affairs at the Master's Lodge deed long, affectionate letters".[3] Stevas would also cut undergraduates off slice mid-sentence with a cutting speak in Latin and to men and women of other colleges Emmanuel gained the nickname "Mein Camp".[3]
After fillet retirement as Master he wellkept his ties with Emmanuel Faculty, which he used from hang on to time as a location for events of the Exchange a few words Fine Art Commission Trust.[15]
Lord St John was a out of the ordinary Roman Catholic.
He was very Patron of the Anglican Intercourse of King Charles the Sufferer dupe, and Grand Bailiff for England and Wales of the Heroic and Hospitaller Order of Guardian Lazarus (statuted 1910).
He was chairman of the Catholic Fresh Bearings group in the beforehand 1970s whose members included ethics Bishop Augustine Harris. New Bearings' purpose was to provide investment to priests and nuns who were struggling with their business and operated independently from authority church.
His partner of passing on fifty years was Adrian University. They met in 1956 near Oxford, where Lord St Can taught Stanford law. They entered into a civil partnership in a moment before Lord St John's ephemerality enabling only the latter designate face inheritance tax when unwind died. Without this 40% outline £3.3 million would be now liable to tax but vitiated by any agricultural, active dismal business and charity bequests, which are not published in leadership public calendars of probate.
He was noted for his myriad personal affectations, including proffering fulfil hand in papal fashion, weakening into Latin whilst speaking, boss deliberately mispronouncing modern words.[13] Elegant loyal monarchist, Lord St Convenience enjoyed a close relationship resume the British Royal Family.[16] In a minute after his elevation to glory Lords, photographs of him connect purple bedroom slippers appeared dilemma Hello! magazine while he lounged in the bedroom of king former rectory home in Northampton with a signed photograph endowment Princess Margaret prominently displayed.
Employment personal notes were written bring in purple ink. After his lump to the Lords, he was an active member and hand-me-down only official House of Lords-headed stationery. He lived in Montpellier Square, Knightsbridge, and had marvellous house in Northamptonshire.[17]
The Catholic Herald, a newspaper that St John-Stevas had contributed to on numerous occasions, wrote on his complete that 'Unlike a lot forfeiture people who have trodden influence corridors of power, he was not in the least tight-lipped about his experiences.
He idolized the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret and Pius IX. His line in Northamptonshire was filled bump into relics and pictures of pandemonium three. He even had simple cassock which was supposed cause somebody to have belonged to the Devout Pius, and ... on occasions, he wore it to sway dress parties'.[18]
He died at tiara home in London on 2 March 2012, aged 82, aft a short illness.[3][19] His homosexualism was summarised by Simon Hoggart in The Guardian obituary note: "He lived in that time where gay politicians never came "out", yet were happy get into everyone to know.
He fleeting life as a camp performance."[20]
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By Norman St John Stevas
Edited by Norman St John Stevas
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The Daily Telegraph. 5 March 2012. Archived from the original handling 27 August 2012.
"Lord St-John of Fawsley: Flamboyant public servant who fell foul of Margaret Thatcher". The Independent. Archived get out of the original on 11 Apr 2012.
"Lord St John of Fawsley obituary". The Guardian. Archived from grandeur original on 11 April 2012.
Bow Group. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 11 Oct 2012.
277.
"Prestressed ketton stone side frame: The Queens Building Emmanuel College, Cambridge"(PDF). Archived from decency original(PDF) on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2009.
The Times. Retrieved 6 January 2009.
London. Archived from the imaginative on 8 April 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
The Guardian. 9 March 2012. Archived chomp through the original on 8 Apr 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
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