Robert Carr
The Right Honourable The Lord Carr of Hadley PC | |
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Carr in 1951, one year after being elected MP for Mitcham | |
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer | |
In office 4 March 1974 – 11 February 1975 | |
Leader | Edward Heath |
Preceded by | Denis Healey |
Succeeded by | Geoffrey Howe |
Home Secretary | |
In office 18 July 1972 – 4 March 1974 | |
Prime Minister | Edward Heath |
Preceded by | Reginald Maudling |
Succeeded by | Roy Jenkins |
Lord President of the Council Leader of the House of Commons | |
In office 7 April 1972 – 18 July 1972 | |
Prime Minister | Edward Heath |
Preceded by | William Whitelaw |
Succeeded by | James Prior |
Secretary of State for Employment | |
In office 20 June 1970 – 7 April 1972 | |
Prime Minister | Edward Heath |
Preceded by | Barbara Castle |
Succeeded by | Maurice Macmillan |
Member of Parliament for Mitcham | |
In office 23 February 1950 – 28 February 1974 | |
Preceded by | Tom Braddock |
Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
Member of Parliament for Carshalton | |
In office 28 February 1974 – 11 March 1976 | |
Preceded by | Walter Elliot |
Succeeded by | Nigel Forman |
Personal details | |
Born | 11 November 1916 |
Died | 17 February 2012 95) | (aged
Political party | Conservative |
Alma mater | Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge |
Leonard Robert Carr, Baron Carr of Hadley, PC (11 November 1916 – 17 February 2012)[1] was a British Conservative Party politician.
Early life
Robert Carr was educated at Westminster School[2] and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he read Natural Sciences, graduating in 1938. After graduation he applied his knowledge of metallurgy at John Dale & Co, the family metal engineering firm.[2]
Career
He was elected Member of Parliament for Mitcham in 1950 and served there until 1974 when the seat was merged and he moved to Carshalton. In Edward Heath's government he served as Secretary of State for Employment and was responsible for the Industrial Relations Act 1971, which balanced the introduction of compensation for unfair dismissal with curbs on the freedom to strike and the virtual abolition of closed shop agreements.
In 1971 he escaped injury when The Angry Brigade anarchist group exploded two bombs outside his house.[3] More than thirty years later a member of the group issued a public apology to Carr, and sent him a Christmas card.[4]
In 1972 he served a brief period as Lord President of the Council and was then appointed Home Secretary after the resignation of Reginald Maudling. After his defeat in the first ballot of the 1975 Conservative leadership contest, Edward Heath asked Carr to "take over the functions of leader" until a new leader was elected.[5]
Later life
He was created a life peer as Baron Carr of Hadley, of Monken Hadley, North London, in 1976.
Carr died in 2012 at the age of 95; he was survived by his wife Joan and two daughters.[1]
References
- 1 2 The Daily Telegraph, 19 February 2012: Baron Carr, former Tory cabinet minister dies, aged 95
- 1 2 "The Guardian Lord Carr Obituary". The Guardian. 20 February 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
- ↑ "BBC ON THIS DAY | 12 | 1971: British minister's home bombed". BBC News. 6 December 1972. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
- ↑ Martin Bright, home affairs editor (3 February 2002). "Angry Brigade's bomb plot apology". London: Observer.guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
- ↑ The Times, Wednesday, 5 Feb 1975; pg. 1; Issue 59312; col A
Bibliography
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Robert Carr
Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Tom Braddock |
Member of Parliament for Mitcham 1950 – 1974 |
Constituency abolished |
Preceded by Walter Elliot |
Member of Parliament for Carshalton 1974 – 1976 |
Succeeded by Nigel Forman |
Political offices | ||
Preceded by Barbara Castle as Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity |
Secretary of State for Employment 1970 – 1972 |
Succeeded by Maurice Macmillan |
Preceded by William Whitelaw |
Lord President of the Council 1972 |
Succeeded by James Prior |
Leader of the House of Commons 1972 | ||
Preceded by Reginald Maudling |
Home Secretary 1972 – 1974 |
Succeeded by Roy Jenkins |