Frank Bowles, Baron Bowles
Encyclopedia
Francis George Bowles, Baron Bowles (2 May 1902 – 29 December 1970) was a British
solicitor and politician. A long-serving Member of Parliament
(MP), Bowles served briefly as a Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, but is perhaps best known for agreeing to give up his safe seat to make way for Minister of Technology
Frank Cousins
.
and then to the University of London
where he obtained the degree of Bachelor of Laws and the London School of Economics
where he became a Bachelor of Economic Science. He was admitted to the roll of solicitors in 1925. He worked for Pearl Assurance Ltd as their in-house solicitor; his grandfather had been Chairman of the company).
, Bowles soon shifted his allegiances to the Labour Party
in 1924 while at the LSE. He fought the constituency of Hackney North
in the 1929 general election
, losing by 866 votes. He fought it again at the two succeeding elections of 1931
and 1935
, in that case losing by 1,080.
of November 1936. This was a highly marginal constituency, and the local Constituency Labour Party
had wanted Bowles to fight it at the 1935 general election (Bowles refused as he had already committed to Hackney). He led an energetic campaign calling for the whole of Lancashire
to be declared a Special Area for government assistance. On polling day, Bowles was defeated by 1,605 votes, while Florence White
of the Spinsters' Pensions Association took 3,221.
in March 1942, when the sitting MP was made one of the few Labour Peers. He was popular with fellow MPs, and in November 1946 was elected Vice-Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party
. When Hubert Beaumont
, Deputy Chairman of Committees (Second deputy Speaker
) resigned due to ill health, Bowles was named to succeed him in October 1948; this recognised his mastery of Parliamentary procedure.
Following the 1950 general election
, Bowles stood down as Deputy Speaker. He married Kay Musgrove later that year after a whirlwind courtship. In the 1950s he was made a Trustee of the House of Commons. Bowles tended to prefer the backseat roles which were important in Parliament but not widely known to the public. His few prominent campaigns included better pay for Members of Parliament, although he did also press for safer motor racing after the Le Mans disaster
of 1955.
, Frank Cousins
was appointed as Minister of Technology
, the Labour whips sought out MPs with safe seats who would accept a Peerage to make way for him. Bowles volunteered. He told the press he had initially been "shocked, tremendously worried and ill" at the thought of leaving the Commons, but decided to make the sacrifice.
as Baron Bowles, of Nuneaton in the County of Warwickshire, Bowles was appointed as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard and Government Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords. He held this post until the Labour government went out of office in 1970. Bowles died at the end of that year.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
solicitor and politician. A long-serving Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP), Bowles served briefly as a Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, but is perhaps best known for agreeing to give up his safe seat to make way for Minister of Technology
Minister of Technology
The Minister of Technology was a position in the government of the United Kingdom, sometimes abbreviated as "MinTech". The Ministry of Technology was established by the incoming government of Harold Wilson in October 1964 as part of Wilson's ambition to modernise the state for what he perceived to...
Frank Cousins
Frank Cousins
Frank Cousins PC was a British trade union leader and Labour politician.He was born in Bulwell, Nottinghamshire, and became a full-time official in the road transport section of the Transport and General Workers' Union in July 1938...
.
Family and training
Bowles was from a middle class background (his father was an analytical chemist), and went to Highgate SchoolHighgate School
-Notable members of staff and governing body:* John Ireton, brother of Henry Ireton, Cromwellian General* 1st Earl of Mansfield, Lord Chief Justice, owner of Kenwood, noted for judgment finding contracts for slavery unenforceable in English law* T. S...
and then to the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
where he obtained the degree of Bachelor of Laws and the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
where he became a Bachelor of Economic Science. He was admitted to the roll of solicitors in 1925. He worked for Pearl Assurance Ltd as their in-house solicitor; his grandfather had been Chairman of the company).
Politics
Originally a LiberalLiberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, Bowles soon shifted his allegiances to the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
in 1924 while at the LSE. He fought the constituency of Hackney North
Hackney North (UK Parliament constituency)
Hackney North was a parliamentary constituency in the "The Metropolis" . It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- History :...
in the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, losing by 866 votes. He fought it again at the two succeeding elections of 1931
United Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
and 1935
United Kingdom general election, 1935
The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady...
, in that case losing by 1,080.
Byelection candidate
Bowles was then chosen to fight the Preston by-electionPreston by-election, 1936
The Preston by-election, 1936 was a parliamentary by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Preston on 25 November 1936...
of November 1936. This was a highly marginal constituency, and the local Constituency Labour Party
Constituency Labour Party
A Constituency Labour Party is an organisation of members of the British Labour Party who live in a particular UK parliamentary constituency in England, Scotland and Wales. The Labour Party in Northern Ireland has, since February 2009, been organised as a province-wide Constituency Labour Party...
had wanted Bowles to fight it at the 1935 general election (Bowles refused as he had already committed to Hackney). He led an energetic campaign calling for the whole of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
to be declared a Special Area for government assistance. On polling day, Bowles was defeated by 1,605 votes, while Florence White
Florence White
Florence White, was a food writer who established the English Folk Cookery Association, and published a number of books on cookery and other domestic matters.-Biography:...
of the Spinsters' Pensions Association took 3,221.
Parliament
Finally, Bowles entered Parliament unopposed as MP for NuneatonNuneaton (UK Parliament constituency)
Nuneaton is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Pre-2010 :...
in March 1942, when the sitting MP was made one of the few Labour Peers. He was popular with fellow MPs, and in November 1946 was elected Vice-Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party
Parliamentary Labour Party
In UK politics, the Parliamentary Labour Party is the parliamentary party of the Labour Party in Parliament: Labour MPs as a collective body....
. When Hubert Beaumont
Hubert Beaumont (Labour politician)
Captain Hubert Beaumont was a Co-operative official and politician who became a Labour Party Member of Parliament and served as Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons.-Working life:...
, Deputy Chairman of Committees (Second deputy Speaker
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
) resigned due to ill health, Bowles was named to succeed him in October 1948; this recognised his mastery of Parliamentary procedure.
Following the 1950 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
, Bowles stood down as Deputy Speaker. He married Kay Musgrove later that year after a whirlwind courtship. In the 1950s he was made a Trustee of the House of Commons. Bowles tended to prefer the backseat roles which were important in Parliament but not widely known to the public. His few prominent campaigns included better pay for Members of Parliament, although he did also press for safer motor racing after the Le Mans disaster
1955 Le Mans disaster
The 1955 Le Mans disaster occurred during the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race, when a crash caused large parts of racing car debris to fly into the crowd. The driver was killed, as were 83 spectators. A further 120 people were injured...
of 1955.
Giving up his seat
Bowles' constituency party, while holding him in reasonable regard, were inclined to complain that he neglected them and preferred to stay in London. When, following the 1964 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1964
The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power...
, Frank Cousins
Frank Cousins
Frank Cousins PC was a British trade union leader and Labour politician.He was born in Bulwell, Nottinghamshire, and became a full-time official in the road transport section of the Transport and General Workers' Union in July 1938...
was appointed as Minister of Technology
Minister of Technology
The Minister of Technology was a position in the government of the United Kingdom, sometimes abbreviated as "MinTech". The Ministry of Technology was established by the incoming government of Harold Wilson in October 1964 as part of Wilson's ambition to modernise the state for what he perceived to...
, the Labour whips sought out MPs with safe seats who would accept a Peerage to make way for him. Bowles volunteered. He told the press he had initially been "shocked, tremendously worried and ill" at the thought of leaving the Commons, but decided to make the sacrifice.
Lords
Once he had been created a life peerLife peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baron Bowles, of Nuneaton in the County of Warwickshire, Bowles was appointed as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard and Government Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords. He held this post until the Labour government went out of office in 1970. Bowles died at the end of that year.