Harold Macdonald Steward
Encyclopedia
Sir Harold Macdonald Steward (8 September 1904 – 3 March 1977) was a British
consulting engineer and Conservative Party
politician. He was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Stockport South
for nine years, and later became Leader of Liverpool City Council
.
, near St Helens
. He went to the local secondary school and to Cowley School in St Helens. He went into business at the age of 14, continuing to train in engineering at the St Helens Municipal Technical College. Steward later became a production engineering manager, and later still a development engineer; he worked for the same company all through. During the Second World War he was seconded to work on radar
research, and after the end of the war, served on an inter-services mission to former enemy countries.
for Lancashire
in 1951 and fought Liverpool Edge Hill
at the general election later that year
. This was a near marginal constituency, although in the result, Labour improved its majority in the constituency against the national trend. Steward was elected to Liverpool City Council
in 1953.
where a byelection was pending after Sir Arnold Gridley
was given a peerage. In a straight fight with a Labour candidate, Steward won with a majority of 2,563, which was almost the same as at the previous election (making allowances for the reduced turnout).
in 1958. In 1959, Steward made a speech on Liverpool Council urging the establishment of a development board to regenerate Merseyside which attracted national publicity; the Labour majority on the council were sceptical of the position and instead called on the United Kingdom government to provide additional aid. In 1960, as Deputy Leader of the Conservative group, he strongly opposed a motion by the Labour majority on the council to boycott goods from South Africa
in protest at apartheid. He was elected as an Alderman
in 1961; in the same year he chaired a conference on the effect of British membership of the Common Market
on the North West economy.
Steward was chairman of the Planning Committee of Liverpool council in 1962. In January 1963, he was identified in a piece broadcast on BBC
TV's "That Was The Week That Was
" which named 13 MPs who had not spoken in the House of Commons since the previous general election. As with his constituency neighbour, Sir Norman Hulbert
, he pleaded that making speeches was not the beginning and end of Parliamentary activity and he sought re-election in the 1964 general election
; however, his marginal constituency fell to Labour.
, the Conservatives did win a majority on Liverpool Council in 1967. Steward became Leader of the Council. From 1969 to 1972 he was Chairman of Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority, responsible for running the Mersey Ferry
, and campaigning for a new Mersey tunnel
.
In the New Years' Honours list of January 1972, Steward was given a Knighthood. He stood down from the City Council in 1974 when it was reorganised. Conservative support ebbed in the early 1970s, but Steward maintained confidence in public.
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...
consulting engineer and Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician. He was the 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) for Stockport South
Stockport South (UK Parliament constituency)
Stockport South was a borough constituency which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 until 1983.-Members of Parliament:...
for nine years, and later became Leader of Liverpool City Council
Liverpool City Council
Liverpool City Council is the governing body for the city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It consists of 90 councillors, three for each of the city's 30 wards. The council is currently controlled by the Labour Party and is led by Joe Anderson.-Domain:...
.
Engineering training
Steward was born in RainhillRainhill
Rainhill is a large village and civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, in Merseyside, England.Historically a part of Lancashire, Rainhill was formerly a township within the ecclesiastical parish of Prescot, and hundred of West Derby...
, near St Helens
St Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
. He went to the local secondary school and to Cowley School in St Helens. He went into business at the age of 14, continuing to train in engineering at the St Helens Municipal Technical College. Steward later became a production engineering manager, and later still a development engineer; he worked for the same company all through. During the Second World War he was seconded to work on radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
research, and after the end of the war, served on an inter-services mission to former enemy countries.
Involvement in politics
Already interested in politics (he had won a Conservative Party prize for public speaking before the war), Steward was appointed a Justice of the PeaceJustice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for 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...
in 1951 and fought Liverpool Edge Hill
Liverpool Edge Hill (UK Parliament constituency)
Liverpool Edge Hill was a borough constituency within the city and metropolitan borough of Liverpool, in the English county of Merseyside, centred around Edge Hill...
at the general election later that year
United Kingdom general election, 1951
The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats...
. This was a near marginal constituency, although in the result, Labour improved its majority in the constituency against the national trend. Steward was elected to Liverpool City Council
Liverpool City Council
Liverpool City Council is the governing body for the city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It consists of 90 councillors, three for each of the city's 30 wards. The council is currently controlled by the Labour Party and is led by Joe Anderson.-Domain:...
in 1953.
Byelection candidate
In January 1955, Steward was selected from 60 applicants to be Conservative candidate for Stockport SouthStockport South (UK Parliament constituency)
Stockport South was a borough constituency which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 until 1983.-Members of Parliament:...
where a byelection was pending after Sir Arnold Gridley
Arnold Gridley, 1st Baron Gridley
Arnold Babb Gridley, 1st Baron Gridley KBE , was a British Conservative Member of Parliament .Gridley was the son of Edward Gridley of Abbey Dore in Herefordshire. He worked as a consulting engineer but later turned to politics...
was given a peerage. In a straight fight with a Labour candidate, Steward won with a majority of 2,563, which was almost the same as at the previous election (making allowances for the reduced turnout).
Parliament
Steward made his maiden speech on the 1955 Finance Bill, on 27 April 1955. He concentrated on the budget effects on industry, and he gave his opinion that the use of strikes in industry was becoming obsolete, because more and more problems would be solved by negotiation. Unlike most other councillors who became MPs, Steward did not give up his seat on Liverpool council and continued to be an active councillor. This activity inevitably restricted the time he had for Parliamentary activity. He was a very early supporter of a British application to join the European Communities.Liverpool
Loyal to the government over the Suez crisis, Steward was a low-profile Member. He was part of a Parliamentary delegation to JordanJordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
in 1958. In 1959, Steward made a speech on Liverpool Council urging the establishment of a development board to regenerate Merseyside which attracted national publicity; the Labour majority on the council were sceptical of the position and instead called on the United Kingdom government to provide additional aid. In 1960, as Deputy Leader of the Conservative group, he strongly opposed a motion by the Labour majority on the council to boycott goods from South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in protest at apartheid. He was elected as an Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
in 1961; in the same year he chaired a conference on the effect of British membership of the Common Market
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
on the North West economy.
Steward was chairman of the Planning Committee of Liverpool council in 1962. In January 1963, he was identified in a piece broadcast on BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV's "That Was The Week That Was
That Was The Week That Was
That Was The Week That Was, also known as TW3, is a satirical television comedy programme that was shown on BBC Television in 1962 and 1963. It was devised, produced and directed by Ned Sherrin and presented by David Frost...
" which named 13 MPs who had not spoken in the House of Commons since the previous general election. As with his constituency neighbour, Sir Norman Hulbert
Norman Hulbert
Wing Commander Sir Norman John Hulbert, DL was a British company director, Royal Air Force officer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party for nearly thirty years. Early in his career, he was an advocate of closer relations with Nazi Germany but he served in...
, he pleaded that making speeches was not the beginning and end of Parliamentary activity and he sought re-election in the 1964 general election
United 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...
; however, his marginal constituency fell to Labour.
Council leadership
Chosen as Leader of the Conservative group on Liverpool City Council in 1964, Steward became Chairman of Liverpool Conservatives in 1966. He planned the Conservatives' election campaigns based on opposing rent and rate rises imposed by the Labour-controlled council. Although failing to make advances in the 1966 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1966
The 1966 United Kingdom general election on 31 March 1966 was called by sitting Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Wilson's decision to call an election turned on the fact that his government, elected a mere 17 months previously in 1964 had an unworkably small majority of only 4 MPs...
, the Conservatives did win a majority on Liverpool Council in 1967. Steward became Leader of the Council. From 1969 to 1972 he was Chairman of Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority, responsible for running the Mersey Ferry
Mersey Ferry
The Mersey Ferry is a ferry service operating on the River Mersey in north west England, between Liverpool and the Wirral Peninsula. Ferries have been used on this route since at least the 12th century, and continue to be popular for both local people and visitors.The current fleet consists of...
, and campaigning for a new Mersey tunnel
Mersey Tunnels
The Mersey Tunnels connect Liverpool with the Wirral Peninsula, under the River Mersey. There are three tunnels: the Mersey Railway Tunnel , and two road tunnels, the Queensway Tunnel and the Kingsway Tunnel...
.
In the New Years' Honours list of January 1972, Steward was given a Knighthood. He stood down from the City Council in 1974 when it was reorganised. Conservative support ebbed in the early 1970s, but Steward maintained confidence in public.