Alan Grahame Brown facts for kids

Alan Grahame Brown (born October 23, 1913 – died January 5, 1972) was a British chemist who worked with medicines and also a politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for a short time. During this time, he left the Labour Party and joined the Conservative Party because he disagreed with some of their ideas.

Early Life and Education

Alan Brown was born in Wood Green, a part of north London. However, his family was from Bedford and they moved back there quickly. He went to Bedford School. After school, he decided to study to become a chemist who works with medicines. He trained at the College of the Pharmaceutical Society in London.

Joining the Army

In 1932, Alan Brown joined the 5th Battalion of the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment. He served in the army for five years. After his service, he married a girl from Bedford, and they later had two sons. Around this time, he also joined the Labour Party.

However, his career as a chemist was put on hold when he rejoined the Army for the Second World War. He served in the 4th Battalion of his old regiment for four years. This time, he became an officer and reached the rank of Lieutenant.

Becoming a Local Chemist and Politician

After the war, Alan Brown returned home. He opened his own chemist's shop (like a pharmacy) in Tottenham, London. He also became very active in local politics. He was involved with both the Labour Party and the Co-operative Party. From 1957 to 1960, he was the chairman of the South Tottenham Co-operative Party.

In 1956, he was elected to the Middlesex County Council. On the council, he focused on helping children and dealing with issues like juvenile delinquency (young people breaking rules).

Becoming a Member of Parliament

In October 1958, Sir Fred Messer, who was the Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Tottenham, announced he would not run for re-election. The local Labour Party group in Tottenham had views that Alan Brown agreed with. Because of his strong local connections, Alan Brown was chosen to be the new Labour candidate.

He promised to work within Parliament to support the policies of his local party. In the 1959 general election, he easily won the seat and became the MP for Tottenham.

Helping Young People in Prison

Soon after becoming an MP, Alan Brown started an important campaign. He found out that a 14-year-old girl, who had skipped school, was being held in HM Prison Holloway. She was being kept with adults who had committed serious crimes.

Alan Brown wanted to change this. He tried to introduce a new law (called a Bill) that would stop judges from sending children under 16 to prison. However, his Bill was not passed because other MPs talked for too long, preventing a vote.

Changing Political Parties

At the same time, there was a big debate within the Labour Party about defense policy. Some members wanted the UK to get rid of all its nuclear weapons. Alan Brown disagreed with this idea.

In March 1961, he wrote to the Labour Party leader, Hugh Gaitskell. He said he would not change his beliefs and announced he was leaving the Labour Party. He decided to sit in Parliament as an Independent MP, meaning he didn't belong to any party. Surprisingly, his local Labour Party group in Tottenham supported his decision.

When asked about his choice, Alan Brown explained that he disagreed with Labour's policies on more than just defense. He felt his views were now closer to the Conservative government. While he was an Independent MP, he often voted in Parliament the same way Conservative MPs did.

In early 1962, the Tottenham Labour Party chose a new candidate, showing they didn't expect Alan Brown to rejoin them. Then, in May 1962, Alan Brown officially joined the Conservative Party.

New Laws and Later Life

In November 1962, Alan Brown was lucky in a special lottery for MPs. This allowed him to introduce his own law, called a Private Member's Bill. He introduced the Nursing Homes Bill, which allowed the government to register and regulate private nursing homes. This Bill was successfully passed into law.

In December 1962, Alan Brown had a close call. He was sleeping in a caravan near Parliament when an oil heater started leaking and almost caught fire. He explained that he used the caravan for his work helping children and sometimes slept there after working late.

Even though he was now a Conservative candidate for Tottenham, Alan Brown was upset by a new government policy. The government decided to stop "resale price maintenance," which allowed chemists to set fixed prices for their medicines. Many chemists, including Alan Brown, relied on this to run their businesses. He tried to change the new law by suggesting many amendments, but they were all rejected.

In the 1964 general election, Alan Brown lost his seat in Parliament, and the Labour Party won it back.

In April 1966, Alan Brown rejoined the Labour Party.