Christopher Mayhew facts for kids

Christopher Paget Mayhew, Baron Mayhew (born June 12, 1915 – died January 7, 1997) was an important British politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Labour Party for many years, from 1945 to 1950 and again from 1951 to 1974. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the UK Parliament.

Later, he left the Labour Party to join the Liberals. In 1981, he became a life peer, which means he was given a special title and a seat in the House of Lords for the rest of his life. He was known as Baron Mayhew. He is most famous for helping to create the Information Research Department (IRD). This was a secret part of the UK Foreign Office that worked on spreading information during the Cold War.

Early Life and Education

Christopher Paget Mayhew was the son of Sir Basil Mayhew. He grew up in Norwich, England.

He went to a school called Haileybury. After that, he studied at Christ Church, Oxford, which is part of the famous Oxford University. While at Oxford, he became the President of the Oxford Union, a well-known debating society. In 1934, he visited Moscow.

During World War II, Mayhew joined the Intelligence Corps in 1940. He rose to the rank of Major, which is a senior military officer.

Political Journey

Mayhew started his political career by being elected to Parliament. He became an MP for the area called South Norfolk in the general election of 1945.

Working in the Foreign Office

In 1945, Mayhew was given a role as the Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign Office. This meant he helped manage Britain's relationships with other countries. He worked under Ernest Bevin, who was the main Foreign Secretary at the time.

Mayhew lost his MP seat in the 1950 election. However, he quickly returned to Parliament. After Ernest Bevin passed away, Mayhew won the by-election in 1951. This meant he became the MP for Bevin's old area, Woolwich East.

Years in Opposition

From 1951 to 1964, the Labour Party was not in power. This period is called "opposition." During these 13 years, Mayhew often spoke for the Labour Party on television. He was a commentator on the BBC and presented Party Political Broadcasts. He introduced the first Labour broadcast in 1951.

Mayhew was a strong opponent of nuclear disarmament. This means he believed Britain should keep its nuclear weapons. He also served as the Shadow War Secretary from 1960 to 1961. A "Shadow Secretary" is a member of the opposition party who watches over a government minister's work. From 1961 to 1964, he was a spokesperson for foreign affairs.

Government Role and Resignation

When the Labour Party won the election in 1964, Mayhew was made the Minister of Defence for the Royal Navy. This job involved looking after Britain's navy.

However, in 1966, he resigned from this role. This happened after the government, led by Harold Wilson, decided to change how Britain's air power worked. They decided to use planes based on land instead of planes based on aircraft carriers. They also cancelled a new aircraft carrier project called CVA-01. Mayhew resigned along with the head of the navy, Sir David Luce.

Supporting Palestinian Rights

Mayhew was a strong supporter of Palestinian rights. In 1971, he helped start a journal called Middle East International (MEI). He launched it with another MP, Dennis Walters, and a publisher, Claud Morris. The journal focused on issues in the Middle East.

Mayhew later became the Chairman of MEI and stayed in that role until he passed away in 1997. The journal continued to be published for several more years. Many retired British diplomats worked as directors for MEI.

Joining the Liberal Party

Mayhew started to disagree with some of the Labour Party's policies under Harold Wilson. In 1974, he decided to leave the Labour Party and join the Liberals. He was the first MP in many decades to "cross the floor," which means changing political parties while in Parliament.

In the general election in October 1974, Mayhew ran for election in a different area, Bath. He did this so he wouldn't compete against his old party in Woolwich East. He lost the election in Bath and also lost when he tried again in 1979.

On July 6, 1981, Christopher Mayhew became a life peer. He was given the title Baron Mayhew, from Wimbledon in Greater London. This meant he became a member of the House of Lords. In the House of Lords, he became the Liberals' main speaker on defence issues.

Other Important Activities

Besides his political work, Mayhew was also very active in helping people with mental health issues. He was the Chairman of MIND (National Association for Mental Health), a charity that supports mental health, from 1992 to 1997.

He also wrote several books. These include Publish It Not: The Middle East Cover-Up (written with Michael Adams in 1975) and his own life story, called Time To Explain (1987).

Family Life

In 1949, Christopher Mayhew married Cicely Ludlam. She was one of the few women working in the diplomatic service at that time. They had two sons and two daughters together.