Dick Taverne facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Lord Taverne KC
Official portrait, 2018
Financial Secretary to the Treasury
In office 13 October 1969 – 19 June 1970
Prime Minister	Harold Wilson
Preceded by	Harold Lever
Succeeded by	Patrick Jenkin
Minister of State for the Treasury
In office 6 April 1968 – 13 October 1969
Prime Minister	Harold Wilson
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Bill Rodgers
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department
In office 6 April 1966 – 6 April 1968
Prime Minister	Harold Wilson
Preceded by	George Thomas
Succeeded by	Elystan Morgan
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
In office 5 February 1996 – 7 March 2025 Life Peerage
Member of Parliament for Lincoln
In office 8 March 1962 – 20 September 1974
Preceded by	Geoffrey de Freitas
Succeeded by	Margaret Jackson
Personal details
Born	(1928-10-18)18 October 1928 Sumatra, Dutch East Indies
Died	25 October 2025(2025-10-25) (aged 97) London, England
Political party	Labour (until 1972) Democratic Labour (1972–80) SDP (1981–88) Liberal Democrats (1988–2025)
Children	2, including Suzanna
Alma mater	Balliol College, Oxford

Dick Taverne, Baron Taverne (born 18 October 1928, died 25 October 2025) was an important British politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Lincoln from 1962 to 1974. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the country's main law-making body, called Parliament.

Lord Taverne was part of several political parties during his career. He started with the Labour Party. Later, he became an independent candidate and then joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Finally, he became a member of the Liberal Democrats. From 1996 until his death in 2025, he was a life peer in the House of Lords. A life peer is someone given a special title and seat in the House of Lords for their lifetime, to help make laws and discuss important issues.

Dick Taverne's Early Life and Education

Dick Taverne was born in Sumatra on 18 October 1928. He was originally a Dutch citizen but became a British citizen when he was 21. He went to Charterhouse School and then to Balliol College, Oxford University. There, he studied Philosophy and Ancient History.

After university, he became a barrister in 1954. A barrister is a type of lawyer who represents people in court. He later became a Queen's Counsel (QC) in 1965, which is a special title for experienced barristers.

Starting His Political Career

Lord Taverne first tried to become an MP for Putney in 1959, but he was not elected. However, in March 1962, he was elected as the MP for Lincoln in a special election called a by-election.

During the 1960s, when Harold Wilson was the Prime Minister, Lord Taverne held several important government jobs. He worked as a Home Office Minister from 1966 to 1968. Then, he was a Minister of State at the Treasury from 1968 to 1969. Finally, he served as the Financial Secretary to the Treasury from 1969 to 1970. These roles involved managing government money and policies.

In 1970, he also helped start the Institute for Fiscal Studies. This is a group that studies how the government spends money and collects taxes. He was its first Director and later its chairman.

Changes in Political Parties

In 1972, Lord Taverne had disagreements with his local Labour Party group in Lincoln. They did not agree with his ideas about the European Economic Community, which was a group of European countries working together. Because of these differences, he was not chosen to represent the Labour Party in the next election.

He then decided to leave the Labour Party and Parliament. He formed his own group called the Lincoln Democratic Labour Association. In March 1973, he ran again in a special election as an independent candidate and won his seat back. He kept this seat in the general election in February 1974.

However, in the October 1974 general election, Lord Taverne lost his seat in Parliament. He continued to be involved with his Democratic Labour Association until it stopped operating after the 1979 election. He was also a thoughtful writer about politics, publishing a book called The Future of the Left: Lincoln and After in 1974.

Joining New Political Groups

In the early 1980s, a new party called the Social Democratic Party (SDP) was formed. Lord Taverne joined this party and was part of its national committee. He ran in elections for the SDP in 1982 and 1983, but he did not win a seat.

Later, the SDP joined with another party, the Liberal Party, to form the new Liberal Democrats party. Lord Taverne became a member of the Liberal Democrats. On 5 February 1996, he was given the special title of Baron Taverne. This meant he became a life peer and could sit in the House of Lords as a Liberal Democrat, helping to make laws and discuss important issues.

Contributions to Science and Public Policy

Lord Taverne was very interested in science and how it affects society. In 2004, he became the President of the Research Defence Society. This group supports the use of animals in scientific research, but only when it is done responsibly and ethically.

He was also a member of important committees in the House of Lords. He served on the Committee on the Use of Animals in Scientific Procedures. He was also part of the Science and Technology Committee. These committees looked at how science and technology could help the country and made sure research was done safely and correctly.

In 2002, he founded Sense about Science. This is a charity that helps people understand science better and encourages them to use evidence when thinking about scientific topics. He believed it was important for everyone to understand how science works.

Personal Life and Legacy

In 1955, Lord Taverne married Janice Hennessey, who was a scientist studying tiny living things (a microbiologist). They had two daughters, including Suzanna.

He was a strong supporter of humanism, which is a way of thinking that focuses on human values and reason. He was involved with groups like Humanists UK. He also believed in using science and evidence to make decisions. He won an award in 2005 for being a great communicator of science in Parliament.

Lord Taverne wrote several books. These included The March of Unreason in 2005, which won an award for science communication. In 2014, he published his life story, called Against the Tide.

Lord Taverne passed away at his home in London on 25 October 2025, at the age of 97. He left behind a legacy of public service and a commitment to science and clear thinking.

Books by Dick Taverne

• The Future of the Left: Lincoln and After (1974)
• The March of Unreason (2005)
• Against the Tide (2014)

See Also

• List of UK minor party and independent MPs elected
• Lincoln Democratic Labour Association