Geoffrey de Freitas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Geoffrey de Freitas
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Geoffrey de Freitas in 1966
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| High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Ghana | |
| In office 1961–1964 |
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| Prime Minister | Harold Macmillan Alec Douglas-Home |
| Preceded by | Arthur Snelling |
| Succeeded by | Harold Smedley |
| Member of Parliament Kettering |
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| In office 15 October 1964 – 7 April 1979 |
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| Preceded by | Gilbert Mitchison |
| Succeeded by | William Homewood |
| Member of Parliament for Lincoln |
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| In office 23 February 1950 – 13 December 1961 |
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| Preceded by | George Deer |
| Succeeded by | Dick Taverne |
| Member of Parliament for Nottingham Central |
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| In office 5 July 1945 – 3 February 1950 |
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| Preceded by | Sir Frederick Sykes |
| Succeeded by | Ian Winterbottom |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 April 1913 St Lucia |
| Died | 10 August 1982 (aged 69) Cambridge, England |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse | Helen Graham Bell |
| Children | 4 |
| Parents | Sir Anthony de Freitas Edith de Freitas |
| Alma mater | Clare College, Cambridge |
Sir Geoffrey Stanley de Freitas KCMG (born April 7, 1913 – died August 10, 1982) was an important British politician and diplomat. He was a Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for 31 years. He also worked as a British High Commissioner in countries like Accra (Ghana) and Nairobi (Kenya). Later, he became the President of the Council of Europe.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Geoffrey de Freitas was born in 1913. His father, Sir Anthony de Freitas, was a judge. He worked as the Chief Justice in places like St. Vincent and British Guiana. This meant his family lived in different parts of the British West Indies.
Geoffrey went to school at Haileybury and then Clare College, Cambridge. At Cambridge, he was a good athlete. He also led the Cambridge Union Society, which is a famous debating club. After Cambridge, he spent two years at Yale University in the United States. He studied international law there.
In 1936, on his way back home, he met Helen Graham Bell. She was also a university graduate. They got married in 1938. They lived in London, where Geoffrey started his career as a barrister (a type of lawyer). He also gained political experience as a Labour councillor in Shoreditch. This meant he helped make decisions for the local area.
During the Second World War, Geoffrey de Freitas joined the Royal Air Force. He became a squadron leader, which is a senior rank. After the war ended in 1945, he returned to politics.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
In the 1945 election, Geoffrey de Freitas became a Member of Parliament (MP). An MP is someone elected by people to represent them in the UK Parliament. He won the seat for Nottingham Central. After this, he was chosen to be a Parliamentary Private Secretary to Clement Attlee, who was the Prime Minister at the time.
In 1947, he went to the United Nations Assembly. This was a big meeting where countries discussed global issues. Geoffrey de Freitas was very interested in international cooperation. He later helped write a booklet about an "Atlantic Assembly." He also had a long connection with the North Atlantic Assembly. This group brings together MPs from countries in the NATO alliance.
Serving Lincoln and Diplomatic Roles
In the 1950 general election, Geoffrey de Freitas became the MP for Lincoln. He continued to hold important roles in the government. He was an Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department. This meant he helped manage important internal affairs of the country. He held many "front bench" jobs, which are leading positions in the government or opposition.
In 1961, he was asked to become the British High Commissioner to Ghana. A High Commissioner is like an ambassador. They represent their country in another country, especially within the Commonwealth. He was knighted in October 1961, which means he received the title "Sir." To take this new job, he had to leave his seat in Parliament.
After his time in Ghana, he briefly served in Nairobi, Kenya. He was there to support an idea to create a united group of East African countries. This group would have included Uganda, Tanganyika, and Kenya.
Return to Parliament and European Leadership
In 1964, Geoffrey de Freitas returned to the UK. He was elected as the MP for Kettering. This was a safe seat for the Labour Party. Even though he didn't get a top government job under the new leader, Harold Wilson, he took on other important roles.
In 1965, he led the Labour group to the Council of Europe. This is an organization that works to protect human rights and democracy in Europe. From 1966 to 1969, he was the President of the Council of Europe. This was a very important international position.
From 1975 to 1979, Sir Geoffrey was a delegate to the European Parliament. This meant he represented the UK in the European Parliament, which makes laws for the European Union. He retired from politics in 1979. He passed away three years later, in Cambridge, at the age of 69. He was writing his autobiography with his wife, which was published after his death.
See also
- 1962 Lincoln by-election
- 1971 Speaker of the British House of Commons election
