Herbert Bowden, Baron Aylestone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Aylestone
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| Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs | |
| In office 1 August 1966 – 29 August 1967 |
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| Prime Minister | Harold Wilson |
| Preceded by | Arthur Bottomley (Commonwealth Relations) |
| Succeeded by | George Thomson |
| Leader of the House of Commons Lord President of the Council |
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| In office 16 October 1964 – 11 August 1966 |
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| Prime Minister | Harold Wilson |
| Preceded by | Selwyn Lloyd (Leader of Commons) Quintin Hogg (President of Council) |
| Succeeded by | Richard Crossman |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| In office 3 November 1967 – 30 April 1994 Life Peerage |
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| Member of Parliament for Leicester South West Leicester South (1945–1950) |
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| In office 5 July 1945 – 2 November 1967 |
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| Preceded by | Charles Waterhouse |
| Succeeded by | Tom Boardman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 January 1905 Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom |
| Died | 30 April 1994 (aged 89) Worthing, West Sussex, United Kingdom |
| Political party | ILP (until 1936) Labour (1936–81) SDP (1981–88) 'Continuing' SDP (1988–90) Liberal Democrats (1992–94) |
| Spouses |
Louisa Brown
(m. 1928; died 1992)Vicki Clayton
(m. 1993) |
Herbert William Bowden, Baron Aylestone (born January 20, 1905 – died April 30, 1994) was an important British politician. He was a member of the Labour Party for many years. He held several high-ranking jobs in the government. Later in his life, 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.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Herbert Bowden was born in Cardiff, Wales. His father was a baker. Herbert once said he never wanted to work in a bakery. After finishing elementary school, he opened a shop selling tobacco. However, his business failed during the Great Depression. This was a time when many people lost their jobs and businesses. He then moved to Leicester and found work selling radios.
Starting in Politics
As a young man, Bowden joined the Independent Labour Party. This party later had disagreements with the main Labour Party. This happened over how to support the side fighting in the Spanish Civil War. Bowden chose to support the Labour Party.
In 1938, he was elected to the Leicester City Council. This meant he helped make decisions for the city. Later that year, he became the president of the Labour Party in Leicester.
Serving in Government
During World War II, Herbert Bowden served as a flying officer in the Royal Air Force. After the war, in 1945, he became a Member of Parliament (MP). He represented the area of Leicester South. Later, he represented Leicester South West until 1967.
In Parliament, he became a "whip" in 1949. A whip is like a team captain who makes sure all party members vote together. He was also a Lord of the Treasury, which is a government role. From 1951, he was the Deputy Chief Whip, then the Chief Whip. He held this job when the Labour Party was not in power.
In 1953, he received an honour called the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This award recognizes important contributions to the country.
Key Government Roles
Herbert Bowden was known for being very strict about party rules. This earned him the nickname "The Sergeant Major" among other MPs. When the Labour Party came back to power in 1964, he was given important jobs. He became the Leader of the House of Commons. This person helps manage the business of the House of Commons. He also became the Lord President of the Council. This is another senior government role. In 1962, he had become a Privy Counsellor. This is a group of important advisors to the King or Queen.
In 1966, he took on a new role as Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs. This job involved working with countries that were part of the Commonwealth. He held this position until 1967. After leaving Parliament, he became the chairman of the Independent Television Authority. This group was in charge of independent television in the UK.
Life in the House of Lords
On September 20, 1967, Herbert Bowden was given a special title. He became a life peer called Baron Aylestone. This meant he could sit in the House of Lords for the rest of his life. He was also made a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour in 1975. This is a very special award for outstanding service. From 1984 to 1992, he was a Deputy Speaker in the House of Lords.
Later in his life, Lord Aylestone changed political parties several times. He moved from the Labour Party to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 1981. After the SDP changed, he joined the Liberal Democrats in 1992.
Later Years and Passing
Lord Aylestone passed away in 1994 at the age of 89. He died in Worthing, Sussex. He was survived by his second wife and a daughter from his first marriage.
