Ivor Bulmer-Thomas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ivor Bulmer-Thomas CBE FSA
Parliamentary Secretary to the Air Ministry
In office 10 August 1945 – 4 October 1946
Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies
In office 4 October 1946 – 1947
Member of Parliament for Keighley
In office 13 February 1942 – 3 February 1950
Preceded by	Hastings Lees-Smith
Succeeded by	Charles Hobson
Personal details
Born	Ivor Thomas (1905-11-30)30 November 1905
Died	7 October 1993(1993-10-07) (aged 87)
Nationality	British
Political party	SDP (from 1981)
Other political affiliations	Conservative (from 1948) Labour (until 1948)

Ivor Bulmer-Thomas (born Ivor Thomas, 30 November 1905 – 7 October 1993) was a British journalist and writer. He also served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for eight years. His strong religious beliefs greatly influenced his life and career. He was a devout member of the Church of England's Anglo-Catholic group.

Ivor was a brilliant student and a talented athlete at university. Early in his career, he wrote biographies and worked as a sub-editor for The Times newspaper. During World War II, he worked on propaganda efforts. This experience made him question how useful propaganda really was. Later, while working in the Attlee Labour Party government, he became unhappy with the party's left-wing ideas. He disagreed with their policy of nationalising industries. Because of this, he eventually left the Labour Party and joined the Conservative Party.

Ivor Bulmer-Thomas was a very hard worker. After leaving politics, he became a leading figure in the Church of England. He was very interested in old buildings, especially churches. This led him to create the Friends of Friendless Churches group. This group works to save churches from being abandoned or falling apart. He also played a key role in starting The Churches Conservation Trust, a charity that protects historic churches.

Early Life and Faith

Ivor Thomas was born in Cwmbran, Monmouthshire, Wales. His father, A.E. Thomas, came from a working-class background. Ivor attended West Monmouth School in Pontypool. While there, he decided to leave his father's Baptist faith. Instead, he joined the Anglo-Catholic part of the Church of England. This choice had a big impact on his future career. Even though he was very religious, his faith was described as "always gentle and humble."

University Life at Oxford

Ivor did very well at school and earned a scholarship to St John's College, Oxford. At Oxford, he studied both Mathematics and Literae Humaniores (also known as 'Classics'). He achieved top grades in both subjects. He then started studying divinity, but he had a disagreement with the college president. So, he moved to Magdalen College to continue his theology studies.

His achievements at Oxford were not just academic. He was also a talented cross country runner. He raced for Oxford against Cambridge from 1925 to 1927. In 1927, he won the three-mile race. In 1926, he even represented his home country, Wales, in international cross-country events. He might have even joined the Great Britain team for the 1928 Summer Olympics if he hadn't gotten an injury.

Becoming an Author

After leaving Oxford, Ivor became a research student at St Deiniol's Library in Hawarden. This library was founded at the former home of William Ewart Gladstone. His research there led to a book about Gladstone's son, published in 1936. Before that, in 1930, he published a biography of Lord Birkenhead. Ivor knew Birkenhead through their shared interest in university sports. His book about Birkenhead was described as witty and fun.

Ivor Bulmer-Thomas also wrote other important works:

• Illustrating the History of Greek Mathematics (1939–1941)
• The Socialist Tragedy (1949)
• He wrote many articles for the Dictionary of Scientific Biography.
• He contributed to books on Greek geometry and mathematics education.
• He reviewed books on ancient science and mathematics for Classical Reviews.

Journalism Career

In 1930, Ivor joined The Times newspaper as a sub-editor. He also wrote occasional leader columns and special articles about science. For a short time, he was also a sports reporter. In 1932, he married Dilys Llewelyn Jones, and they had a son.

In 1935, Ivor took time off from The Times to run in the 1935 United Kingdom general election. He was the Labour Party candidate for Spen Valley. The sitting MP was Sir John Simon, a very important politician. Although Simon won, Ivor came closer than expected, losing by only 642 votes.

Personal Challenges

In 1937, Ivor moved to the News Chronicle newspaper as their chief leader writer. He also found time to write a biography of Welsh industrialist David Davies, published in 1938. However, that same year, his wife sadly passed away during childbirth. In response, Ivor wrote a poem called "Dilysia." This poem combined his love for Italian literature with his Christian thoughts on suffering. He later said it was his favorite piece of writing. Ivor needed only four hours of sleep each night. He kept books by the Italian poet Dante next to his bed to read in the original Italian.

Service During Wartime

As World War II approached, Ivor joined the Territorial Army in 1938. He started as a private in the Royal Fusiliers. In 1940, he became an officer in the Royal Norfolk Regiment. While in the Army, he wrote a two-volume work called "Selections Illustrating the History of Greek Mathematics." He was promoted to captain in 1941.

Propaganda Work

Because he spoke fluent Italian, Ivor was assigned to the psychological warfare department. This department was part of the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Information. His job was to create propaganda to use against Mussolini's Italy. In 1942, Ivor wrote a book called "Warfare by Words" for Penguin Books. In it, he criticized Britain's propaganda efforts. He defined propaganda as an act of "sabotage leading to revolution."

Becoming a Member of Parliament

Election to Parliament

After his propaganda work, Ivor became an intelligence officer in the Cambridge area. In January 1942, he was chosen as the Labour Party candidate for the 1942 Keighley by-election. This election was held because the previous MP had died. During the war, political parties had agreed not to challenge each other in by-elections. So, Ivor was elected without opposition on 13 February 1942.

First Speech in Parliament

Ivor gave his first speech in Parliament on 12 March. He spoke about pensions and argued that the "means test" was unfair. He believed that supporting those who couldn't work was a basic right of citizenship. In his early time in Parliament, he focused on propaganda. He disagreed with others who thought propaganda should be as important as the military. Ivor argued that propaganda was a "valuable but ancillary weapon" – meaning it was helpful but not the main tool.

Parliamentary Activities

Ivor was a very active MP. He spoke in many debates on various topics, both about Britain and other countries. In November 1942, he worked with other MPs to oppose British cooperation with Admiral Darlan in French North Africa. He also supported allowing theatres to open on Sundays. For this, he was criticized by a religious group. At one meeting, a prayer asked God to "deal with Ivor Thomas as he dealt with Saul of Tarsus" (referring to a biblical story of conversion).

In January 1945, Ivor spoke at the first meeting of the League for European Freedom. This group wanted to restore freedom and democracy across Europe. As the war ended, in April 1945, Ivor highlighted a speech by Ernest Bevin. Bevin had called for the government and opposition to work together on foreign policy and defense.

Serving in Government

Ministry of Civil Aviation

In the 1945 United Kingdom general election, Ivor was easily re-elected. When he saw the list of new government ministers, he wrote to Prime Minister Clement Attlee to ask why he wasn't on it. Attlee then appointed him Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation on 10 August 1945. He was the Ministry's spokesperson in the House of Commons. Ivor became responsible for building London Heathrow Airport, which was then called 'Heath Row'. The Royal Air Force had started building it during the war.

Ivor felt he needed to understand his job better, so he learned to fly and got a Private Pilot's Licence. In 1946, he was in charge of guiding the Civil Aviation Bill through Parliament. This Bill was controversial because it nationalised air transport. This meant three new corporations would be owned by the government. Some Labour MPs were worried that Ivor, being young and less experienced, was in charge of such an important Bill. Despite a tough process, the Bill became law on 1 August.

Colonies Office

On 4 October 1946, Ivor was moved to be Under-Secretary for the Colonies. He later said this move was due to pressure from the Labour Party's left wing. With this new role, he also became a delegate to the General Assembly of the United Nations. He negotiated at the UN about Britain's continued control over colonies like Tanganyika, Togoland, and the Cameroons. He worked against attempts by the Soviet Union to limit British control. Early the next year, he helped end a strike in Singapore, getting 7,000 workers to return to their jobs. The Colonies Office also managed Palestine under British rule. Ivor followed government policy of stopping illegal immigration, which was mainly Jewish people.

Changing Political Parties

Many thought Ivor might become a future leader. However, Attlee removed him from the government on 7 October 1947, which was unexpected. The reason was Ivor's growing unhappiness with socialism. In March 1948, he spoke at an Italian election rally, supporting a moderate socialist party and calling for a united Europe. When it was found that some left-wing Labour MPs had supported a rival, more extreme Italian socialist group, Ivor called for an investigation.

On 13 October 1948, Ivor wrote to The Times newspaper. He urged the government to stop controversial new laws, specifically the Parliament Bill and the Iron and Steel Bill. This caused a lot of debate. After the King's Speech, which included both Bills, Ivor wrote to Attlee announcing he was leaving the Labour Party. He said he was worried about the government gaining too much power. He also accused the government of giving in to its more extreme members.

A Difficult Speech

When Ivor spoke in Parliament the next day, it was clear that leaving the Labour Party had cost him many friendships. Another MP interrupted his speech, asking if he would immediately run for re-election under his new party. Ivor explained that he didn't have to, based on past examples. When Ivor said the Labour slogan was the opposite of the Christian idea "What is mine is thine," another MP shouted at him, calling him a "dirty dog!" The Speaker ordered the MP to take back his words. Ivor ended his speech by praising Winston Churchill.

For the rest of that Parliament, Labour MPs treated Ivor as an outcast. He formed a small group of two with Alfred Edwards, who had also left Labour over the nationalisation of steel. Early the next year, Ivor officially announced he had joined the Conservative Party. At the same time, it was announced he would be the Conservative candidate for Newport (Monmouthshire), near his birthplace. Ivor gave a strong speech at the 1949 Conservative Party conference. He wrote a book called The Socialist Tragedy, which was published that year.

Election Defeat

In the 1950 United Kingdom general election, Ivor faced a tough challenge in Newport. He had family connections there, and his views on steel nationalisation were thought to be popular. However, he found that voters were not very interested. Ivor was defeated by a large margin of 9,992 votes.

Return to Journalism

After losing his seat in Parliament, Ivor went on a trip with friends, driving across the Sahara desert. He then returned to journalism. He became a reviewer for The Times Literary Supplement and wrote obituaries for The Times. His contributions were not always credited, but he wrote many important obituaries, including one for Bertrand Russell. From 1953 to 1954, he was the acting deputy editor of The Daily Telegraph.

Around this time, he changed his last name. In 1940, he had married Joan Bulmer in Hereford Cathedral. They had a son and two daughters. In April 1952, he added 'Bulmer-' to his surname by deed poll to honor her. His son from this marriage, Victor Bulmer-Thomas, later became a director of Chatham House.

Work with the Church of England

In the same year he lost his Parliament seat, Ivor Bulmer-Thomas joined the House of Laity of the Church Assembly. Just like in Parliament, he often spoke in debates, sometimes giving bold and controversial speeches. The most important issue for him in the Church Assembly was taking care of old church buildings. In 1951, he became chairman of a committee in London that advised on church care. In June of that year, he successfully proposed a plan in the Church Assembly to create a £4 million trust. This trust would be used to preserve historic churches.

The Historic Churches Preservation Trust received its funding. It also convinced the Church Assembly to pass a law for inspecting churches every five years. This law helped prevent many sudden "repairs crises" that could lead to churches being lost.

Disagreement with the Archbishop

On 13 July 1956, disagreements within the Historic Churches Preservation Trust became public. Ivor Bulmer-Thomas wanted the trust to save every threatened church. This meant stepping in to stop local church leaders from demolishing unwanted churches that no longer had congregations. Other trustees, supported by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher, believed that local churches should have more control. When Ivor couldn't convince the trust to adopt his policy, the trust was dissolved. A new committee was set up without him.

At the Church Assembly on 15 November 1956, Ivor criticized Archbishop Fisher. He said Fisher "held a pistol to my face," which surprised many listeners. Ivor then went off to make his own plans.

Friends of Friendless Churches

On 12 August 1957, Ivor Bulmer-Thomas announced the creation of "The Friends of Friendless Churches." He was the acting chairman and honorary secretary. He made it clear that this group was not trying to compete with other organizations. The Friends followed the policy Ivor had wanted for the previous trust. They opposed any suggestion of demolishing a church. He had considerable success, but he also became more controversial. Some people believed that finding new uses for old churches was unavoidable.

By the time Ivor Bulmer-Thomas died, it was estimated that the Friends had saved 17 churches themselves. They had also helped rescue many more. They became the guardians of 21 separate churches. While many disagreed with Ivor's methods, his dedication was clear.

The Churches Conservation Trust

In 1969, Ivor Bulmer-Thomas became the first chairman of the Redundant Churches Fund. This organization is now known as The Churches Conservation Trust. It is a national charity that protects historic churches that are at risk. Ivor led this organization for seven years. As of 2015, this group cares for over 345 historic churches. Almost 2 million people visit these churches each year.

Other Contributions

Ivor Bulmer-Thomas was also involved in other heritage work. He was Secretary of the Ancient Monuments Society from 1958. He served on the society's council for over 30 years and was its chairman from 1975 to 1990. In 1970, he became a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London. He also became a Churchwarden at St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe in the City of London. He had a special connection to this church because he fought to have it rebuilt after it was damaged by bombs in World War II. His interest in journalism and the Church led him to get involved with the Society of the Faith and the Faith Press, a specialist printing firm.

Awards and Recognition

Ivor never tried to return to politics. However, he did write "The Growth of the British Party System" in two volumes in 1965. In 1981, he joined the Social Democratic Party, but he was not very active in it. He was a very hard worker. In 1985, he stepped down from the General Synod after 35 years of membership. He received several honors, including an honorary Fellowship from St John's College Oxford. In 1984, he received the CBE for his work in preserving churches. Ivor joked that CBE stood for "Churches Before Evangelism."

He also received two honorary degrees. One was from the University of Warwick in 1979, at the request of the Mathematics Department. On his 80th birthday, the Ancient Monuments Society published a special book in his honor, celebrating his many different interests.

Ivor Bulmer-Thomas was reportedly working "literally till a few minutes before his death" on a letter to the Daily Telegraph. This letter was published on the same day his obituary appeared.