Norman St John-Stevas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord St John of Fawsley
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St John-Stevas in 1968
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| Minister of State for the Arts | |
| In office 5 May 1979 – 5 January 1981 |
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| Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher |
| Preceded by | The Lord Donaldson of Kingsbridge |
| Succeeded by | Paul Channon |
| In office 2 December 1973 – 4 March 1974 |
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| Prime Minister | Edward Heath |
| Preceded by | The Viscount Eccles |
| Succeeded by | Hugh Jenkins |
| Leader of the House of Commons | |
| In office 5 May 1979 – 5 January 1981 |
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| Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher |
| Preceded by | Michael Foot |
| Succeeded by | Francis Pym |
| Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | |
| In office 5 May 1979 – 5 January 1981 |
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| Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher |
| Preceded by | Harold Lever |
| Succeeded by | Francis Pym |
| Shadow Leader of the House of Commons | |
| In office 6 November 1978 – 4 May 1979 |
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| Leader | Margaret Thatcher |
| Preceded by | Francis Pym |
| Succeeded by | Michael Foot |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Science | |
| In office 28 February 1974 – 6 November 1978 |
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| Leader | Edward Heath Margaret Thatcher |
| Preceded by | William van Straubenzee |
| Succeeded by | Mark Carlisle |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| In office 19 October 1987 – 2 March 2012 Life peerage |
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| Member of Parliament for Chelmsford |
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| In office 15 October 1964 – 18 May 1987 |
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| Preceded by | Hubert Ashton |
| Succeeded by | Simon Burns |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Norman Panayea St John Stevas
18 May 1929 London, England |
| Died | 2 March 2012 (aged 82) London, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Domestic partner | Adrian Stanford (1956–2012) Civil Partnership 2008 |
| Alma mater |
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Norman Antony Francis St John-Stevas, Baron St John of Fawsley (born Norman Panayea St John Stevas; 18 May 1929 – 2 March 2012) was a British politician, writer, and lawyer. He was a member of the Conservative Party. He served as Leader of the House of Commons from 1979 to 1981. This role involves managing the government's business in the House of Commons. He was also a Member of Parliament (MP) for Chelmsford from 1964 to 1987. Later, he became a life peer in the House of Lords, which is the second chamber of the UK Parliament.
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Early Life and Education
Norman St John-Stevas was born in London. His father, Spyro Stevas, was of Greek origin and owned a hotel. His mother was Kitty St John O'Connor. After his parents divorced, his mother added a hyphen to her name, becoming St John-O'Connor.
He attended St Joseph's Salesian School in Burwash. Later, he went to Ratcliffe College, a Catholic school in Leicester. He was very active in the Young Conservatives group. He often spoke about Conservative and Catholic ideas.
For six months, he studied at the English College in Rome. This was a seminary, a school for training priests. However, he decided that becoming a priest was not his path. He remained a Catholic throughout his life.
He then studied law at Fitzwilliam Hall, which is now Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. While there, he was the President of the Cambridge Union in 1950. He earned excellent grades and won the Whitlock Prize.
He also studied at Oxford University, where he earned another law degree. He then completed a PhD from the University of London. He also earned a JSD degree from Yale University in the United States. In 1952, he became a barrister, which is a type of lawyer who can argue cases in court.
Academic and Legal Work
After finishing his studies, St John-Stevas worked as a lecturer. He taught at Southampton University from 1952 to 1953. He also taught at King's College London from 1953 to 1956.
He returned to Oxford University to teach law at Christ Church, Oxford and Merton College. He also taught as a visiting professor in the United States. From 1954 to 1959, he was a legal advisor for a committee. This committee focused on issues related to book censorship.
St John-Stevas received many awards and scholarships for his academic work. These included the Blackstone and Harmsworth Scholarship in 1952. He also won the Yorke Prize from Cambridge University in 1957.
He wrote several books about law and morals. These books explored difficult questions from a thoughtful, Catholic perspective.
In 1959, he joined The Economist magazine. He worked there as a legal and political correspondent. He also edited the collected writings of Walter Bagehot. Bagehot was a famous Victorian journalist and politician. His work on Bagehot was highly praised.
Political Career
St John-Stevas was a founding member of the Bow Group. This is a think tank for the Conservative Party. He first tried to become an MP in 1951 but was not successful.
In 1964, he was elected as the MP for Chelmsford. He held this seat until he stepped down in 1987. He was known for his independent views. For example, he opposed the Suez Crisis in 1956. He also spoke out against capital punishment and immigration restrictions based on race.
Under Prime Minister Edward Heath, St John-Stevas held government roles. He was a junior minister at the Department of Education and Science. He also served as the Minister for the Arts from 1973 to 1974.
After the Conservative Party lost power, he joined the Shadow Cabinet. This is a group of opposition MPs who shadow government ministers. He was the Shadow Spokesman for Education from 1975 to 1978. In 1978, he became the Shadow Leader of the House of Commons.
When Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister in 1979, St John-Stevas was appointed to her government. He served as Minister for the Arts again. He also became the Leader of the House of Commons and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
As Leader of the House, he helped create the system of select committees. These committees allow MPs who are not ministers to question government actions. This helps hold ministers accountable to Parliament.
In 1981, he was removed from the Cabinet by Margaret Thatcher. He was one of the first of the "wets" to be dismissed. "Wets" was a nickname for Conservative politicians who disagreed with Thatcher's economic policies.
After leaving the Cabinet, he continued to be an active MP. He focused on parliamentary accountability. In 1983, he helped pass the National Audit Act. This law created the UK's National Audit Office. It ensures that government spending is checked for good value.
St John-Stevas left the House of Commons in 1987. He was then made a life peer. This meant he became a member of the House of Lords for the rest of his life. His title was Baron St John of Fawsley.
Chairman of the Royal Fine Art Commission
From 1985 to 1999, Lord St John of Fawsley was the Chairman of the Royal Fine Art Commission. This commission advised the government on matters of public art and architecture.
He aimed to make the commission more exciting and well-known. He succeeded in bringing more attention to its work. However, some felt that the commission became too focused on his personal opinions.
The commission strongly criticized the plans for the Millennium Wheel in London. This was despite some members being very enthusiastic about it.
Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge
From 1991 to 1996, Lord St John was the Master of Emmanuel College at Cambridge University. This is a senior leadership role at the college.
During his time as Master, a new lecture theatre was built. It was called the Queen's Building. He insisted that the stone for the building come from the same quarries as the college's old chapel.
He also worked to promote the college. He even arranged for a room to be named the "Harrods Room" after a donation from Mohammed al-Fayed. Some people at the college were not happy about this.
After he retired as Master, he kept his connection with Emmanuel College. He sometimes used it for events related to the Royal Fine Art Commission Trust.
Personal Life
Lord St John was a devoted Roman Catholic. He also supported other religious groups. He was the Patron of the Anglican Society of King Charles the Martyr.
He had a partner for over fifty years, Adrian Stanford. They met in 1956. They entered into a civil partnership in 2008.
He was known for his unique personal style. He would sometimes offer his hand in a way that resembled a pope. He also enjoyed using Latin phrases when speaking. He was a loyal supporter of the British Royal Family. He had a close relationship with them.
He lived in London and also had a house in Northamptonshire. He was known for writing personal notes in purple ink.
Lord St John of Fawsley passed away at his home in London on 2 March 2012, at the age of 82.
Distinctions
- Grand Bailiff for England and Wales of the Order of Saint Lazarus (statuted 1910)
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
Arms
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