Raymond Carter (British politician) facts for kids
Raymond John Carter (born September 17, 1935 – died July 2, 2020) was an important British politician. He was a member of the Labour Party. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Birmingham Northfield from 1970 to 1979. After his time in Parliament, he worked as an executive and director for the Marathon Oil Company for many years. He was also awarded a CBE, which is a special honor from the Queen.
Early Life and Education
Raymond Carter was born in September 1935. His parents were John and Nellie Carter. He went to several schools and colleges, including Mortlake Secondary School, Reading Technical College, and Stafford College of Technology. He studied hard and became an electrical engineer. An electrical engineer is someone who designs and works with electrical systems and equipment.
From 1953 to 1955, he completed his National Service. This was a time when young men in the UK had to serve in the armed forces. After that, he worked as a technical assistant at the Sperry Gyroscope Company. In 1965, he started working for the Central Electricity Generating Board, which was a big company that produced electricity for the country.
Political Journey
Raymond Carter joined the Labour Party, one of the main political parties in the UK. He started his political career as a local councillor. He served on the Easthampstead Rural District Council from 1963 to 1968.
He tried to become a Member of Parliament (MP) a couple of times before he finally succeeded. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the UK Parliament. In 1970, he was elected as the MP for Birmingham Northfield. He held this position until 1979.
During his time as an MP, he worked on important committees. He also represented the UK in European groups like the Western European Union and the Council of Europe. From 1976 to 1979, he was a junior minister for the Northern Ireland Office. A junior minister helps a senior minister run a government department.
One of his big achievements was writing a law called the Congenital Disabilities (Civil Liability) Act in 1976. This law helped people who were born with certain disabilities.
In the 1979 general election, Raymond Carter lost his seat in Parliament. He had won by a large number of votes in the previous election. However, he lost to Jocelyn Cadbury from the Conservative Party by a very small number of votes.
Life Outside Parliament
Even when he was not in Parliament, Raymond Carter stayed very active. From 1974 to 1976, he was a member of the General Advisory Council at the BBC. The BBC is the main public broadcaster in the UK.
He also worked on committees related to education. He was part of the Interim Advisory Committee for Teachers' Pay and Conditions from 1987 to 1991. From 1991 to 1993, he was the Deputy Chairman of the School Teachers' Review Body. In 1991, he received a CBE, which stands for Commander of the Order of the British Empire. This is a special award given by the Queen for great achievements.
Raymond Carter was also interested in arts and culture. In 1983, he helped organize an exhibition about the works of Sir John Betjeman, a famous poet. He was a Trustee of the British Museum (Natural History) from 1986 to 1996. He also became a Patron for the Guild of Handicraft Trust in 1991. He was involved with the Arvon Foundation, which helps people with creative writing, from 1991 to 2001. Later in life, he was a Governor at Wexham and Heatherwood Hospitals NHS Trust from 2011 to 2014.
Family and Later Years
In 1959, Raymond Carter married Jeanette Hills. They had a son and two daughters. In the famous book Who's Who, he said his hobbies were "walking, reading, writing." He lived in the town of Bracknell in Berkshire.
Raymond Carter passed away in July 2020, at the age of 84.
