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John Silkin | |
|---|---|
 Silkin in 1979 | |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Defence | |
| In office 24 November 1981 – 26 October 1984 | |
| Leader | Michael Foot Neil Kinnock |
| Preceded by | Brynmor John |
| Succeeded by | Denzil Davies |
| Shadow Leader of the House of Commons | |
| In office 8 December 1980 – 30 October 1983 | |
| Leader | Michael Foot |
| Preceded by | Michael Foot |
| Succeeded by | Peter Shore |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Industry | |
| In office 14 July 1979 – 8 December 1980 | |
| Leader | Jim Callaghan |
| Preceded by | Eric Varley |
| Succeeded by | Stanley Orme |
| Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food | |
| In office 10 September 1976 – 4 May 1979 | |
| Prime Minister | Jim Callaghan |
| Preceded by | Fred Peart |
| Succeeded by | Peter Walker |
| Minister of State for Local Government and Planning | |
| In office 7 March 1974 – 10 September 1976 | |
| Prime Minister | Harold Wilson Jim Callaghan |
| Preceded by | Graham Page(Local Government and Development) |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Services | |
| In office 24 March 1972 – 5 March 1974 | |
| Leader | Harold Wilson |
| Preceded by | Barbara Castle |
| Succeeded by | Keith Joseph |
| Minister of Public Buildings and Works | |
| In office 30 April 1969 – 19 June 1970 | |
| Prime Minister | Harold Wilson |
| Preceded by | Bob Mellish |
| Succeeded by | Julian Amery |
| Government Chief Whip in the House of Commons Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury | |
| In office 4 July 1966 – 30 April 1969 | |
| Prime Minister | Harold Wilson |
| Deputy | George Lawson (1966–67) Charles Grey (1967–69) |
| Preceded by | Edward Short |
| Succeeded by | Bob Mellish |
| Government Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Commons Treasurer of the Household | |
| In office 11 April 1966 – 4 July 1966 | |
| Prime Minister | Harold Wilson |
| Preceded by | Sydney Irving |
| Succeeded by | George Lawson (Deputy) Charles Grey (Treasurer) |
| Member of Parliament forLewisham Deptford Deptford (1963–1974) | |
| In office 4 July 1963 – 26 April 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Leslie Plummer |
| Succeeded by | Joan Ruddock |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1923-03-18)18 March 1923 London, England |
| Died | 26 April 1987(1987-04-26) (aged 64) London, England |
| Party | Labour |
| Spouse | |
| Alma mater | University of Wales Trinity Hall, Cambridge |
John Ernest Silkin (18 March 1923 – 26 April 1987) was a British left-wingLabour politician and solicitor.
Silkin was born in London.[1] He was the third son ofLewis Silkin, 1st Baron Silkin, and a younger brother ofSamuel Silkin, Baron Silkin of Dulwich.[1] He was educated atDulwich College, theUniversity of Wales andTrinity Hall,Cambridge.[1] Silkin served in theRoyal Naval Volunteer Reserve from 1942 to 1946. He was commissioned as asub-lieutenant in 1943, serving in the East Indies Fleet, Eastern Fleet and Pacific Fleet aboardHMS King George V andHMS Formidable, and ashore at Anderson, Ceylon (FECB). He was later promoted lieutenant. He was demobilised in 1946 and returned to Cambridge.
Silkin was admitted as a solicitor in 1950 and worked for his father's law practice in London.[1]
He contested the seat ofSt Marylebone for theLabour Party at the1950 general election,West Woolwich in1951 andSouth Nottingham in1959.[1] He served as a councillor in theMetropolitan Borough of St Marylebone (1962–1963) and was elected to theHouse of Commons for the first time in July 1963. He served as the Labour Member of Parliament forDeptford (1963–1974) and forLewisham, Deptford (1974–1987).[1]
He was appointed to thePrivy Council in 1966. He served as aGovernment Chief Whip (1966–1969) and as thedeputy leader of the House of Commons (1968–1969). He was appointed as theMinister of Public Buildings and Works (1969–1970) and theMinister for Planning and Local Government in theDepartment for the Environment (1974–1976).[1] He served as theMinister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1976–79).[1]
In opposition, Silkin was an unsuccessful candidate in the1980 Labour leadership election following the resignation ofJames Callaghan, losing toMichael Foot, and in thedeputy leadership election in 1981, losing to incumbentDenis Healey.[2] He served as Opposition Spokesman on Industry (1979–1980),Shadow Leader of the House of Commons (1980–1983), Shadow Defence Secretary (1981–1983) and the Dairy Industry Arbitrator (1986–1987).
Silkin's publicationChanging Battlefields: The Challenge to the Labour Party appeared posthumously. His widow gave his papers to theChurchill Archives Centre in February 1990. These cover his parliamentary and ministerial career, as well as his other public interests, such as theChannel Tunnel, theEuropean Economic Community and the dairy industry. There is material of particular interest concerning his relationship with hisConstituency Labour Party inDeptford and on the Labour Party's 1980 leadership and 1981 deputy leadership elections.
In 1950, Silkin married actressRosamund John.[1] They had one son.[3]
On 26 April 1987, Silkin died from a heart attack at his home in London.[1] A by-election was not held due to the 1987 general election being called soon after Silkin’s death.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forDeptford 1963–1974 | Constituency abolished |
| New constituency | Member of Parliament forLewisham Deptford 1974–1987 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Deputy Chief Whip of theHouse of Commons 1966 | Succeeded by |
| Treasurer of the Household 1966 | Succeeded by | |
| Preceded by | Chief Whip of theHouse of Commons 1966–1969 | Succeeded by |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury 1966–1969 | ||
| Preceded by | Minister of Public Buildings and Works 1969–1970 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Services 1972–1974 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded byas Minister of State for Local Government and Development | Minister of State for Local Government and Planning 1974–1976 | Position abolished |
| Preceded by | Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1976–1979 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Shadow Secretary of State for Industry 1979–1980 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Shadow Leader of the House of Commons 1980–1983 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Shadow Secretary of State for Defence 1981–1984 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Labour Deputy Chief Whip in theHouse of Commons 1966 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Labour Chief Whip in theHouse of Commons 1966–1969 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
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