Derek Enright
Derek Anthony Enright (2 August 1935 – 31 October 1995) was a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.
Derek Enright MP | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Hemsworth | |
| In office 7 November 1991 – 31 October 1995 | |
| Preceded by | George Buckley |
| Succeeded by | Jon Trickett |
| Member of the European Parliament for the Leeds constituency | |
| In office 10 June 1979 – 17 June 1984 | |
| Succeeded by | Michael McGowan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 August 1935 Thornaby-on-Tees, North Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 31 October 1995 (aged 60) |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse(s) | Jane Simmons; 4 children |
| Alma mater | Wadham College, Oxford |
Early life
Born in Thornaby-on-Tees, North Riding of Yorkshire, he attended St. Michael's College on St John's Road, Leeds (which has since merged with Mount St Mary's Catholic High School), then a grammar school. He was educated at Wadham College, Oxford, gaining a BA in Classics and a DipEd, and worked as a school teacher of classics at The John Fisher School, a Roman Catholic grammar school in Purley, London from 1959–1967. Taught at St Wilfred's Catholic High School in the 70s, where he taught students to sing 'Yellow Submarine' and 'Ten Green Bottles' in Latin. He also played a convincing Pharoe in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Parliamentary career
He was elected as a Labour Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Leeds in 1979, staying until 1984. He was British Labour group spokesman on third world affairs and women's rights, and was later an EC delegate in Guinea Bissau. He contested Kent East in the 1984 European election. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Hemsworth, West Yorkshire from 1991 until his death in 1995.
Sings "Yellow Submarine" in Latin in the Commons chamber
On 2 March 1993, during a debate on the Education Reform Bill, Derek Enright mentioned that "To help my pupils discover what the optative and subjunctive are all about, I translated Beatles songs into Latin." Challenged by Nicholas Fairbairn to sing a Beatles song in Latin, Enright immediately stood up and did so, singing "Yellow Submarine" in Latin. The Deputy Speaker, Geoffrey Lofthouse, got him to curtail his performance by reminding Enright of the rules of the House: "Order. The hon. Gentleman has been a Member of the House long enough to know its rules full well."[1]
Personal life
He married Jane Simmons in 1963, and they had two sons and two daughters. He died from cancer aged 60. His son, Duncan Enright, stood against David Cameron in Witney in the 2015 General Election.
References
- House of Commons "Hansard," 3 March 1993, column 176. Accessed 2 March 2013
External links
- Derek Enright singing Yellow Submarine in Latin in the House of Commons (2 March 1993)
- Independent obituary
- They Work For You
- His contributions at Hansard
| European Parliament | ||
|---|---|---|
| New title | Member of the European Parliament for Leeds 1979 – 1984 |
Succeeded by Michael McGowan |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by George Buckley |
Member of Parliament for Hemsworth 1991 – 1995 |
Succeeded by Jon Trickett |
Authority control  |
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