John Wakeham

John Wakeham, Baron Wakeham, PC, DL (born 22 June 1932) is a British businessman and Conservative Party politician. Between 1998 and 2012, he was chancellor of Brunel University, and since then has been its chancellor emeritus.[2]

The Right Honourable The Lord Wakeham PC DL
Leader of the House of Lords Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal
In office 11 April 1992 – 20 July 1994
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	The Lord Waddington
Succeeded by	The Viscount Cranborne
Secretary of State for Energy
In office 24 July 1989 – 11 April 1992
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher John Major
Preceded by	Cecil Parkinson
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Lord President of the Council
In office 10 January 1988 – 24 July 1989
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	The Viscount Whitelaw
Succeeded by	Geoffrey Howe
Leader of the House of Commons
In office 13 June 1987 – 24 July 1989
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	John Biffen
Succeeded by	Geoffrey Howe
Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal
In office 13 June 1987 – 10 January 1988
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	John Biffen
Succeeded by	The Lord Belstead
Chief Whip of the House of Commons Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
In office 9 June 1983 – 13 June 1987
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	Michael Jopling
Succeeded by	David Waddington
Minister of State for Treasury
In office 6 April 1982 – 9 June 1983
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	The Lord Cockfield
Succeeded by	Barney Hayhoe
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Industry
In office 15 September 1981 – 6 April 1982
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	Michael Marshall
Succeeded by	John Butcher
Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
In office 9 January 1981 – 15 September 1981
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	David Waddington
Succeeded by	Tony Newton
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office 28 April 1992 Life Peerage
Member of Parliament for South Colchester and Maldon
In office 9 June 1983 – 9 April 1992
Preceded by	Constituency created
Succeeded by	John Whittingdale
Member of Parliament for Maldon
In office 28 February 1974 – 9 June 1983
Preceded by	Brian Harrison
Succeeded by	Constituency Abolished
Personal details
Born	(1932-06-22) 22 June 1932[1]
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Roberta Wakeham (19??–1984; her death) Alison Ward (1985 – present)
Children	3
Alma mater	Christ Church, Oxford

He was a director of Enron from 1994[3] until its bankruptcy in 2001.[4]

Early life and education

Wakeham as Chancellor of Brunel University

Wakeham was educated at two independent schools in Surrey: Aldro School in Shackleford, and Charterhouse School near Godalming before graduating from Christ Church, Oxford. He became a successful accountant and later a businessman.

Political career

He stood unsuccessfully in Coventry East in 1966[5] and in Putney in 1970[5] before his election to the House of Commons at the February 1974 general election as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Maldon[5] in Essex. He became a minister after Margaret Thatcher's victory in 1979.

During the late 1980s he served as Leader of the House of Commons, in which capacity he was responsible for the televising of Parliament, and as Energy Secretary (1989–92), where he drew up plans for the privatisation of electricity supply. Following a recommendation by John Major, he was created a life peer on 24 April 1992 taking the title Baron Wakeham, of Maldon in the County of Essex,[6] serving as the Leader of the House of Lords until 1994.

He became chairman of the Press Complaints Commission in 1995, retiring in 2001. In 1997 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire. Tony Blair appointed him in 1999 to head a Royal Commission on reform of the House of Lords – the resulting Wakeham Report suggested a mainly-appointed Lords be maintained, with a small elected component.

Personal life

His first wife, Roberta, was killed in the Brighton hotel bombing in October 1984 and he was trapped in rubble for seven hours, suffering serious crush injuries to his legs. The couple had two children. Wakeham married his secretary, Alison Ward MBE in 1985[7] and they have a son of their own. Before being Wakeham's secretary, Ward had been Margaret Thatcher's secretary.

Arms

Coat of arms of John Wakeham

Coronet A Coronet of a Baron. Crest A Greyhound statant Or, crowned with a Mural Crown chequy Azure and Argent, and supporting by the dexter foreleg a Cross Raguly Argent, nailed of three Or. Escutcheon Per fess embattled Azure and Argent, a Pale counterchanged, in the azure a Lion's Head guardant Or, langued Gules, and in the argent, a Bugle Horn Azure, garnished and stringed Or. Supporters Dexter: a Sea-Lion Azure, Mane and Head in trian aspect Argent, langued Gules, crowned with a Crown Tridenty Gold; Sinister: a Sea-Horse Azure, Head and Neck Argent, and crowned also with a Crown Tridenty Gold, the whole upon a Compartment consisting of three Bars wavy Azure, Argent and Azure, in front thereof a Grassy Mount growing therefrom three Double Roses Argent, upon Gules, barbed and seeded stalked and leaved proper. Motto Vigilo (I watch)

References

1. "Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by John Wakeham". Retrieved 9 April 2016.
2. "Chancellor". Brunel University.
3. "Enron's board of directors". The Guardian. 30 January 2002.
4. "UC reaches $168-million settlement with Enron directors in securities fraud case". University of California. Archived from the original on 24 July 2008.
5. Roth, Andrew; Kerbey, Janice; Tench, Judy (1984). Parliamentary Profiles S–Z. Parliamentary Profile Services. pp. 854–56. ISBN 0-900582-24-3.
6. "No. 52907". The London Gazette. 29 April 1992. p. 7461.
7. "John Wakeham: The watchdog now has to explain why he didn't bark". The Independent. 3 February 2002. Archived from the original on 16 January 2011.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by John Wakeham
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Wakeham profile, apfn.org

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Brian Harrison	Member of Parliament for Maldon 1974–1983	Constituency abolished
New constituency	Member of Parliament for South Colchester and Maldon 1983–1992	Succeeded by John Whittingdale
Political offices
Preceded by Michael Jopling	Chief Whip of the Conservative Party 1983–1987	Succeeded by David Waddington
	Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury 1983–1987
Preceded by John Biffen	Lord Privy Seal 1987–1988	Succeeded by The Lord Belstead
	Leader of the House of Commons 1987–1989	Succeeded by Geoffrey Howe
Preceded by The Viscount Whitelaw	Lord President of the Council 1988–1989
Preceded by Cecil Parkinson	Secretary of State for Energy 1989–1992	Energy merged into Department of Trade and Industry
Preceded by The Lord Waddington	Leader of the House of Lords 1992–1994	Succeeded by Viscount Cranborne
	Lord Privy Seal 1992–1994
Party political offices
Preceded by The Lord Waddington	Leader of the Conservative Party in the House of Lords 1992–1994	Succeeded by Viscount Cranborne
Media offices
Preceded by Oliver McGregor	Chairman of the Press Complaints Commission 1995–2002	Succeeded by Robert Pinker
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by The Lord Wilson of Tillyorn	Gentlemen Baron Wakeham	Followed by The Lord Owen