Robert Carr

Leonard Robert Carr, Baron Carr of Hadley, PC (11 November 1916 – 17 February 2012) was a British Conservative politician who served as Home Secretary from 1972 to 1974.

For other people named Robert Carr, see Robert Carr (disambiguation).

The Right Honourable The Lord Carr of Hadley PC
Robert Carr
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office 4 March 1974 – 11 February 1975
Leader	Edward Heath
Preceded by	Denis Healey
Succeeded by	Geoffrey Howe
Home Secretary
In office 18 July 1972 – 4 March 1974
Prime Minister	Edward Heath
Preceded by	Reginald Maudling
Succeeded by	Roy Jenkins
Lord President of the Council Leader of the House of Commons
In office 7 April 1972 – 5 November 1972
Prime Minister	Edward Heath
Preceded by	William Whitelaw
Succeeded by	Jim Prior
Secretary of State for Employment
In office 20 June 1970 – 7 April 1972
Prime Minister	Edward Heath
Preceded by	Barbara Castle
Succeeded by	Maurice Macmillan
Member of Parliament for Carshalton
In office 28 February 1974 – 15 January 1976
Preceded by	Walter Elliot
Succeeded by	Nigel Forman
Member of Parliament for Mitcham
In office 23 February 1950 – 8 February 1974
Preceded by	Tom Braddock
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
In office 15 January 1976 – 17 February 2012 Life peerage
Personal details
Born	Leonard Robert Carr (1916-11-11)11 November 1916
Died	17 February 2012(2012-02-17) (aged 95)
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Children	2
Education	Westminster School
Alma mater	Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge

Early life

Robert Carr was educated at Westminster School[1] and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he read Natural Sciences, graduating in 1938. After graduation he applied his knowledge of metallurgy at John Dale & Co, the family metal engineering firm.[1] A collapsed lung kept him from war service but his firm specialised in the construction of airframes for Lancaster bombers. [2]

Political career

He was elected Member of Parliament for Mitcham in 1950 and served there until 1974 when the seat was merged and he moved to Carshalton.

In Edward Heath's government he served as Secretary of State for Employment and was responsible for the modernising Industrial Relations Act 1971, which balanced the introduction of compensation for unfair dismissal with curbs on the freedom to strike and the virtual abolition of closed shop agreements. The Industrial Relations Act 1971 was deeply disliked by the trade unions whose industrial action lead to the three day week and ultimately to the defeat of the government. The victorious Labour Party promptly repealed the Industrial Relations Act, replacing it with their own Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1974 which, while scrapping the "offensive" provisions, effectively re-enacted the remainder of Carr's 1971 Act.

In 1971, Carr escaped injury when The Angry Brigade anarchist group exploded two bombs outside his house.[3] More than thirty years later, a member of the group issued a public apology to Carr, and sent him a Christmas card.[4]

In 1972, Carr served a brief period as Lord President of the Council and was then appointed Home Secretary after the resignation of Reginald Maudling. After his defeat in the first ballot of the 1975 Conservative leadership contest, Edward Heath asked Carr to "take over the functions of leader" until a new leader was elected.[5]

Later life

Carr was created a life peer as Baron Carr of Hadley, of Monken Hadley, North London, in 1976.[6]

Death

Carr died 17 February 2012 at the age of 95 years. His body was buried in the graveyard of St. Peters Church, in the Gloucestershire village of Farmington. He was survived by his wife, Joan, and two daughters.[7]

References

1. Goodman, Geoffrey (20 February 2012). "Lord Carr of Hadley obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
2. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/feb/20/lord-carr-of-hadley
3. "1971: British minister's home bombed". On This Day 1950–2005. BBC News. 6 December 1972. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
4. Bright, Martin (3 February 2002). "Angry Brigade's bomb plot apology". The Observer. London. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
5. The Times (59312). London. 5 February 1975. col A. Missing or empty |title= (help)
6. "No. 46803". The London Gazette. 20 January 1976. p. 919.
7. "Lord Carr of Hadley". The Daily Telegraph. 19 February 2012. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2013.

Bibliography

• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Robert Carr

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Tom Braddock	Member of Parliament for Mitcham 1950–1974	Constituency abolished
Preceded by Walter Elliot	Member of Parliament for Carshalton 1974–1976	Succeeded by Nigel Forman
Political offices
Preceded by Barbara Castle as Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity	Secretary of State for Employment 1970–1972	Succeeded by Maurice Macmillan
Preceded by William Whitelaw	Lord President of the Council 1972	Succeeded by James Prior
	Leader of the House of Commons 1972
Preceded by Reginald Maudling	Home Secretary 1972–1974	Succeeded by Roy Jenkins