Alan John Watson, Baron Watson of Richmond (born 3 February 1941) is a UK-based broadcaster, Liberal Democrat politician and

leadership Leadership, is defined as the ability of an individual, group, or organization to "", influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations. "Leadership" is a contested term. Specialist literature debates various viewpoints on the co ...

communications Communication is commonly defined as the transmission of information. Its precise definition is disputed and there are disagreements about whether Intention, unintentional or failed transmissions are included and whether communication not onl ...

consultant.

Early life and education

Lord Watson of Richmond is the son of the Rev. John William Watson and Edna Mary Peters. He was educated at the Diocesan College,

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

in South Africa and Kingswood School in

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

. He was an Open Scholar in history at

Jesus College, Cambridge Jesus College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Jesus College was established in 1496 on the site of the twelfth-century Benedictine nunnery of St Radegund's Priory, Cambridge, St ...

1959, a State Scholar 1959 and was awarded an MA in 1963. He was the Vice-President of the Cambridge Union. Watson's German-born wife Karen is an artist: they have two sons, Stephen and Martin.

Career

Broadcasting

Watson joined the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

after graduating from

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

in 1963, and later became a regular presenter for '' The Money Programme'' on

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...

and ''

Panorama A panorama (formed from Greek language, Greek πᾶν "all" + ὅραμα "view") is any Obtuse angle, wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography (panoramic photography), film, seismic image ...

'' on

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...

. He also reported on

London Weekend Television London Weekend Television (LWT; now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV (TV network), ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00&nbs ...

, Radio 4 and the

BBC World Service The BBC World Service is a British Public broadcasting, public service broadcaster owned and operated by the BBC. It is the world's largest external broadcaster in terms of reception area, language selection and audience reach. It broadcas ...

, and wrote and presented award-winning documentaries over many years. He was one of the studio contributors to the BBC's June 1970 ''Election Night'' television programme. He is a Fellow and Former Chairman of the

Royal Television Society The Royal Television Society (RTS) is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present, and future. It is the oldest television society in the world. It currently has fourteen r ...

. From 1976 to 1980 he was responsible for media at the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...

Politics

In politics, Watson's notable role was as President of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

. He was appointed CBE in 1985 and, on 23 July 1999 was elevated to the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

with a

Life Peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...

age as Baron Watson of Richmond, of Richmond in the

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames () in south-west Greater London, London, England, forms part of Outer London and is the only London boroughs, London borough on both sides of the River Thames. It was created in 1965 when three smaller ...

. He was a member of the

Select Committee on the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

. He stood for election four times: as the Liberal candidate for Richmond in the general elections of October 1974 and

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

, and as the Liberal candidate ( SDP-Liberal Alliance) for Richmond and Barnes in the general elections of

1983 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...

and

1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...

. On all four occasions, he came in second place, losing to the

Conservatives Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilizati ...

. Outside of the United Kingdom, Lord Watson is Chair of the Albanian British Chamber of Commerce and is a Member of the European Parliament's High Level Group on

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

. His political interests are the "worldwide use of English, EU enlargement and transatlantic relationship". He retired from the House of Lords on 25 July 2023.

Leadership communications

Lord Watson was Chairman of CTN Communications until retirement, a creative communications agency based on

St Martin's Lane St Martin's Lane is a street in the City of Westminster, which runs from the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, after which it is named, near Trafalgar Square northwards to Long Acre. At its northern end, it becomes Monmouth Street, London, Mo ...

in central London. He advises the leaders of major UK and international companies on their communications, with clients including BP,

BAE Systems BAE Systems plc is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Aerospace industry, aerospace, military technology, military and information security company, based in London. It is the largest manufacturer in Britain as of 2017. It is ...

and

Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in the United Kingdom at its head offices in Welwyn Garden City, England. The company was founded by Jack Cohen (businessman), Sir Jack Cohen in ...

Board memberships

Business

* Executive Chairman, CTN Communications * Executive Chairman, Havas Media * Chairman, Nexus Partnerships * Chairman, Coca-Cola European Advisory Board * Non-Executive Chairman, I-COMP

Not-for-profit

* Chairman, The Council of Commonwealth Societies * Chairman, The European Movement UK * Chairman, The Father Thames Trust * Chairman, The Arcadia Advisory Board * British Chairman, Königswinter Anglo-German Conference * President, British-German Association * Co-Chair, Jamestown 1607-2007 British Committee * Non-Executive Chairman, Raisin Social (a wine importer) * Member, The Executive Committee of the Pilgrims Society * Member,

The Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

Business Leaders' Forum * Patron, The Richmond Society * Patron, Museum of Richmond * Patron, The Richmond in Europe Association * International Chairman Emeritus, The English-Speaking Union * Chairman Emeritus,

* Former Executive Board Member, UNICEF UK * President, The European-Atlantic Movement (TEAM)

Positions at educational institutions

Lord Watson holds a range of visiting and honorary posts at universities in the United Kingdom and abroad.

United Kingdom

* High Steward,

* Visiting Fellow, Oriel College, Oxford University * Honorary Fellow,

* Chairman, Cambridge University Chemistry Advisory Board * Life Patron, Cambridge's Churchill Archives Centre * Chairman, The Cambridge Foundation * Honorary Professor,

University of Birmingham The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university in Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingham (founded in 1825 as ...

* Trustee, The American International University in London * Former Chairman, Governors at Westminster College, Oxford * President, The British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education

Overseas

* Honorary Doctor, St Lawrence University, USA * Visiting Professor,

Leuven Leuven (, , ), also called Louvain (, , ), is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipalit ...

, Belgium * Honorary Professor,

Saint Petersburg State University Saint Petersburg State University (SPBGU; ) is a public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the Great, the university from the be ...

, Russia * Honorary Professor,

Korea University Korea University (KU, ) is a Private university, private research university in Seoul, South Korea. Established in 1905 by Yi Yong-ik, Lee Yong-Ik, a prominent official of the Korean Empire, Korea University is among South Korea's oldest List of ...

, South Korea * Trustee, The Centre for British Studies,

Humboldt University The Humboldt University of Berlin (, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a public university, public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin, Germany. The university was established by Frederick William III of Prussia, Frederick W ...

, Berlin *Churchill Fellow, Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri

Publications

''Europe at Risk''

''Europe at Risk'' was Lord Waton's first publication, released in 1972.

''The Germans: Who Are They Now?''

''The Germans: Who Are They Now?'' is a non-fiction book, first published in 1992.

''Eminent Europeans: personalities who shaped contemporary Europe''

''Eminent Europeans: personalities who shaped contemporary Europe'' is a collection of 17 essays on the personalities who have shaped modern Europe, for which Lord Watson contributed the essay entitled ''Thatcher and Kohl: Old Rivalries Revisited''. The book was published in 1996, and edited by Martyn Bond, Julie Smith and William Wallace.

''Jamestown: The Voyage of English''

Published in 2007, ''Jamestown: The Voyage of English'' is an exploration of the global significance of the arrival of the Godspeed, the Susan Constant and the

Discovery Discovery may refer to: * Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown * Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown * Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence Discovery, The Discovery ...

on America's East Coast in 1607. These three ships carried the ideas and the language which would shape the modern world. Lord Watson tells the story of a precarious venture that nearly failed. But it succeeded against the odds, planting the seeds of

representative government Representative democracy, also known as indirect democracy or electoral democracy, is a type of democracy where elected delegates represent a group of people, in contrast to direct democracy. Nearly all modern Western-style democracies funct ...

, capitalism and the

rule of law The essence of the rule of law is that all people and institutions within a Body politic, political body are subject to the same laws. This concept is sometimes stated simply as "no one is above the law" or "all are equal before the law". Acco ...

. These ideas were expressed in a language which had just reached a peak of power and vitality – the English of

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

, Tyndale and Cranmer's Prayer Book. The year 1607 marks the start of the voyage of English from the language of 4 million inhabitants of the

British Isles The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...

to its role as today's working language of the global village used by almost 2 billion people world-wide.

''The Queen and the USA''

''The Queen and the USA'' is a non-fiction book published in March 2012 by Dementi Milestone Publishing. During 2012,

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

celebrated the 60th anniversary of her role as Queen of the United Kingdom. This book explores and celebrates the special relationship between the American and British people during this period, and honours Queen Elizabeth II for her role and contribution to a friendship recognised throughout the world. Co-authored by Horace Edward "Chip" Mann, the book is highly visual, and includes photographs of the Queen with twelve

US Presidents The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term via the Electoral College. Under the U.S. Constitution, the officeholder leads the executive bra ...

''Churchill's Legacy, Two Speeches to Save the World''

Published in 2016
''Churchill's Legacy, Two Speeches to Save the World''
is a non-fiction book published in September 2016 by

Bloomsbury Publishing Bloomsbury Publishing plc is a British worldwide publishing house of fiction and non-fiction. Bloomsbury's head office is located on Bedford Square in Bloomsbury, an area of the London Borough of Camden. It has a US publishing office located in ...

to mark the 70th anniversary of Churchill's speeches in 1946, first in March in

Fulton, Missouri Fulton is the largest city in and the county seat of Callaway County, Missouri, Callaway County, Missouri, United States. Located about northeast of Jefferson City, Missouri, Jefferson City and the Missouri River and east of Columbia, Missouri, ...

, often known as the Iron Curtain speech, and then in September in Zurich, Switzerland, often known as the United States of Europe speech.

Honours and awards

Below is a list of Lord Watson's most notable awards. For educational honours, please see the above section, ''Positions at Educational Institutions''. *

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

, 1985 *

Federal Cross of Merit The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (, or , BVO) is the highest state decoration, federal decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It may be awarded for any field of endeavor. It was created by the first List of president ...

(Germany), 1995 (for his "significant and enduring contribution" to understanding between Germany and Britain) * Grand Cross of Merit (Germany), 2001 * Commander's Grand Cross of the Romanian Order of Merit, 2004 * Churchill Medal, 2005 * The Loyola Schools Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Promotion of English by Manila University, 2005 * Knights Grand Cross of the German Order of Merit, 2007 * Doctor Honoris Causa

University of Tirana The University of Tirana (, abbreviated UT) is a public university located at the central borough of Tirana 10 in Tirana, Albania. It was established as the State University of Tirana (SUT) in 1957 through merging of five existing institutes ...

, For the valuable contribution to the development of the Albanian state, 2010 * Knight of Honor of the Order of St. George, 2016

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Alan Baron Watson of Richmond Watson of Richmond Watson of Richmond Alumni of Diocesan College, Cape Town Alumni of Jesus College, Cambridge Watson of Richmond Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Fellows of Jesus College, Cambridge Grand Crosses of the Order of the Star of Romania Knights Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Watson of Richmond People educated at Kingswood School, Bath People from Gqeberha Presidents of the Liberal Party (UK) Life peers created by Elizabeth II Peers retired under the House of Lords Reform Act 2014