Cuthbert James McCall Alport, Baron Alport, (22 March 1912 – 28 October 1998), was a
Conservative Party politician
A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...
, minister, and
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 ...
.
Early life
"Cub" Alport was educated at
Haileybury College, Haileybury,
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...
,
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
, and graduated with a degree in History and Law from
Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college is the third-oldest college of the university and has over 700 students and fellows. It is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from ...
in 1934. He was elected President of the
Cambridge Union
The Cambridge Union Society, also known as the Cambridge Union, is a historic debating and free speech society in Cambridge, England, and the largest society in the University of Cambridge. The society was founded in 1815 making it the oldest ...
the following year.
Alport was a
tutor
Tutoring is private academic help, usually provided by an expert teacher; someone with deep knowledge or defined expertise in a particular subject or set of subjects.
A tutor, formally also called an academic tutor, is a person who provides assis ...
at
Ashridge College,
Little Gaddesden, Hertfordshire, from 1935 to 1937. During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, he served in the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
as an officer in the
Royal Welch Fusiliers
The Royal Welch Fusiliers () was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, and part of the Prince of Wales's Division, that was founded in 1689, shortly after the Glorious Revolution. In 1702, it was designated a fusilier regiment and becam ...
and the
King's African Rifles, and was
General Staff Officer 1 (GSO 1) of the East Africa Command between 1944 and 1945. He was made a Barrister-at-Law at the
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court entitled to Call to the bar, call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple (with whi ...
in 1944.
Political career
Alport was an assistant secretary for the Conservative Party Education Department between 1937 and 1939. He was Director of the Conservative Political Centre between 1945 and 1950. He was elected as the
Conservative
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 civiliza ...
Member of Parliament for the
Colchester constituency, in the
1950 general election and held the seat until 16 February 1961, when he was created Baron Alport, of
Colchester
Colchester ( ) is a city in northeastern Essex, England. It is the second-largest settlement in the county, with a population of 130,245 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census. The demonym is ''Colcestrian''.
Colchester occupies the ...
in the
County of Essex, a
life peerage
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 ...
. On his elevation to the peerage, the Colchester constituency was held by the Conservatives in a
by-election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections.
A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...
by
Antony Buck.
Alport held the post of
Assistant Postmaster-General The Assistant Postmaster General is a defunct junior ministerial position in the United Kingdom Government.
The title of Postmaster General of the United Kingdom, Postmaster General was abolished under the Post Office Act 1969. A new public authori ...
between 1955 and 1957. He was Parliamentary
Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations between 1957 and 1959. He held the office of
Minister of State
Minister of state is a designation for a government minister, with varying meanings in different jurisdictions. In a number of European countries, the title is given as an honorific conferring a higher rank, often bestowed upon senior minister ...
for the Commonwealth Relations Office between 1959 and 1961. He was invested as a
Privy Councillor in 1960. He held the office of British
High commissioner to the
Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, also known as the Central African Federation (CAF), was a colonial federation that consisted of three southern African territories: the Self-governing colony, self-governing British colony of Southern ...
between 1961 and 1963.
During Alport's tenure as high commissioner, he came under suspicion from the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
over his questionable actions before and after the plane crash that killed
UN Secretary-General
The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or UNSECGEN) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the United Nations System#Six principal organs, six principal organs of ...
Dag Hammarskjöld. Alport was present at
Ndola Airport when Hammarskjöld's plane was supposed to land and when it did not, he inexplicably closed the airport, later testifying that the plane must have 'gone elsewhere'. When the crash was discovered, Hammarskjöld's
CX-52 Hagelin cipher was confiscated by the Northern Rhodesian authorities and Alport refused to return it to the UN. Aside from this, a second CX-52 was reported to have been found by looters who reached the crash early. These looters, three local charcoal burners, who testified that the crash happened at night and reported hearing and seeing an explosion in the sky, going against the official story of the crash happening later the next day, were suspected to have been mistreated by Northern Rhodesian authorities and it is suspected that the looted CX-52 never existed and was invented to discredit the men. Alport's behavior was scrutinized further in 2015 after a new investigation, led by
Mohamed Chande Othman, said that his actions suggest 'that he had a reason to seek to refuse to return United Nations property, including Hammarskjöld's CX-52, to the United Nations, although this was eventually done'.
After returning to England, he was appointed
High Steward of Colchester in 1967 and he was appointed
deputy lieutenant of
Essex
Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
in 1974.
Family life
In 1945 he married Rachel, the great granddaughter of
George Bingham, 4th Earl of Lucan. The marriage produced three children, two girls and one boy.
Published works
* ''Kingdoms in Partnership'' (1937)
* ''Hope in Africa'' (1952)
* ''The Sudden Assignment'' (1965)
Honorary degree
Lord Alport was awarded an honorary doctorate by the
University of Essex
The University of Essex is a public university, public research university in Essex, England. Established by royal charter in 1965, it is one of the original plate glass university, plate glass universities. The university comprises three camp ...
in July 1997.
The Alport Papers
Lord Alport's
correspondence and papers (the Alport Papers) are archived at the
University of Essex
The University of Essex is a public university, public research university in Essex, England. Established by royal charter in 1965, it is one of the original plate glass university, plate glass universities. The university comprises three camp ...
library.
Additional correspondence with
Roy Welensky is archived at the
Bodleian Library of Commonwealth and African Studies at Rhodes House,
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
.
Arms
References
* Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition.
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alport, Cuthbert Baron Alport
1912 births
1998 deaths
Alumni of Pembroke College, Cambridge
Artists' Rifles soldiers
Borough of Colchester
British Army personnel of World War II
Colchester
Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Conservative Party (UK) life peers
Deputy lieutenants of Essex
King's African Rifles officers
Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Ministers in the Eden government, 1955–1957
Ministers in the Macmillan and Douglas-Home governments, 1957–1964
People educated at Haileybury and Imperial Service College
Presidents of the Cambridge Union
Royal Welch Fusiliers officers
UK MPs 1950–1951
UK MPs 1951–1955
UK MPs 1955–1959
UK MPs 1959–1964
UK MPs who were granted peerages
Life peers created by Elizabeth II