John Laurence Garrett (8 September 1931 – 11 September 2007) was a British management consultant and Labour Party politician. He was Member of Parliament for

Norwich South Norwich South is a constituency in Norfolk represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, since 2015 by Clive Lewis, of the Labour Party. History The constituency was created by the Representation of the People ...

for 19 years in two non-consecutive terms, from 1974 to 1983, and later from 1987 to 1997.

Early life

Garrett was born in Romford, the son of a book-keeper. He was brought up in

Walthamstow Walthamstow ( or ) is a large town in East London, east London, England, within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London and the Historic counties of England, ancient county of Essex. Situated northeast of Chari ...

, and attended the

Monoux School Sir George Monoux College is a sixth form college located in Walthamstow, London. It is a medium-sized college with around 1,620 full-time students as of 2018. Brief history Sir George Monoux, the founder of the Grammar School (later College ...

. After National Service in the Royal Air Force he read geography at University College, Oxford, graduating with a first. He undertook research into industrial location, receiving a B.Litt, and spent a year at the University of California graduate business school as a King George VI Fellow. He worked in industry as a labour officer in the chemical industry, then a market research manager in the car industry, and finally a management consultant with Inbucon from 1963. He contributed to the Fulton Commission, on the reform of the

civil service The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

, from 1966 to 1968.

Political career

He joined the Labour Party in 1951, and was elected to Greenwich Borough Council in 1970. He fought Norwich South in 1972, and unseated the Conservative Thomas Stuttaford, a local GP, at the February 1974 general election. He was re-elected in October 1974, and served as

Parliamentary Private Secretary A Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) is a Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom who acts as an unpaid assistant to a minister or shadow minister. They are selected from backbench MPs as the 'eyes and ears' of the minister in the H ...

to the Minister for the Civil Service,

Robert Sheldon Robert Edward Sheldon, Baron Sheldon PC (born Isaac Ezra Shamash; 13 September 1923 – 2 February 2020) was a British Labour Party politician and life peer who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Ashton under Lyne from 1964 to 2001. Ea ...

, in 1974, and to the Minister of State for Social Security,

Stan Orme Stanley Orme, Baron Orme, PC (5 April 1923 – 27 April 2005) was a British left-wing Labour Party politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1964 to 1997, and served as a cabinet minister in the 1970s. Early life Stan Orme was born i ...

, from 1977 to 1979. He was re-elected again in

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 became an opposition spokesman on Trade and Industry, but failed to gain a position in the shadow cabinet as a

Tribune group ''Tribune'' is a democratic socialist political magazine founded in 1937 and published in London, initially as a newspaper, then converting to a magazine in 2001. While it is independent, it has usually supported the Labour Party from the left. ...

candidate. With Robert Sheldon and

Norman St John-Stevas Norman Antony Francis St John-Stevas, Baron St John of Fawsley, ( ; born Norman Panayea St John Stevas; 18 May 1929 – 2 March 2012) was a British Conservative politician, author and barrister. He served as Leader of the House of Commons in th ...

, he was instrumental in the creation of the system of departmental

Select committee Select committee may refer to: *Select committee (parliamentary system), a committee made up of a small number of parliamentary members appointed to deal with particular areas or issues *Select or special committee (United States Congress) *Select ...

s. He and Sheldon collaborated in the establishment of the statutory independence of the National Audit Office. He lost his seat to the Conservative

John Powley John Albert Powley (3 August 1936 – 16 October 2020) was a British Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Norwich South between 1983 and 1987 and served as the chairman of the Cambridgeshire County Council from ...

in the Conservative landslide at the 1983 election, and returned to work for Inbucon, but regained the seat at the next election, with a majority of only 336. He resumed his post as an opposition spokesman on Trade and Industry, then moved on to Energy, and finally to the Civil Service. He was re-elected in

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

, but retired due to ill health at the 1997 general election. His successor as MP for Norwich South was Charles Clarke, who later became Home Secretary. In retirement, he was a councillor for on Norfolk County Council from 1997 to 2001 and then on Norwich City Council, representing Bowthorpe. He was an honorary lecturer in government at the University of East Anglia.

Personal life

Garrett married Wendy Ady in 1959; they had two daughters. Garrett died in Norwich on 11 September 2007, aged 76.

References

Sources

* '' Times Guide to the House of Commons'', Times Newspapers Limited, 1987, 1992 and 1997 editions. *

External links

Obituary, ''The Guardian'', 14 September 2007

Obituary, ''The Daily Telegraph'', 14 September 2007

Obituary, ''The Independent'', 15 September 2007

Obituary, ''The Times'', 17 September 2007
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Garrett, John 1931 births 2007 deaths Alumni of University College, Oxford British management consultants Councillors in the Royal Borough of Greenwich Councillors in Norfolk Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1974 UK MPs 1974–1979 UK MPs 1979–1983 UK MPs 1987–1992 UK MPs 1992–1997 Academics of the University of East Anglia Members of Norfolk County Council People from Romford Labour Party (UK) councillors