Joan Christabel Jill Knight, Baroness Knight of Collingtree, (; 9 July 1923 – 6 April 2022) was a British politician. A member of the
Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
, she served as
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
(MP) for
Birmingham Edgbaston
Birmingham Edgbaston is a constituency, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Preet Gill, a Labour and Co-operative MP.
The most high-profile MP for the constituency was former Prime Minister Neville Chamber ...
from 1966 to 1997. She was created 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. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...
as "Baroness Knight of Collingtree, of
Collingtree
Collingtree is a village and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire district of Northamptonshire, England. It is part of the Northampton built-up area.
Location and context
The village is about from Northampton town centre, close to the ...
in the County of Northamptonshire" in
1997 after she had stood down at that year's
general election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
, and retired from the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...
on 24 March 2016.
Early life
Joan Christabel Jill Christie was born in
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
on 9 July 1923,
although she later shaved several years off her age: when seeking election, she put her year of birth as 1930. Her parents divorced when she was a child. Her mother was a teacher and a graduate of
Bristol University. Christie attended
Fairfield Secondary and Higher Grade School in Bristol and the
King Edward Grammar School for Girls, Birmingham. In 1941, she joined the
Women's Auxiliary Air Force
The Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), whose members were referred to as WAAFs (), was the female auxiliary of the Royal Air Force during World War II. Established in 1939, WAAF numbers exceeded 180,000 at its peak strength in 1943, with over 2 ...
(WAAF). Her unit served in
Amiens
Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...
, moving later to
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
, following the British advance, performing ground control of aircraft. She also appeared on
British Forces Network
The British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides radio and television programmes for His Majesty's Armed Forces, and their dependents worldwide. Editorial control is independent of the Ministry of Defence and the armed forces themselve ...
radio.
Upon her return to the UK, she joined the
Young Conservatives in London. On 14 June 1947, she married James Montague "Monty" Knight (an optician, who had served in the war as a lieutenant in the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
), and moved to
Northampton
Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...
.
Political career
She was elected as a councillor on
Northampton Borough Council
Northampton Borough Council was the borough council and non-metropolitan district responsible for local government in the large town of Northampton in England. In 2021 the council was abolished and succeeded by West Northamptonshire Council; a un ...
, serving from 1956 to 1966, and became a
whip
A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...
. She unsuccessfully contested the parliamentary seat of
Northampton
Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...
at the
1959
Events January
* January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance.
* January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...
and
1964 general elections for the
Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
. She was elected
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
(MP) for
Birmingham Edgbaston
Birmingham Edgbaston is a constituency, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Preet Gill, a Labour and Co-operative MP.
The most high-profile MP for the constituency was former Prime Minister Neville Chamber ...
in the
1966 general election, and held that seat in successive elections for 31 years until she stood down at the 1997 election. She was one of the
longest serving female MPs in British history. The Conservative MP for Edgbaston, Dame
Edith Pitt
Dame Edith Maud Pitt, (14 October 1906 – 27 January 1966) was a British Conservative Party MP for the Birmingham Edgbaston seat. She had also sat on Birmingham City Council, and sought several Parliamentary seats before being placed in the C ...
, had died on 27 January 1966 and it was the first time that a female Member of Parliament had been succeeded by another woman.
Knight was a member of the
Parliamentary Select Committee A select committee is a committee made up of a small number of parliamentary members appointed to deal with particular areas or issues originating in the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. Select committees exist in the British Parliam ...
on Race Relations and Immigration, 1969–72. For more than two decades she was an active member of the
Conservative Monday Club
The Conservative Monday Club (usually known as the Monday Club) is a British political pressure group, aligned with the Conservative Party, though no longer endorsed by it. It also has links to the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Ulster Unioni ...
and was an outspoken opponent of the
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various paramilitary organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dedicated to irredentism through Irish republicanism, the belief tha ...
. Following the February
1972 Aldershot bombing by the IRA she called for legislation to outlaw the IRA, and attacked its supporters and sympathisers.
She was on the
Select Committee for the
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...
from 1977, the
Select Committee for Home Affairs from 1980 to 1983, Lady Chairman of the Lords and Commons All-Party Child and Family Protection Group from 1978, on the Conservative Back-bench Health and Social Services Committee from 1982 and Secretary to the
1922 Committee from 1983 to 1987. Knight was President of the West Midlands Conservative Political Centre from 1980 to 1983, and Lady Chairman of the
Western European Union
The Western European Union (WEU; french: Union de l'Europe occidentale, UEO; german: Westeuropäische Union, WEU) was the international organisation and military alliance that succeeded the Western Union (WU) after the 1954 amendment of the 1948 ...
Relations with Parliaments Committee from 1984 to 1988. She also served on the
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...
(1977–88), and as Chairman of the British
Inter-Parliamentary Union (1994–97).
One slogan in the aftermath of the
New Cross house fire
The New Cross house fire was a fire that occurred during a party at a house in New Cross, south-east London, in the early hours of Sunday, 18 January 1981. The blaze killed 13 young black people aged between 14 and 22, and one survivor took his ...
, which left 13 young Black Britons dead, read: "Dame Jill Knight Set The Fire Alight!"; this was an apparent reference to a controversial speech by Knight which was widely interpreted as condoning or even encouraging
direct action
Direct action originated as a political activist term for economic and political acts in which the actors use their power (e.g. economic or physical) to directly reach certain goals of interest, in contrast to those actions that appeal to oth ...
against noisy parties.
Knight was created 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. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...
as Baroness Knight of Collingtree, of
Collingtree
Collingtree is a village and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire district of Northamptonshire, England. It is part of the Northampton built-up area.
Location and context
The village is about from Northampton town centre, close to the ...
in the County of Northamptonshire in
1997 after standing down at that year's
general election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
, and retired from the House of Lords on 24 March 2016, the week of the 50th anniversary of her first election to Parliament.
She was Vice-Chairman of the Association of Conservative Peers from 2002 to 2005.
Her memoirs, ''About the House'', were published in 1995.
She was interviewed in 2012 as part of
The History of Parliament
The History of Parliament is a project to write a complete history of the United Kingdom Parliament and its predecessors, the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of England. The history will principally consist of a prosopography, in w ...
's oral history project.
Section 28
Knight, along with
David Wilshire
David Wilshire (born 16 September 1943) is a British former politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Spelthorne in Surrey from 1987 to 2010. Wilshire was considered to be to the right of the party ...
, introduced the
Section 28
Section 28 or Clause 28While going through Parliament, the amendment was constantly relabelled with a variety of clause numbers as other amendments were added to or deleted from the Bill, but by the final version of the Bill, which received R ...
amendment to the
Local Government Act 1988
The United Kingdom Local Government Act 1988 is an Act of the United Kingdom Parliament. It was famous for its controversial section 28. This section prohibited local authorities from promoting, in a specified category of schools, "the teachi ...
, which barred local authorities, including schools, from 'promoting' homosexuality. While promoting the new clause, Knight claimed that children under two had access to gay and lesbian books in
Lambeth
Lambeth () is a district in South London, England, in the London Borough of Lambeth, historically in the County of Surrey. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The population of the London Borough of Lambeth was 303,086 in 2011. The area expe ...
, a claim which has never been substantiated. She linked discussion of homosexuality in schools to the spread of
AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
, also describing homosexuality as "perverted" and "desperately dangerous". She has been described as a key force behind the legislation and a "dedicated – not to say fanatical – anti-gay MP".
In June 2013, Knight opposed
same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...
legislation, arguing that Parliament cannot change the fact that "marriage is not about just love. It is about a man and a woman, themselves created to produce children, producing children. A man can no more bear a child, than a woman can produce sperm, and no law on earth can change that. This is not a homophobic view. It may be sad, it may be unequal, but it's true." In the same year, she claimed it was wrong for the Conservative Prime Minister
David Cameron to apologise for the legacy of Section 28, while appearing to defend herself from accusations of homophobia by claiming that gay people are "very good at antiques".
In 2018, when she was interviewed by former ''
attitude
Attitude may refer to:
Philosophy and psychology
* Attitude (psychology), an individual's predisposed state of mind regarding a value
* Metaphysics of presence
* Propositional attitude, a relational mental state connecting a person to a pro ...
'' magazine editor
Matthew Todd, who confronted Knight about her role as an architect of and a main driving force behind Section 28, she said "I'm sorry if anything I did upset you. All I was trying to do was acting on what people wrote to me, said to me, what the papers said." Knight stated that her motivation had only been to maintain the welfare of children.
Outside Parliament
From 1986 to 1995, Knight was Vice-President of
Townswomen's Guild
Members representing their Federation at the 2009 AGM in Birmingham
The Townswomen's Guild (TG) is a British women's organisation. There are approximately 30,000 members, 706 branches and 77 Federations throughout England, Scotland, Wales and N ...
s. She was director of Computeach International plc from 1991 to 2006 and Heckett Multiserv from 1999 to 2006. Knight has been President of
Sulgrave Manor Trust since 2012; she was its Chairman from 2007 to 2012.
Honours
Knight was appointed a
Member of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(MBE) in
1964, and elevated to a
Dame Commander
Commander ( it, Commendatore; french: Commandeur; german: Komtur; es, Comendador; pt, Comendador), or Knight Commander, is a title of honor prevalent in chivalric orders and fraternal orders.
The title of Commander occurred in the medieval mil ...
in
1985.
She was awarded an honorary
DSc DSC may refer to:
Academia
* Doctor of Science (D.Sc.)
* District Selection Committee, an entrance exam in India
* Doctor of Surgical Chiropody, superseded in the 1960s by Doctor of Podiatric Medicine
Educational institutions
* Dalton State Col ...
by
Aston University
Aston University (abbreviated as ''Aston''. for post-nominals) is a public research university situated in the city centre of Birmingham, England. Aston began as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School in 1895, evolving into the UK's first c ...
in 1999. Knight was made a
Kentucky Colonel
Kentucky Colonel is the highest title of honor bestowed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and is the most well-known of a number of honorary colonelcies conferred by United States governors. A Kentucky Colonel Commission (the certificate) i ...
in 1973; a
Nebraska Admiral
Nebraska Admiral (formally, Admiral in the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska) is the state of Nebraska's highest civic honor, and an honorary title bestowed upon individuals by approval of the Governor of Nebraska, a triply landlocked U.S. s ...
in 1980; and has been an honorary
Texas Ranger since 2014.
Personal life and death
Knight's husband, James Montague Knight, died in 1986. The couple had two children. Her recreations were music, reading, tapestry work, theatre-going and antique-hunting.
Knight died on 6 April 2022, at the age of 98.
Arms
References
Sources
*
* Copping, Robert. ''The Monday Club - Crisis and After'', Current Affairs Information Service, Ilford, Essex, May 1976, pp. 5, 9, 16–18, 21-22
* ''Dod's Parliamentary Companion 1973'', 160th edition, Epsom: Sell's Publications Ltd
* ''Dod's Parliamentary Companion 1990'', 171st edition, London
* Knight, Jill. ''About the House''. Churchill Press, 1995;
*''
Who's Who'', London: A. & C. Black (various editions)
External links
*
Interview with Jill Knight for the History of Parliament oral history project
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knight, Jill
1923 births
2022 deaths
20th-century British women politicians
20th-century English memoirists
21st-century British women politicians
British women memoirists
Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Knight of Collingtree
Councillors in Northamptonshire
Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies
Life peeresses created by Elizabeth II
People educated at Fairfield Grammar School
People from West Northamptonshire District
Politicians from Bristol
Politicians from London
UK MPs 1966–1970
UK MPs 1970–1974
UK MPs 1974
UK MPs 1974–1979
UK MPs 1979–1983
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Women's Auxiliary Air Force airwomen