Michael Francis Lovell Cocks, Baron Cocks of Hartcliffe,
PC (19 August 1929 – 26 March 2001) was a British
Labour Party politician. He was the member of parliament for
Bristol South
Bristol South is a List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies, constituency represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, UK Parliament since 2015 United Kingdom genera ...
from 1970 to 1987, and was the Labour Party's chief whip from 1976 to 1985.
Early life
Cocks was born in Leeds, and was educated at
George Watson's College
George Watson's College is a co-educational Independent school (United Kingdom), independent day school in Scotland, situated on Colinton Road, in the Merchiston area of Edinburgh. It was first established as a Scottish education in the eight ...
, Edinburgh, and
Silcoates School
Silcoates School is a co-educational independent school in the village of Wrenthorpe near Wakefield, England.
The school was founded in 1820 as the Northern Congregational School at Silcoates House, for the board and education of the sons of Non ...
,
Wakefield
Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 99,251 in the 2011 census.https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/ks101ew Census 2011 table KS101EW Usual resident population, ...
. After obtaining a BSc at
Bristol University
, mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'')
, established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter
, type ...
he became a geography teacher and later lectured at
Bristol Polytechnic
The University of the West of England (also known as UWE Bristol) is a public research university, located in and around Bristol, England.
The institution was know as the Bristol Polytechnic in 1970; it received university status in 1992 and ...
.
Political career
Cocks contested
Bristol West in 1959 and
South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire is a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, South West England. Towns in the area include Yate, Chipping Sodbury, Thornbury, Filton, Patchway and Bradley Stoke, the latter three forming part ...
in 1964 and 1966.
He was
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 ...
for
Bristol South
Bristol South is a List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies, constituency represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, UK Parliament since 2015 United Kingdom genera ...
from 1970 until 1987, after being
deselected as a candidate in 1986 and replaced by
Dawn Primarolo
Dawn Primarolo, Baroness Primarolo, (born 2 May 1954) is a Labour Party (UK), British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament for Bristol South (UK Parliament constituency), Bristol South ...
, in a challenge from the left.
During his time in the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
, Cocks served as a Labour
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 ...
in government and in opposition, being
Chief Whip
The Chief Whip is a political leader whose task is to enforce the whipping system, which aims to ensure that legislators who are members of a political party attend and vote on legislation as the party leadership prescribes.
United Kingdom
...
from 1976 to 1985.
Cocks 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 ...
on 6 October 1987, becoming Baron Cocks of Hartcliffe, ''of
Chinnor
Chinnor is a large village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire about southeast of Thame, close to the border with Buckinghamshire. The village is a spring line settlement on the Icknield Way below the Chiltern escarpment. Since 1932 the ci ...
in the
County of Oxfordshire'' and served as vice-chairman of the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
1993–98.
He also served as Deputy Chairman of the London Docklands Development Corporation.
As Government Chief Whip from 1976 to 1979 he had the task of ensuring Government majorities for a minority government.
Cocks married his first wife Janet (d.2021), a nurse, in 1954. The couple had four children, Andrew, Helen, Sarah and David, before separating in 1976. He was married to Valerie Davis from 1979 until his death from a heart attack on 26 March 2001, at the age of 71.
. The play was first staged at the