Henry Reginall Underhill, Baron Underhill

CBE 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 ...

(8 May 1914 – 12 March 1993), was a British party worker and

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politician.

Background

He was the youngest son of Henry James Underhill and his wife Alice Maud Butler. Underhill was educated at Leyton Central School and left it in 1929. Aged only sixteen, he joined the Labour Party in the following year and was a Lloyd's Underwriter until 1933.

Career

Subsequently, Underhill began working as a junior clerk in the party's head office and became vice-chairman in the constituency of Leyton West. He was appointed an honorary secretary of the British Workers' Sports Association and in 1936 travelled with the British delegation to the

People's Olympiad The People's Olympiad (Catalan: ''Olimpíada Popular'', Spanish: ''Olimpiada Popular'') was a planned international multi-sport event that was intended to take place in Barcelona, the capital of the autonomous region of Catalonia within the Spani ...

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. During the

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, Underhill refused to fight, citing his socialism, however served in the

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in London, often acting as a driver. In 1945, after the end of the war, he was assistant to

Morgan Phillips Morgan Walter Phillips (18 June 1902 – 15 January 1963) was a colliery worker and trade union activist who became the General Secretary of the British Labour Party, involved in two of the party's election victories. Life Born in Aberdare, Gl ...

, at that time the

General Secretary of the Labour Party The General Secretary of the Labour Party is the most senior employee of the British Labour Party, and acts as the non-voting secretary to the National Executive Committee. When there is a vacancy the National Executive Committee selects a provis ...

. He was then administrative assistant to the party's national agent until 1947 and worked as propaganda officer until the next year. From 1948, Underhill served as Labour's regional organiser in the

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until 1960, when he was chosen assistant national agent. In 1972, he finally became the National Agent of the Labour Party. His work involved reporting on the

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as entrists into the Labour Party, eventually leading to their expulsion from the party. Underhill was awarded a Commander 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 ...

(CBE) in the

1976 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours The 1976 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours were announced on 27 May 1976 to mark the resignation of the Prime Minister, Harold Wilson. The list of resignation honours became known satirically as the "Lavender List". Controversy The list cau ...

and on his retirement from his post in 1979, he 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 ...

with the title Baron Underhill, of Leyton, in

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on 12 July. He became Labour's Opposition front bench spokesman on transport in the

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in 1980 and on electoral affairs in 1983. On the resignation of

Cledwyn Hughes Cledwyn Hughes, Baron Cledwyn of Penrhos, (14 September 1916 – 22 February 2001) was a Welsh Labour Party politician, usually associated with the moderate wing of the party. He was also regarded, particularly in later years, as a non-politic ...

in 1982, Underhill was elected deputy leader of Labour in the House, a post he held until 1989. He was a founding member of the reformed

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and received the union's gold medal.

Family

He married Flora Philbrick in 1937. Underhill died in a hospital in

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in 1993 and left a daughter, Joan, and two sons, Terry and Bob.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Underhill, Henry 1914 births 1993 deaths Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Labour Party (UK) life peers