Walter Harrison PC (2 January 1921 – 19 October 2012) was a British

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

politician that served as Member of Parliament of Wakefield from October 1964 to May 1987.

Biography

Harrison was educated at

Dewsbury Dewsbury is a minster and market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Calder and on an arm of the Calder and Hebble Navigation waterway. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Hudder ...

Technical College and School of Art. He was a foreman electrician and was active in the Electrical Trades Union. He served as a councillor on

West Riding The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county County of York, West Riding (the area under the control of West Riding County Council), abbreviated County ...

County Council A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries. Ireland The county councils created under British rule in 1899 continue to exist in Irela ...

and as an

alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...

Castleford Castleford is a town within the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 45,106 at a 2021 population estimate. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, to the north of the town centre the River Calder joins the ...

Borough Council. Elected Labour MP for

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, ...

in 1964, Harrison served as a Government

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 ...

from 1966 to 1970 and as deputy

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 1974 to 1979. On one occasion in 1968, Harrison was whipping on two bills simultaneously, trapping his leg in the door of a division lobby on the second vote; famously ruling that ''most'' of Harrison's body was in the lobby, the chairman of the bill committee declared the vote passed 22¾–22 in Labour's favour. In the

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

landslide at the 1983 general election, he held his seat - which had undergone substantial boundary changes - with a majority of only 360 votes over the Conservative candidate. Harrison retired from parliament in 1987. He died on 19 October 2012, aged 91.

Role in 1979 vote of no confidence

On 28 March 1979, Harrison played a critical role in the defeat of the

government in the

vote of confidence A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...

. As the vote loomed, Harrison approached Conservative MP

Bernard Weatherill Bruce Bernard Weatherill, Baron Weatherill, (25 November 1920 – 6 May 2007) was a British Conservative Party politician. He served as Speaker of the House of Commons between 1983 and 1992. Family He was the son of Bernard Bruce Weatherill (1 ...

to enforce the convention and "

gentlemen's agreement A gentlemen's agreement, or gentleman's agreement, is an informal and legally non-binding agreement between two or more parties. It is typically oral, but it may be written or simply understood as part of an unspoken agreement by convention or th ...

" that if a sick MP from the Government could not vote, an MP from the Opposition would abstain to compensate. The Labour MP Sir

Alfred Broughton Sir Alfred Davies Devonsher Broughton (18 October 1902 – 2 April 1979) was a British Labour Party politician. Early life Broughton was educated at Rossall School, Downing College, Cambridge and the London Hospital and became a doctor ...

was on his deathbed and could not vote, meaning the Government would probably lose by one vote. Weatherill said that the convention had never been intended for Matter of Confidence and it would be impossible to find a Conservative MP who would agree to abstain. However, after a moment's reflection, he offered that he himself would abstain, because he felt it would be dishonourable to break his word with Harrison. Harrison was so impressed by Weatherill's offer – which would have effectively ended his political career – that he released Weatherill from his obligation and so the Government fell by one vote on the agreement of gentlemen. This episode was dramatised in James Graham's 2012 play '' This House'' (which opened one month before Harrison's death). When the play was first performed at the National Theatre, the part of Harrison was played by

Philip Glenister Philip Haywood Glenister (born 10 February 1963) is an English actor. He is best known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in the BBC series ''Life on Mars'' (2006–2007) and its sequel '' Ashes to Ashes'' (2008–2010). He also played DCI William ...

References

Sources

*''

Times Guide to the House of Commons ''The Times Guide to the House of Commons'' is a political reference guide book published by Times Newspapers giving coverage of general elections in the United Kingdom. Following most general elections since 1880, the book has been published. The ...

'', 1966 & 1983 *

External links

* 1921 births 2012 deaths Members of West Riding County Council Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union-sponsored MPs Electrical Trades Union (United Kingdom)-sponsored MPs Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom UK MPs 1964–1966 UK MPs 1966–1970 UK MPs 1970–1974 UK MPs 1974 UK MPs 1974–1979 UK MPs 1979–1983 UK MPs 1983–1987 Treasurers of the Household Politics of Wakefield Ministers in the Wilson governments, 1964–1970 {{England-Labour-UK-MP-stub