Arthur Joseph Champion, Baron Champion
PC (26 July 1897 – 2 March 1985), known as Joe Champion, was a British
Labour Party politician.
He was born in
Glastonbury
Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbur ...
as the youngest of six children and went on to work on the railways after serving in the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. He married Mary Emma (née Williams) in October 1930 and the couple had one daughter, born in December 1931.
He was elected 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 o ...
(MP) for
South Derbyshire
South Derbyshire is a local government district in Derbyshire, England. The population of the local authority at the 2011 Census was 94,611. It contains a third of the National Forest, and the council offices are in Swadlincote. The district ...
at the
1945 general election
The following elections occurred in the year 1945.
Africa
* 1945 South-West African legislative election
Asia
* 1945 Indian general election
Australia
* 1945 Fremantle by-election
Europe
* 1945 Albanian parliamentary election
* 1945 Bulgarian ...
, defeating the sitting
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 in ...
MP
Paul Emrys-Evans to win a majority of nearly 23,000 votes. After boundary changes for the
1950 general election, he was re-elected for the new
South East Derbyshire constituency, and held that seat until his defeat at the
1959 general election by only 12 votes.
He was made a
life peer on 11 May 1962, as Baron Champion, ''of
Pontypridd
() ( colloquially: Ponty) is a town and a community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.
Geography
comprises the electoral wards of , Hawthorn, Pontypridd Town, 'Rhondda', Rhydyfelin Central/Ilan ( Rhydfelen), Trallwng ( Trallwn) and Treforest (). ...
in the
County of Glamorgan''.
In January 1967 he was appointed as a
Privy Counsellor
The Privy Council (PC), officially His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its membership mainly comprises senior politicians who are current or former members of ei ...
.
In the last year of
Clement Attlee's
Labour Government, he served from April to October 1951 as
. After taking his seat in the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...
, he was a
Minister without Portfolio from 1964 to 1967 in
Harold Wilson's government. He died in
Pontypridd
() ( colloquially: Ponty) is a town and a community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.
Geography
comprises the electoral wards of , Hawthorn, Pontypridd Town, 'Rhondda', Rhydyfelin Central/Ilan ( Rhydfelen), Trallwng ( Trallwn) and Treforest (). ...
aged 87.
References
Richard Kimber's political science resources: UK General Elections since 1832*
*
*
External links
*
1897 births
1985 deaths
Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Labour Party (UK) life peers
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for constituencies in Derbyshire
Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Ministers in the Attlee governments, 1945–1951
Ministers in the Wilson governments, 1964–1970
National Union of Railwaymen-sponsored MPs
People from Glastonbury
UK MPs 1945–1950
UK MPs 1950–1951
UK MPs 1951–1955
UK MPs 1955–1959
UK MPs who were granted peerages
Life peers created by Elizabeth II
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