Brian Cotter, Baron Cotter
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Brian Joseph Michael Cotter, Baron Cotter (24 August 1936 – 14 November 2023), was a British
Liberal Democrat Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Liberal Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties have usually followed liberalism as ideology, although they can vary widely from very progr ...
politician. He was Member of Parliament for
Weston-super-Mare Weston-super-Mare ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the North Somerset unitary district, in the county of Somerset, England. It lies by the Bristol Channel south-west of Bristol between Worlebury Hill and Bleadon Hill. Its population ...
from 1997 to 2005, and subsequently a member of the
House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...
from 2006 until his death.


Background and career

Born in
Ealing Ealing () is a district in west London (sub-region), west London, England, west of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Ealing. It is the administrative centre of the borough and is identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Pl ...
, the son of a doctor from
Weston-super-Mare Weston-super-Mare ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the North Somerset unitary district, in the county of Somerset, England. It lies by the Bristol Channel south-west of Bristol between Worlebury Hill and Bleadon Hill. Its population ...
, Cotter was educated at Saint Benedict's School, Ealing, and
Downside School Downside School (formally The College of St Gregory the Great, Downside but simply referred to as Downside) is an 11–18 mixed, Roman Catholic, independent, day and boarding school in Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Somerset, England. It was establish ...
in Somerset, where, aged sixteen, he ran a 4½ minute mile. Upon leaving school, he entered the
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
, serving two years
National Service National service is a system of compulsory or voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act ...
, spending time stationed in
West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
. He entered business after leaving the army. He studied Business Studies at a polytechnic in London, eventually running his own small manufacturing company, Plasticable Ltd in
Alton Alton may refer to: People *Alton (given name) * Alton (surname) Places Australia * Alton National Park, Queensland * Alton, Queensland, a town in the Shire of Balonne Canada * Alton, Ontario * Alton, Nova Scotia New Zealand * Alton, New Zeala ...
, which is now run as a co-operative. Formerly a
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
before joining the Liberals in 1983, during the Liberal/SDP Alliance, Cotter was elected to
Woking Borough Council Woking Borough Council is the local authority for Woking in Surrey, England. The council consists of 30 councillors, three for each of the 10 wards in the town. It is currently controlled by the Liberal Democrats, led by Ann-Marie Barker. The ...
in 1986, representing the Mount Hermon West ward. He retained this seat until standing down in 1990.


Parliamentary career

After unsuccessfully contesting the seat in 1992, Cotter was elected the
Liberal Democrat Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Liberal Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties have usually followed liberalism as ideology, although they can vary widely from very progr ...
MP Member of Parliament for
Weston-super-Mare Weston-super-Mare ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the North Somerset unitary district, in the county of Somerset, England. It lies by the Bristol Channel south-west of Bristol between Worlebury Hill and Bleadon Hill. Its population ...
in 1997. This was the first time the constituency had not returned a Conservative MP since 1923. He was re-elected in 2001, but lost the seat to
John Penrose John David Penrose (born 22 June 1964) is a British politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Weston-super-Mare from 2005 until 2024. A member of the Conservative Party, he was the United Kingdom Anti-Corruption Champion at th ...
of the Conservatives at the 2005 general election. Throughout his time in Parliament, he served as the Liberal Democrat spokesman for small business. In April 2006, it was announced that Cotter would be 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. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...
to join the
Liberal Democrat Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Liberal Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties have usually followed liberalism as ideology, although they can vary widely from very progr ...
ranks in the
House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...
, and on 30 May he was created Baron Cotter, of Congresbury in the County of Somerset. He delivered his maiden speech in the Lords on 29 June. Cotter took an interest in a number of areas, and on various issues as they arose. Specifically, before the
coalition government A coalition government, or coalition cabinet, is a government by political parties that enter into a power-sharing arrangement of the executive. Coalition governments usually occur when no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an ...
was formed in 2010, he led for the Liberal Democrats on Small Business issues and vocational education; specifically apprenticeships. Within the coalition, he concentrated on business and vocational training issues.


Personal life

Lord Cotter was a practising
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
. Cotter was a patron of domestic violence charity the
ManKind Initiative The ManKind Initiative is a domestic violence charity based in the United Kingdom and is at the forefront of providing support for male victims of domestic abuse and violence. Since becoming a charity in 2001, it has provided a helpline, trainin ...
. Cotter married Eyleen Patricia Wade in February 1963. They had two sons and a daughter. Lord Cotter died from complications of dementia on 14 November 2023, at the age of 87.


References


External links


Cotter's profile at the site of Liberal Democrats

Weston-super-Mare Liberal Democrats



TheyWorkForYou.com - Brian Cotter

The Public Whip - Brian Cotter
voting record
BBC News - Brian Cotter
profile 16 October 2002 {{DEFAULTSORT:Cotter, Brian Cotter, Baron 1936 births 2023 deaths 20th-century English businesspeople British Army soldiers Conservative Party (UK) people English Roman Catholics Liberal Democrats (UK) MPs for English constituencies Liberal Democrats (UK) councillors Liberal Democrats (UK) life peers Life peers created by Elizabeth II ManKind Initiative people People educated at Downside School People educated at St Benedict's School, Ealing People from Ealing People from Weston-super-Mare UK MPs 1997–2001 UK MPs 2001–2005 English manufacturing businesspeople