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| Lord Evans of Parkside obituary | Lord Evans of Parkside obituary |
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| The former Labour MP John Evans, Lord Evans of Parkside, who has died aged 85, was always ready to put the interests of others and, in particular, those of his party and his constituents, before his own political self-interest. The consequence of this highly untypical trait in any politician was that he was never a well-known figure on the national stage, nor given the credit he deserved for helping to rescue and restore Labour’s fortunes when its self-destructive lurch to the left after 1979 condemned the party to a generation out of government. | The former Labour MP John Evans, Lord Evans of Parkside, who has died aged 85, was always ready to put the interests of others and, in particular, those of his party and his constituents, before his own political self-interest. The consequence of this highly untypical trait in any politician was that he was never a well-known figure on the national stage, nor given the credit he deserved for helping to rescue and restore Labour’s fortunes when its self-destructive lurch to the left after 1979 condemned the party to a generation out of government. |
| It was Evans, during 14 years on Labour’s national executive committee, who did much of the unseen groundwork to ensure that the party’s policies were once again sufficiently credible with the electorate to enable Tony Blair to win the 1997 election by a landslide. Evans himself stood down from the NEC in 1996, after valiantly defending his seat every year as the representative of the National Union of Labour Clubs, and he agreed to stand down as MP for St Helens North before the 1997 election in exchange for a seat in the House of Lords. | It was Evans, during 14 years on Labour’s national executive committee, who did much of the unseen groundwork to ensure that the party’s policies were once again sufficiently credible with the electorate to enable Tony Blair to win the 1997 election by a landslide. Evans himself stood down from the NEC in 1996, after valiantly defending his seat every year as the representative of the National Union of Labour Clubs, and he agreed to stand down as MP for St Helens North before the 1997 election in exchange for a seat in the House of Lords. |
| From his first election to the Commons in February 1974 for the Newton constituency, which was superseded when boundaries were redrawn in 1983, it was evident that Evans was a politician of conviction and sincerity who could prove immensely useful to his party in parliament. Britain’s membership of Europe was a significant issue for the Labour party at the time, and it was a measure of his perceived potential that, although himself an anti-European, he was chosen by the whips’ office as one of the members of the British delegation to the European Assembly after the 1975 referendum. Three years later, when James Callaghan was running a minority Labour government and every parliamentary vote was on a knife-edge, he was appointed as a junior whip. | From his first election to the Commons in February 1974 for the Newton constituency, which was superseded when boundaries were redrawn in 1983, it was evident that Evans was a politician of conviction and sincerity who could prove immensely useful to his party in parliament. Britain’s membership of Europe was a significant issue for the Labour party at the time, and it was a measure of his perceived potential that, although himself an anti-European, he was chosen by the whips’ office as one of the members of the British delegation to the European Assembly after the 1975 referendum. Three years later, when James Callaghan was running a minority Labour government and every parliamentary vote was on a knife-edge, he was appointed as a junior whip. |
| Evans was surprised, following the 1979 defeat and Michael Foot’s election to succeed Callaghan, when he was chosen for the significant, if unpaid, post of parliamentary private secretary to the new party leader. But Foot had spotted that Evans’s personal beliefs, which matched his own, in concert with the younger man’s impeccable working-class authenticity were what was needed in the rough times the party was facing from infiltration of its membership from the Trotskyist left. He would also have noticed that Evans quoted Foot’s own hero, Aneurin Bevan, in his maiden speech in the Commons. | Evans was surprised, following the 1979 defeat and Michael Foot’s election to succeed Callaghan, when he was chosen for the significant, if unpaid, post of parliamentary private secretary to the new party leader. But Foot had spotted that Evans’s personal beliefs, which matched his own, in concert with the younger man’s impeccable working-class authenticity were what was needed in the rough times the party was facing from infiltration of its membership from the Trotskyist left. He would also have noticed that Evans quoted Foot’s own hero, Aneurin Bevan, in his maiden speech in the Commons. |
| By 1983 and Labour’s humiliation in the election of that year, Evans was a fully paid-up member of what was then known as the “sensible” left of the party. He backed Neil Kinnock as leader, against the wishes of his constituency party, and proceeded to dedicate himself to securing such reforms as the introduction of one member, one vote in the selection of parliamentary candidates, thus extending the choice beyond the party’s management committees to the whole membership. | By 1983 and Labour’s humiliation in the election of that year, Evans was a fully paid-up member of what was then known as the “sensible” left of the party. He backed Neil Kinnock as leader, against the wishes of his constituency party, and proceeded to dedicate himself to securing such reforms as the introduction of one member, one vote in the selection of parliamentary candidates, thus extending the choice beyond the party’s management committees to the whole membership. |
| He succeeded in pushing this through the national executive in 1984, and while it was a pointer for the future, it was not until 1993 that it was accepted by the party conference then meeting in Brighton. Throughout this period he also supported the expulsion of members of the Militant tendency from the party. | He succeeded in pushing this through the national executive in 1984, and while it was a pointer for the future, it was not until 1993 that it was accepted by the party conference then meeting in Brighton. Throughout this period he also supported the expulsion of members of the Militant tendency from the party. |
| Born in Aylesham, Kent, John was the son of a miner, James, who was killed in an accident in the local coalfields when John was six: he and his two sisters were raised by their mother, Margaret (nee Robson). She moved the family from Aylesham to Jarrow, on Tyneside. He was educated at Jarrow Grange, Jarrow Central and, when he went to work in the shipyards at the age of 16, at the school of hard knocks, and thus inevitably had little time or sympathy for airy-fairy politics or people he described as “tossers in orbit around reality”. | |
| He spelled this out even more precisely after the Labour party lost to the Social Democratic party in the Greenwich byelection in February 1987, presaging the party’s upcoming defeat in the general election that would shortly follow in June that year. “It’s time the party’s policies and representatives reflected the views of old-fashioned working-class people,” he observed at the time. | He spelled this out even more precisely after the Labour party lost to the Social Democratic party in the Greenwich byelection in February 1987, presaging the party’s upcoming defeat in the general election that would shortly follow in June that year. “It’s time the party’s policies and representatives reflected the views of old-fashioned working-class people,” he observed at the time. |
| Evans twice stood for election as Labour’s chief whip: in 1983 he unsuccessfully challenged the longstanding incumbent, Michael Cocks, apparently with Kinnock’s backing and believing that his stint as Foot’s PPS would help win him the job. Two years later he stood again, but on this occasion Kinnock’s own PPS, Derek Foster, beat both Evans and Peter Snape. Kinnock appointed him opposition spokesman on employment after the first of these defeats. | Evans twice stood for election as Labour’s chief whip: in 1983 he unsuccessfully challenged the longstanding incumbent, Michael Cocks, apparently with Kinnock’s backing and believing that his stint as Foot’s PPS would help win him the job. Two years later he stood again, but on this occasion Kinnock’s own PPS, Derek Foster, beat both Evans and Peter Snape. Kinnock appointed him opposition spokesman on employment after the first of these defeats. |
| He held that post for four years, and in 1987 joined the defence select committee. This caused a slight stir among Tory members as Evans was a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, although an inactive one. He then told Kinnock that he no longer sought front-line positions and would instead concentrate on helping the Labour party rebuild its political coherence. He attracted some criticism in 1988 for proposing an electoral pact with the Liberals and Social Democrats, which he saw as perhaps the only means of defeating the Conservatives. He was chairman of the Labour party at the time of the 1992 general election, its fourth consecutive defeat. | He held that post for four years, and in 1987 joined the defence select committee. This caused a slight stir among Tory members as Evans was a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, although an inactive one. He then told Kinnock that he no longer sought front-line positions and would instead concentrate on helping the Labour party rebuild its political coherence. He attracted some criticism in 1988 for proposing an electoral pact with the Liberals and Social Democrats, which he saw as perhaps the only means of defeating the Conservatives. He was chairman of the Labour party at the time of the 1992 general election, its fourth consecutive defeat. |
| Evans became active in politics during his years on Tyneside and worked for three years (1965-68) as the agent for the Jarrow constituency. He had joined the engineering union, the AEU, and later on the AUEW – which would later sponsor him as an MP – in 1952. He had joined the Labour party in 1955. He was elected to Hebburn council in 1962, was the leader in 1969 and chairman in 1972. The following year he was elected to South Tyneside metropolitan district council. He did his national service with the Royal Engineers, spent three years with the merchant navy and worked as a shipyard worker and engineer until his election in succession to the former minister, Fred Lee, at Newton, part of which was absorbed into the successor St Helens North seat. | Evans became active in politics during his years on Tyneside and worked for three years (1965-68) as the agent for the Jarrow constituency. He had joined the engineering union, the AEU, and later on the AUEW – which would later sponsor him as an MP – in 1952. He had joined the Labour party in 1955. He was elected to Hebburn council in 1962, was the leader in 1969 and chairman in 1972. The following year he was elected to South Tyneside metropolitan district council. He did his national service with the Royal Engineers, spent three years with the merchant navy and worked as a shipyard worker and engineer until his election in succession to the former minister, Fred Lee, at Newton, part of which was absorbed into the successor St Helens North seat. |
| Although he had moved across the country to inherit the engineering union-sponsored seat (and not without difficulties, given his strong Geordie accent), Evans was passionate in defence of the interests of his constituents. He was arrested and convicted of obstructing the police on the picket line outside Parkside colliery during the miners’ strike in 1984. He took his title from the name of that pit when he joined the House of Lords in 1997. He was a modest man, popular in parliament and the Labour party, perhaps because he was not afraid of making enemies. | Although he had moved across the country to inherit the engineering union-sponsored seat (and not without difficulties, given his strong Geordie accent), Evans was passionate in defence of the interests of his constituents. He was arrested and convicted of obstructing the police on the picket line outside Parkside colliery during the miners’ strike in 1984. He took his title from the name of that pit when he joined the House of Lords in 1997. He was a modest man, popular in parliament and the Labour party, perhaps because he was not afraid of making enemies. |
| In 1959 he married Joan (nee Slater), and is survived by her and their children, David, Judith and Alan. | In 1959 he married Joan (nee Slater), and is survived by her and their children, David, Judith and Alan. |
| • John Evans, Lord Evans of Parkside, politician, born 19 October 1930; died 5 March 2016 | • John Evans, Lord Evans of Parkside, politician, born 19 October 1930; died 5 March 2016 |
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