This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jun/15/lord-howie-of-troon-obituary
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Lord Howie of Troon obituary | Lord Howie of Troon obituary |
| (4 months later) | |
| The Labour peer Lord Howie of Troon, who has died aged 94, spent nearly half a century in parliament arguing the need for an enhanced public status for his own profession of engineering. It was the subject of his maiden speech as an MP in 1963 and a topic to which he frequently returned in witty and well-informed contributions in the Lords. | The Labour peer Lord Howie of Troon, who has died aged 94, spent nearly half a century in parliament arguing the need for an enhanced public status for his own profession of engineering. It was the subject of his maiden speech as an MP in 1963 and a topic to which he frequently returned in witty and well-informed contributions in the Lords. |
| “Were it not for engineers, the artists, philosophers and men of affairs would still be scratching their ideas on the walls of caves,” he said, and he was endlessly resourceful in finding colourful examples to illustrate his thesis. He was fond of pointing out that six of the seven wonders of the ancient world were the work of construction engineers and that, while everyone knew the painting of Whistler’s mother, few were aware that the artist’s father and uncle crossed the Atlantic to take instruction from George Stephenson and returned home to engineer the Baltimore to Ohio railroad. | “Were it not for engineers, the artists, philosophers and men of affairs would still be scratching their ideas on the walls of caves,” he said, and he was endlessly resourceful in finding colourful examples to illustrate his thesis. He was fond of pointing out that six of the seven wonders of the ancient world were the work of construction engineers and that, while everyone knew the painting of Whistler’s mother, few were aware that the artist’s father and uncle crossed the Atlantic to take instruction from George Stephenson and returned home to engineer the Baltimore to Ohio railroad. |
| Howie was a quietly effective member of the Lords from 1978, using his 20 years’ experience in practice as a civil engineer and his knowledge of the profession from his subsequent lengthy association with the Institution of Civil Engineers to contribute usefully to the passage of much technical legislation. He did so as an assiduous member from 1991 to 2007 of various science and technology subcommittees and of European subcommittees, an unsung area of activity in the parliamentary process in which expertise is particularly helpful and welcome. | Howie was a quietly effective member of the Lords from 1978, using his 20 years’ experience in practice as a civil engineer and his knowledge of the profession from his subsequent lengthy association with the Institution of Civil Engineers to contribute usefully to the passage of much technical legislation. He did so as an assiduous member from 1991 to 2007 of various science and technology subcommittees and of European subcommittees, an unsung area of activity in the parliamentary process in which expertise is particularly helpful and welcome. |
| Will Howie, as he was universally known, first came to political attention when he won a sensational byelection in Luton in 1963, turning a 5,000-plus Conservative majority into a Labour victory of nearly 4,000. | Will Howie, as he was universally known, first came to political attention when he won a sensational byelection in Luton in 1963, turning a 5,000-plus Conservative majority into a Labour victory of nearly 4,000. |
| In the 1959 general election, Howie had stood as the sacrificial Labour candidate for the rock-solid Tory seat, the Cities of London and Westminster, and was a somewhat reluctant candidate for Luton. A Labour loyalist, he had been persuaded to stand by the party bigwigs at Transport House, fearing that even if he were chosen it would prove an unwinnable seat. | In the 1959 general election, Howie had stood as the sacrificial Labour candidate for the rock-solid Tory seat, the Cities of London and Westminster, and was a somewhat reluctant candidate for Luton. A Labour loyalist, he had been persuaded to stand by the party bigwigs at Transport House, fearing that even if he were chosen it would prove an unwinnable seat. |
| Howie was picked, an outcome which in his view “surprised every- body and delighted few”, and thus was in place as the contending aspirant when the incumbent MP, Dr Charles Hill, the “radio doctor”, was unexpectedly made chairman of the Independent Television Authority and given a peerage as Lord Hill of Luton. | Howie was picked, an outcome which in his view “surprised every- body and delighted few”, and thus was in place as the contending aspirant when the incumbent MP, Dr Charles Hill, the “radio doctor”, was unexpectedly made chairman of the Independent Television Authority and given a peerage as Lord Hill of Luton. |
| In the subsequent general elections of 1964 and 1966, Howie managed to hold on to the seat. His reward was to be made a whip in Harold Wilson’s first Labour government, and he was twice thereafter promoted within the whips’ office. He was a strong disciplinarian as a whip, insisting that sick members be brought into the Commons to vote when the government’s narrow majority was at risk – “I think we killed three members,” he admitted later – and constantly urging tougher action against the party’s leftwing rebels. | In the subsequent general elections of 1964 and 1966, Howie managed to hold on to the seat. His reward was to be made a whip in Harold Wilson’s first Labour government, and he was twice thereafter promoted within the whips’ office. He was a strong disciplinarian as a whip, insisting that sick members be brought into the Commons to vote when the government’s narrow majority was at risk – “I think we killed three members,” he admitted later – and constantly urging tougher action against the party’s leftwing rebels. |
| The chief whip, John Silkin, who was himself on the left, tired of Howie’s constant criticism of him in the Commons tearoom and sacked him in 1968 to assert his own authority. The incident caused bad publicity for the party and when the internal party elections were held that autumn Howie was chosen as vice-chairman of the parliamentary Labour party, a post he held until he lost his seat in 1970. He had to wait until after his friend James Callaghan succeeded Wilson as prime minister, however, before securing his seat in the Lords. | The chief whip, John Silkin, who was himself on the left, tired of Howie’s constant criticism of him in the Commons tearoom and sacked him in 1968 to assert his own authority. The incident caused bad publicity for the party and when the internal party elections were held that autumn Howie was chosen as vice-chairman of the parliamentary Labour party, a post he held until he lost his seat in 1970. He had to wait until after his friend James Callaghan succeeded Wilson as prime minister, however, before securing his seat in the Lords. |
| Howie was a rightwinger and distinguished himself as such by resigning his membership of his trade union, DATA, in 1968 because of an attempt to oblige him to oppose the government’s controversial incomes policy. In 1969, he was a singular backbench supporter of Barbara Castle’s unsuccessful plan In Place of Strife, which aimed to reform union practices. She described him as “totally helpful” in her diaries for the period. | Howie was a rightwinger and distinguished himself as such by resigning his membership of his trade union, DATA, in 1968 because of an attempt to oblige him to oppose the government’s controversial incomes policy. In 1969, he was a singular backbench supporter of Barbara Castle’s unsuccessful plan In Place of Strife, which aimed to reform union practices. She described him as “totally helpful” in her diaries for the period. |
| He was an early opponent of Britain’s membership of the EEC, and suggested a referendum should be held on the subject in 1962. He was opposed to an independent Scotland and, having moved to live and work in London as a young man, was critical of the exclusion of Scottish-born expatriates from voting in Scottish referendums. | He was an early opponent of Britain’s membership of the EEC, and suggested a referendum should be held on the subject in 1962. He was opposed to an independent Scotland and, having moved to live and work in London as a young man, was critical of the exclusion of Scottish-born expatriates from voting in Scottish referendums. |
| Will was born into a socialist household in the coastal town of Troon in South Ayrshire, the elder son of Annie (nee McGhee) and Peter Howie. He went to Marr College, Troon, and secured a BSc and diploma of engineering at the Royal Technical College, Glasgow. He was in practice as an engineer from 1944 until his election to the Commons and after his spell as an MP worked for Thomas Telford Ltd, the publishing wing of the Institution of Civil Engineers. | Will was born into a socialist household in the coastal town of Troon in South Ayrshire, the elder son of Annie (nee McGhee) and Peter Howie. He went to Marr College, Troon, and secured a BSc and diploma of engineering at the Royal Technical College, Glasgow. He was in practice as an engineer from 1944 until his election to the Commons and after his spell as an MP worked for Thomas Telford Ltd, the publishing wing of the Institution of Civil Engineers. |
| In the 1980s he took a number of posts with technological and publishing bodies connected with engineering. He also helped create a register of engineers for disaster relief. He was a governor of Imperial College from 1965 to 1967. From 1968 to 1991 he was a member of the council of City University, and its pro-chancellor from 1984 to 1991. He was awarded a number of honorary degrees. | In the 1980s he took a number of posts with technological and publishing bodies connected with engineering. He also helped create a register of engineers for disaster relief. He was a governor of Imperial College from 1965 to 1967. From 1968 to 1991 he was a member of the council of City University, and its pro-chancellor from 1984 to 1991. He was awarded a number of honorary degrees. |
| In 1951 he married Mairi Sanderson, who died in 2005. Their two daughters, Annabel and Alisoun, and two sons, Angus and Alexander, survive him. | In 1951 he married Mairi Sanderson, who died in 2005. Their two daughters, Annabel and Alisoun, and two sons, Angus and Alexander, survive him. |
| • William Howie, Lord Howie of Troon, civil engineer and politician, born 2 March 1924; died 26 May 2018 | • William Howie, Lord Howie of Troon, civil engineer and politician, born 2 March 1924; died 26 May 2018 |
| Labour | Labour |
| Scotland | Scotland |
| Engineering | Engineering |
| obituaries | obituaries |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |