Richard Long, 4th Viscount Long… who served as a government whip from 1979 to 1997.
(It’s his birthday today!)
Steph
David
31/01/2009 at 10:05 am
I think it can be non other than Ken Clarke.
David
31/01/2009 at 10:24 am
Oops, clearly wrong in previous answer, sice Clarke is not a peer (yet)… the Lord Denham perhaps?
Croft
31/01/2009 at 10:42 am
As ever, a great question! I can find various people holding different offices, I’ve even tried looking for MPs who have succeeded/awarded titles to expand the pool of people but still no luck. I’ve scanned though every major office so I think perhaps it must be somewhere on the lowest rung of the ministerial ladder – At this rate I’ll be looking among the Lord Wardens of the Stannaries which isn’t ministerial! I’m clearly missing something unbelievably obvious 🙂
Michael
31/01/2009 at 11:26 am
Viscount Long was a Lord-in-Waiting from 1979 to 1997.
lordnorton
31/01/2009 at 11:46 am
Congratulations to Steph – the winner for two weeks in succession. Viscount Long served as a Lord-in-Waiting, that is, a Government whip, throughout the period of Conservative Government. As Steph mentions, I posted the question on his birthday. He was one of the hereditary peers who left the House in 1999.
David: Ken Clarke would not have qualified, even as an MP, since he held a rather wide range of ministerial posts throughout the period. Lord Denham was a good guess, but he did not serve as Government Chief Whip throughout the entire period: he retired from the post in 1991.
Croft: Your instinct was right in that it was not a major post. You needed to look at the whips’ office.
lordnorton
31/01/2009 at 11:54 am
Michael: You have the kudos of also getting the correct answer. Well done.
Bedd Gelert
31/01/2009 at 2:19 pm
NOTICE
Jack Straw is on The World This Weekend on Sunday…
The rest of this thought-provoking piece may elucidate some responses as well..
I wonder if Mr Ley will be taking in some ‘Gilbert and Sullivan’ before his next missive ?
Croft
31/01/2009 at 2:38 pm
I had looked at the Chief Whips but couldn’t quickly find a list of the junior whips. So near and yet…..
18 yrs must be some sort of record, at least in modern times and excluding sinecures?
lordnorton
31/01/2009 at 6:38 pm
Croft: It is a remarkable historical record. Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton is the closest equivalent under the Labour Government, but she has broken service. She was a Government whip from 1997 to 2007, and then returned to the same post last year.
This weekend’s quiz question (though I may do another, depending on how quickly this one is answered):
Lord Mackay of Clashfern as Lord High Chancellor.
FinnishCowl: I’m afraid not. Lord Mackay of Clashfern did not become Lord High Chancellor until 1987.
Richard Long, 4th Viscount Long… who served as a government whip from 1979 to 1997.
(It’s his birthday today!)
Steph
I think it can be non other than Ken Clarke.
Oops, clearly wrong in previous answer, sice Clarke is not a peer (yet)… the Lord Denham perhaps?
As ever, a great question! I can find various people holding different offices, I’ve even tried looking for MPs who have succeeded/awarded titles to expand the pool of people but still no luck. I’ve scanned though every major office so I think perhaps it must be somewhere on the lowest rung of the ministerial ladder – At this rate I’ll be looking among the Lord Wardens of the Stannaries which isn’t ministerial! I’m clearly missing something unbelievably obvious 🙂
Viscount Long was a Lord-in-Waiting from 1979 to 1997.
Congratulations to Steph – the winner for two weeks in succession. Viscount Long served as a Lord-in-Waiting, that is, a Government whip, throughout the period of Conservative Government. As Steph mentions, I posted the question on his birthday. He was one of the hereditary peers who left the House in 1999.
David: Ken Clarke would not have qualified, even as an MP, since he held a rather wide range of ministerial posts throughout the period. Lord Denham was a good guess, but he did not serve as Government Chief Whip throughout the entire period: he retired from the post in 1991.
Croft: Your instinct was right in that it was not a major post. You needed to look at the whips’ office.
Michael: You have the kudos of also getting the correct answer. Well done.
NOTICE
Jack Straw is on The World This Weekend on Sunday…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7862037.stm
The rest of this thought-provoking piece may elucidate some responses as well..
I wonder if Mr Ley will be taking in some ‘Gilbert and Sullivan’ before his next missive ?
I had looked at the Chief Whips but couldn’t quickly find a list of the junior whips. So near and yet…..
18 yrs must be some sort of record, at least in modern times and excluding sinecures?
Croft: It is a remarkable historical record. Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton is the closest equivalent under the Labour Government, but she has broken service. She was a Government whip from 1997 to 2007, and then returned to the same post last year.