With the death of Lord Dahrendorf, the House of Lords has lost one of its most distinguished members. A renowned sociology professor, he served as Parliamentary Secretary of State in the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs before becoming a European Commissioner. He moved to the UK to become Director of the London School of Economics. He also spent a decade as Warden of St Antony’s College, Oxford.
He adopted British nationality in 1988 and was elevated to the peerage in 1993. He was an active member of the House. He chaired the Delegated Powers Committee and contributed regularly to debates. He was also a great defender of the House. For some years, he sat on the Liberal Democratic benches before moving to the cross-benches. He received numerous academic and civic honours. He held 28 honorary degrees. He combined a formidable intellect with great modesty and charm. He will be much missed in the House.
5 years between naturalisation and a life peerage. That must be among the shortest if not the shortest time gap?
Dear Lord Norton,
Thank you for posting this.
I hesitate to say that I hope such obituary notes become a regular feature of the blog.
Howridiculous.
Croft: I suspect it is unprecedented, reflecting Lord Dahrendorf’s distinguished public role.
Howridiculous: I will post similar notices when an eminent member of the House passes away, but I share your hope that this will not be something that is necessitated on a regular basis.