Bruce Kent
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Bruce Kent (born 22 June 1929) is a British political activist. He was for many years probably Britain's best-known peace campaigner and member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). He served as General Secretary from 1980 to 1985, and as Chair from 1987 to 1990. He now holds the honorary title of Vice-President.
Kent was born in London in 1929, went to Stonyhurst College, was at school in Canada from 1940 to 1943, served as an officer in the Royal Tank Regiment from 1947 to 1949, studied Law at Brasenose College, Oxford 1949-52, was ordained a Catholic priest in 1958, and was Catholic chaplain to the University of London from 1966 to 1974. He was Chair of the charity War on Want from 1974 to 1976.
In 1987, Kent resigned from the priesthood rather than comply with an instruction from the late Cardinal Basil Hume to desist from involvement in that year's UK General Election.
In 1992 Bruce Kent was a candidate for the Labour Party in the constituency of Oxford West and Abingdon, where he came in third. Sitting Member of Parliament and former Conservative minister John Patten retained his seat.
[edit] External links
- National Portrait Gallery Images of Bruce Kent
- Interview about CND for the WGBH series, War and Peace in the Nuclear Age
- My Favourite Books Article in Socialist Review Issue 191, 1995
- Articles written by Bruce Kent in The New Statesman
- The myths of the Arms Trade article in The Tablet
- Radio interview on Xt3 Christian Magazine
- The Abolition of War: The Politics of Realistic Utopianism article in Disarmament Diplomacy
| Preceded by John Cox |
Chair of CND 1977–1979 |
Succeeded by Hugh Jenkins |
| Preceded by Duncan Rees |
General Secretary of CND 1979–1985 |
Succeeded by Meg Beresford |
| Preceded by Paul Johns |
Chair of CND 1987–1990 |
Succeeded by Marjorie Thompson |
