Denis Howell, Baron Howell

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Denis Herbert Howell, Baron Howell (4 September 192319 April 1998) was a British Labour politician.

Howell was educated at Handsworth Grammar School, Birmingham and became a clerk and chairman of the Clerical and Administrative Workers Union standing orders committee. He was a Football League referee and keen cricketer. He served as a councillor on Birmingham City Council 1946-56 and was Labour Group secretary from 1950.

Howell contested Birmingham King's Norton in 1951. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Birmingham All Saints from 1955 to 1959, and for Birmingham Small Heath from the 1961 by-election until his retirement in 1992. He held several ministerial posts under the Wilson and Callaghan governments, including Sport (1964—70), Education and Science (1964—1969), Housing and Local Government (1969—1970), the Environment (1974—1979) and for Sport and Recreation (1974—1979).

He was made Minister for Drought in 1976, which was the driest summer in over 200 years, but days later heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding, and he was made Minister of Floods.[1]

He published his memoirs, Made in Birmingham, in 1990, and in 1992 he was made a life peer as Baron Howell, of Aston Manor in the City of Birmingham.

One of his sons, Andrew Howell, went on to be elected to Birmingham City Council for Moseley and Kings Heath Ward serving as Chair of the Education Committee and also Deputy Leader.

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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
(new constituency))
Member of Parliament for Birmingham All Saints
1955–1959
Succeeded by
John Hollingsworth
Preceded by
William Wheeldon
Member of Parliament for Birmingham Small Heath
1961–1992
Succeeded by
Roger Godsiff
Political offices
Preceded by
Quintin Hogg
Minister for Sport
1964–1970
Succeeded by
Eldon Griffiths
Preceded by
Eldon Griffiths
Minister for Sport
1974–1979
Succeeded by
Hector Monro