William Wilson (Labour politician)

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William Wilson (born 28 June 1913) is a retired solicitor and Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.

Wilson was educated at Coventry Technical College and Birmingham University. He served in the British Army during World War II in North Africa, Italy and Greece. After the war he made several unsuccessful attempts to win the Warwick and Leamington constituency in 1951, 1955, 1957 and 1959, before being successful in 1964 in Coventry South, which he represented (later as Coventry South East) until retiring from Parliament in 1983. He also was a Warwickshire County Councillor from 1958, being leader of the Labour Group in the 1960s and from 1972 to 1993.

Wilson was responsible for piloting through Parliament the Divorce Reform Act, 1969 which changed the basis for divorce procedures from the old concept of matrimonial offences to that of the irretrievable breakdown of marriage.

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Philip Hocking
Member of Parliament for Coventry South
19641974
Succeeded by
(constituency abolished)
Preceded by
(new constituency)
Member of Parliament for Coventry South East
19741983
Succeeded by
David Nellist