Edward Watson Short, Baron Glenamara, CH PC (born 17 December 1912) is a former Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Newcastle upon Tyne Central, England. He was a minister during the Labour Governments of Harold Wilson. Short is the oldest living former member of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, following the death of James Allason on 16 June 2011.
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Short was elected a councillor on Newcastle City Council where he led the Labour Group. He was first elected to Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne Central at the 1951 general election. He was appointed to the Privy Council in 1964, and is also a Companion of Honour.
He became a notorious figure among fans of offshore radio because he was Postmaster-General (then the minister with responsibility for broadcasting) in 1967 when the Marine etc. Broadcasting and Offences Act, which clamped down on the "pirate" stations, was passed. (In a 1982 interview for BBC Radio's The Story of Pop Radio, Short admitted having enjoyed listening to some of those stations, particularly Radio 390.)
As Postmaster General, Short ordered the creation of the 1966 England Winners stamp to celebrate England's victory in the 1966 World Cup.
He subsequently served as Education Secretary 1968–70, and became Labour's deputy leader in April 1972 when Roy Jenkins resigned over differences on European policy. Short was seen at the time as a "safe pair of hands." His main rival for the job was the left-winger Michael Foot who was viewed by many on the centre and right of the party as a divisive figure. Short defeated Foot and Anthony Crosland in the same vote.
Short's new seniority was reflected in his appointment as Lord President of the Council – though not Deputy Prime Minister – 1974–76, but he did not have the stature to mount a leadership bid himself on Wilson's retirement. He was not offered a Cabinet post on James Callaghan's election as Premier. His resignation letter said that the time had come for him to step aside for a younger man; this was sarcasm, as he was replaced by Michael Foot, who was seven months younger than himself. Short was also nine months younger than Callaghan, who had dropped him from the cabinet.
He was made a life peer as Baron Glenamara, of Glenridding in the County of Cumbria on 28 January 1977, when he left the Commons. One year before, he was appointed Chairman of Cable and Wireless Ltd, which was at the time a nationalised industry. He served in that post until 1980.
As a life peer he is still a member of the House of Lords, although he stopped attending regularly a few years ago.
His name lives on in the House of Commons with the term "Short Money". This refers to funds paid by the Government to help run the Parliamentary office of the Leader of the Opposition. The then Mr Short pioneered this idea during his time in the House.
He was made a Freeman of the City of Newcastle in 2001 "in recognition of his eminent and outstanding public service" and served as Chancellor of the University of Northumbria at Newcastle", a post he retired from in 2005.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Lyall Wilkes |
Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne Central 1951–1976 |
Succeeded by Harry Cowans |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Martin Redmayne |
Chief Whip of the House of Commons 1964–1966 |
Succeeded by John Silkin |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury 1964–1966 |
||
| Preceded by Tony Benn |
Postmaster General 1966–1968 |
Succeeded by Roy Mason |
| Preceded by Patrick Gordon Walker |
Secretary of State for Education and Science 1968–1970 |
Succeeded by Margaret Thatcher |
| Preceded by James Prior |
Leader of the House of Commons 1974–1976 |
Succeeded by Michael Foot |
| Lord President of the Council 1974–1976 |
||
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Roy Jenkins |
Deputy Leader of the Labour Party 1972–1976 |
Succeeded by Michael Foot |
| Academic offices | ||
| New office | Chancellor of Northumbria University 1992–2005 |
Succeeded by The Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington |
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