Derek Anthony Enright (2 August 1935 – 31 October 1995) was a Labour politician in the United Kingdom.
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Born in Thornaby-on-Tees, he attended the (Roman Catholic) St Michael's College on St John's Road in Leeds (now merged with Mount St Mary's Catholic High School), then a grammar school. He was educated at Wadham College, Oxford, gaining a BA in Classics and a DipEd, and worked as a school teacher of classics at The John Fisher School, a grammar school in Purley from 1959-67.
He was elected as a Labour Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Leeds in 1979, staying until 1984. He was British Labour group spokesman on third world affairs and women's rights, and was later an EC delegate in Guinea Bissau. He contested Kent East in the 1984 European election.
He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Hemsworth in West Yorkshire from a by-election in 1991 until his death.
He once made recordings of the Beatles songs "Yellow Submarine" and "Eleanor Rigby" in Latin.
In fact, Derek Enright sang Yellow Submarine in the House Of Commons when the Education Reform Bill was being argued. During this time, Derek spoke only in Latin, and when challenged by a Conservative that "he might be able to speak Latin, but he cannot sing Latin", Enright immediately stood up and sang "Yellow Submarine" — much to the surprise of the house. The Deputy Speaker of the House, Geoffrey Lofthouse, then asked him to stop. It is forbidden to sing in the House of Commons.
He married Jane Simmons in 1963, and they had two sons and two daughters. He died from cancer aged 60.
| European Parliament | ||
|---|---|---|
| New title | Member of the European Parliament for Leeds 1979 – 1984 |
Succeeded by Michael McGowan |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by George Buckley |
Member of Parliament for Hemsworth 1991 – 1995 |
Succeeded by Jon Trickett |