Cecil Franks
Cecil Simon Franks (born 1 July 1935) is a British solicitor and politician from Manchester. He was the Member of Parliament for Barrow and Furness from the 1983 General Election until the 1992 General Election.
His election was somewhat of a surprise, given that he was a Conservative Party candidate in a traditional Labour Party heartland. In being elected, Franks defeated former cabinet minister Albert Booth.
The explanation for this was popular national support of the Conservative party for its support for military actions in the Falklands war. Barrow-in-Furness, the constituency's biggest town, is largely dependent on its Royal Navy contracts, and in particular, nuclear submarines (at VSEL, the area's major employer, even today) which played a leading part in the Falklands conflict. At the 1987 election, the Labour party was still wanting to cancel Trident, this Labour policy was locally unpopular and Franks was able to hold onto this Labour 'safe-seat' for the next 4 years until 1992.
By 1992 Labour party were still planning to cancel the last Trident Submarine that was yet to be built, the Conservatives were still pro Trident. However, the electorate were not convinced enough that the loss of employment was sufficient to merit a vote for another Conservative MP. Since losing his seat in Parliament, he has not stood for election again, and has since 1995, has involved himself working with various charities in opposing the processing of Amazon rainforest wood in China.
References
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Cecil Franks
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Albert Booth |
Member of Parliament for Barrow and Furness 1983–1992 |
Succeeded by John Hutton |