Christopher Brocklebank-Fowler

Christopher Brocklebank-Fowler (13 January 1934 – 29 May 2020) was a British politician. In 1981, he defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the only Conservative Member of Parliament to do so. He then joined the Liberal Democrats, followed by Labour, thereby being a member of four political parties within 15 years.[1]

Christopher Brockleback-Fowler
Member of Parliament
for North West Norfolk
(King’s Lynn, 1970-1974)
In office
18 June 1970 – 13 May 1983
Preceded byDerek Page
Succeeded byHenry Bellingham
Personal details
Born(1934-01-13)13 January 1934
Died29 May 2020(2020-05-29) (aged 86)
NationalityBritish
Political partyConservative (before 1981)
Social Democrats (1981-88)
Liberal Democrats (1988-96)
Labour (1996-2020)
EducationThe Perse School
Alma materUniversity of Oxford

Early life and education

Brocklebank-Fowler was born on 13 January 1934 as the second son of the solicitor Sidney Brocklebank-Fowler and his wife Iris Beechey. He attended primary school on the west coast of Scotland[1] before moving to be educated at The Perse School in Cambridge. He later studied for a diploma in agriculture at the University of Oxford.[2]

He served his National Service on submarines and later worked on a farm in Kenya. He was also employed by Unilever and as an advertising consultant before his election to Parliament.[2]

Parliamentary career

After unsuccessfully contesting West Ham North in 1964, Brocklebank-Fowler entered Parliament as a Conservative at the 1970 general election, representing the constituency of King's Lynn. This seat was abolished at the February 1974 general election, and Brocklebank-Fowler was elected for the new North West Norfolk seat.

He was re-elected in the 1979 general election with a majority of 7,928.[3]

In 1981 Brocklebank-Fowler defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), crossing the floor during a parliamentary debate on the budget.[4][5] In the House of Commons he represented the SDP on agriculture and overseas development issues.[3] However, at the 1983 general election the Conservatives regained North West Norfolk with a majority of about 3,000. Brocklebank-Fowler contested the seat again at the 1987 general election, but lost by a much wider margin.

Later career

After the SDP's merger with the Liberal Party to form the Liberal Democrats, Brocklebank-Fowler contested the South Norfolk constituency at the 1992 general election, but once again finished second. In 1996 he joined the Labour Party, saying that he was prompted by Tony Blair's "determination to pursue constitutional reform, efficient economic management, and fairer social provision which alone can restore One Nation".[6]

Personal life

Brocklebank-Fowler was married three times. With his first wife, Joan Nowland, whom he married in 1957, he had two sons.[2]

He later moved to Thurso, Scotland, where he restored a fishery on the Forss Water.[2] He died on 29 May 2020.

References
  1. Langdon, Julia (7 June 2020). "Christopher Brocklebank-Fowler obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  2. Former Norfolk MP who defected from the Conservatives to SDP dies, Eastern Daily Press (4 June 2020). Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  3. "Christopher Brocklebank-Fowler, Conservative MP who crossed the floor to join the SDP – obituary". The Telegraph. 2 June 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  4. "Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation". Hansard. 16 March 1981. pp. Series 6 Vol.1 c.43. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  5. Crewe, Ivor and King, Anthony, SDP: The Birth, Life and Death of the Social Democratic Party (Oxford University Press, 1995), p.99.
  6. Anthony Bevins "Ex-Tory MP makes Labour his latest stop", The Independent, 22 October 1996

Bibliography
  • Who's Who 2003 (A&C Black Ltd.)
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Derek Page		 Member of Parliament for King's Lynn
1970 – Feb 1974		 Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament for North West Norfolk
Feb 1974 – 1983		 Succeeded by
Henry Bellingham
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