Ivor Stanbrook - Political Career

Political Career

In the Parliamentary elections of 1966 he contested, unsuccessfully, as a Conservative candidate the safe Labour seat of East Ham South. He won Orpington with a majority of 1,332, a seat that had been represented by the Liberals in 1962

For more than two decades he was a combative and chronically rebellious backbencher, a man who knew his own mind and spoke it, and who was often critical of his own front bench. He was a member of the 92 Group and was initially regarded as being well to the right in the Conservative Party, but it is probably fairer to categorise him as a traditionalist, and the positions he took were not altogether predictable. In later years he could more fairly be described as having mellowed in his views, especially on immigration and nationality.

Described by Matthew Parris as the "very hammer of lawlessness and crime", Stanbrook served on the Parliamentary Select Committee for Home Affairs from 1983 to 1991, but was blocked from becoming its chairman in 1987 by the Labour MPs on the committee. He was a leading member of the Conservative backbench committees on Home Affairs and Northern Ireland and chaired the Conservative backbench Constitutional Committee.

Less predictably, except to those who knew his earlier career, he took the chair in 1987 of the newly created all-party anti-apartheid group, to counter the activities of the pro-South African committee led by his Conservative colleague John Carlisle. He was critical of Margaret Thatcher for appearing to condemn sanctions more than she condemned apartheid and refused to criticise the African National Congress for resorting to violence. He backed the attempt of the Eminent Persons Group to end apartheid and subsequently urged that sanctions should be strengthened, arguing that the South Africans had no intention of changing and that they could only be induced to do so by pressure, and backed their continuance in 1990.

It was not the only issue where he was at odds with Thatcher. Stanbrook had supported entry into the EEC in 1971 and he remained a passionate European. He was critical of the use of the whips against Sir Anthony Meyer's leadership challenge and in March 1990 proclaimed that Michael Heseltine was the best alternative to Thatcher: he had "dynamism, style and a softer image". He backed Heseltine's leadership challenge in November 1990 and continued to support him in the second ballot. As a result, he faced efforts to deselect him in Orpington and these probably played some part in his decision not to fight another election.

In 1979 he had argued that the BBC should be prosecuted under the prevention-of-terrorism legislation and he remained an advocate of banning Sinn Féin and for taking a tough line with terrorists.

Although a staunch European, Stanbrook also valued the Commonwealth and never ceased to urge the need to help Africa resolve its problems. He was appalled by the thought that Europe had food surpluses while parts of Africa were wracked by famine. His support for strict control of immigration was accompanied by a rooted hostility to racism.

Served as the secretary of the Home Affairs Committee from 1974 to 1977, as its vice-chairman, 1979–82, and as the secretary, 1979–81, vice-chairman, 1981–89, and chairman, 1990–91, of the Northern Ireland Committee. He also chaired the Constitutional Committee from 1984 until he stood down from Parliament and served as chairman of the Nigerian (1979–92), Zambian (1983–92) and Zimbabwean (1983) parliamentary groups. He had founded the British-Nigeria Association in 1961.

'A man of singular energy, invariably polite and quietly spoken, he could be sharp of tongue and often found brutal phrases in which to express his strong convictions. But the private man belied the public image. Colleagues described a much more considerate, even gentle figure, revelling in books and music, pleasant and amusing. Too rebellious perhaps ever to become a minister, he nevertheless left an ineffaceable mark on the parliamentary life of his time.' John Barnes for The Independent.