Opposition Politics
His interest in European cooperation was marked by appointment as a delegate to the consultative assembly of the Council of Europe from 1952 to 1954. He was also a Governor of Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton and was Chair of the Governors in 1952. He was also a supporter of walking in the countryside (and went rambling with Hugh Dalton); he was a member of Nature Conservancy. In 1953, Chetwynd seconded a Private member's bill brought in by Samuel Viant which banned the sale of toy weapons; he argued that possession of these weapons "was a real incentive to development of the gangster mentality".
In the late 1950s Chetwynd became more concerned with economic development in his constituency. He sponsored a private member's bill in 1957 to make Stockton-on-Tees into a County borough, but was defeated by 201 to 95. He was also concerned over problems with nuclear power stations, although supportive of nuclear power and nuclear weapons generally. He opposed government spending on space research, regarding it as "an attempt to keep up with the Joneses".
Read more about this topic: George Chetwynd
Famous quotes containing the words opposition and/or politics:
“The opposition is indispensable. A good statesman, like any other sensible human being, always learns more from his opponents than from his fervent supporters. For his supporters will push him to disaster unless his opponents show him where the dangers are. So if he is wise he will often pray to be delivered from his friends, because they will ruin him. But though it hurts, he ought also to pray never to be left without opponents; for they keep him on the path of reason and good sense.”
—Walter Lippmann (1889–1974)
“In politics if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman.”
—Margaret Thatcher (b. 1925)