Lord Clinton-Davis (1928-2023)

[bx...@yahoo.com]

If the saying goes "Death comes in threes," here is the third passing.

According to Wikipedia, Lord Clinton-Davis, a life peer since 1990, died on June 11, 2023.

Born Stanley Clinton Davis on December 6, 1928, Lord Clinton-Davis was aged 94.

Brooke

[S. S.]

It does make you wonder the most number of peers who have died on a particular day as well as the most common day for peers to die on overall. For the former, the Battle of Flodden in 1513 comes to mind, where (my faulty memory says) about two dozen peers died.

[S.S.]

[Peter FitzGerald]

Wikipedia lists twenty on the Scottish side (ten Earls and ten Lords of Parliament), as well as King James IV himself of course, plus an Archbishop, a Bishop, two Abbots and the Preceptor of the Knights Hospitaller. There do not appear to have been any senior losses on the English side.

I can't think of anything else that would beat that - there were some bloody battles in the Wars of the Roses (an Earl and three Barons were killed at Towton, for example, and two further Earls were executed after the battle), but I don't believe anything that came close to taking such a toll.

The answer would, of course, be very different had the Gunpowder Plot succeeded.

[gorgo...@gmail.com]

We still don't know exact death dates. Wikipedia is not reliable source. In both cases it lists as the source of information UK Parliament site, but this site doesn't have any death dates.

[bx...@yahoo.com]

It's true, I don't think many of us would swear by the information in Wikipedia.  But it is often a first source of information for a peer's death, so we know to be on the lookout for a more "official" and lengthier announcement to follow.

[Richard R]

Obit from the Telegraph of 13 June 2023 (note they say death announced 12 June 2023, so we've yet to confirm 11 June, but my view is it's probably correct):

E X T R A C T

Lord Clinton-Davis, minister under both Wilson and Blair who served as a European Commissioner – obituary

His Commons career was cut short when Hard Left activists avenged his vote for Denis Healey in the 1981 deputy leadership contest

… Stanley Clinton Davis (he hyphenated his name in 1990 on receiving a life peerage) was born in Hackney on December 6 1928; his father Sidney was a small businessman…

… He was made a life peer in 1990, and appointed Opposition transport spokesman in the Lords. He attracted more notice by resigning from the council of London Zoo, arguing that it should close before the animals suffered from its financial losses.

In 1992 he stood for the Labour leadership in the Lords, but was defeated by his fellow ex-commissioner Lord Richard. He remained a valued and conscientious front-bencher, asking particularly shrewd questions over Lord Archer’s share dealings in Anglia Television…

…Stanley Clinton Davis married Frances Lucas in 1954; they had a son and three daughters.

Lord Clinton-Davis, born December 6 1928, death announced June 12 2023

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2023/06/12/clinton-davis-mp-minister-europe-commissioner-obituary/

[Henry W]

https://www.thejc.com/news/news/obituary-lord-clinton-davis-4yTcqyea48NASgY7QdVhgL

An obituary in the Jewish Chronicle seems to confirm 11 June as the date of death.

[colinp]

The print version of the Daily Telegraph obit (today) now says 11 June as date of death

[Richard R]

Obit in the Times of 28 June 2023

E X T R A C T

Lord Clinton-Davis obituary

Waggish solicitor turned MP who gave Heseltine the name Tarzan and served as a minister under Wilson, Callaghan and Blair

…Clinton Davis, who served in the governments of Harold Wilson, James Callaghan and Tony Blair and had a spell as a European commissioner, was known for his offbeat sense of humour.

It helped to woo his future wife, Frances Lucas, then a reporter on a local newspaper, when she and the young solicitor met at the wedding of her cousin and his friend. He proposed after a week and she agreed. They married in 1954 and had a son and three daughters…

…Stanley Clinton Davis (the hyphenation was introduced after his peerage) was born in Hackney in 1928, the only child of Jewish parents Lily and Sidney, a small businessman. He was educated at Hackney Downs School, Mercers’ School and King’s College London where he graduated in law in 1950. He became a solicitor three years later and built up a successful court practice, not least in the West End, where he represented some noted political causes, including defending protesters arrested outside South Africa House. He was a founding partner of Clinton Davis & Co and became head of its Hackney branch…

…He was made a life peer in 1990, changing his surname by deed poll, and appointed opposition transport spokesman in the Lords…

Lord Clinton-Davis, politician, was born on December 6, 1928. He died on June 11, 2023, aged 94

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lord-clinton-davis-obituary-dd7mncvvn