John Silkin

This article is about the politician. For the poet, see Jon Silkin.

The Right Honourable John Silkin
Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
In office 24 November 1981 – 26 October 1984
Leader	Michael Foot Neil Kinnock
Preceded by	Brynmor John
Succeeded by	Denzil Davies
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
In office 8 December 1980 – 30 October 1983
Leader	Michael Foot
Preceded by	Michael Foot
Succeeded by	Peter Shore
Shadow Secretary of State for Industry
In office 14 July 1979 – 8 December 1980
Leader	James Callaghan
Preceded by	Eric Varley
Succeeded by	Stanley Orme
Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
In office 10 September 1976 – 4 May 1979
Prime Minister	James Callaghan
Preceded by	Fred Peart
Succeeded by	Peter Walker
Minister of State for Local Government and Planning
In office 7 March 1974 – 10 September 1976
Prime Minister	Harold Wilson James Callaghan
Preceded by	Graham Page (Local Government and Development)
Succeeded by	Office Abolished
Minister of Public Buildings and Works
In office 30 April 1969 – 19 June 1970
Prime Minister	Harold Wilson
Preceded by	Bob Mellish
Succeeded by	Julian Amery
Chief Whip of the Labour Party Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
In office 4 July 1966 – 30 April 1969
Prime Minister	Harold Wilson
Preceded by	Edward Short
Succeeded by	Bob Mellish
Treasurer of the Household
In office 11 April 1966 – 4 July 1966
Preceded by	Sydney Irving
Succeeded by	Charles Grey
Member of Parliament for Lewisham Deptford Deptford (1963–1974)
In office 4 July 1963 – 26 April 1987
Preceded by	Leslie Plummer
Succeeded by	Joan Ruddock
Personal details
Born	(1923-03-18)18 March 1923
Died
Political party	Labour
Alma mater	University of Wales Trinity Hall, Cambridge

John Ernest Silkin, PC (18 March 1923 – 26 April 1987) was an English left-wing Labour politician and solicitor.

Early life

He was the third son of Lewis Silkin, 1st Baron Silkin, and a younger brother of Samuel Silkin, Baron Silkin of Dulwich. He was educated at Dulwich College, the University of Wales and Trinity Hall at Cambridge. Silkin served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve from 1942 to 1946. He was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant in 1943, serving in the East Indies Fleet, Eastern Fleet and Pacific Fleet aboard HMS King George V and HMS Formidable, and ashore at Anderson, Ceylon (FECB). He was later promoted lieutenant. He was demobilised in 1946 and returned to Cambridge.

Silkin was admitted as a solicitor in 1950 and worked for his father's law practice in London.

Parliamentary career

He contested the seat of St Marylebone for the Labour Party at the 1950 general election, West Woolwich in 1951 and South Nottingham in 1959. He served as a councillor in the Metropolitan Borough of St Marylebone (1962–63) and was elected to the House of Commons for the first time in July 1963. He served as the Labour Member of Parliament for Deptford (1963–74) and for Lewisham, Deptford (1974–87).

He was appointed to the Privy Council in 1966. He served as a Government Chief Whip (1966–69) and as the deputy leader of the House of Commons (1968–69). He was appointed as the Minister of Public Buildings and Works (1969–70) and the Minister for Planning and Local Government in the Department for the Environment (1974–76). He served as the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1976–79).

In opposition, Silkin was an unsuccessful candidate in the 1980 Labour leadership election following the resignation of James Callaghan and in the deputy leadership election in 1981. He served as Opposition Spokesman on Industry (1979–80), Shadow Leader of the House of Commons (1980–83), Shadow Defence Secretary (1981–83) and the Dairy Industry Arbitrator (1986–87).

Family

He was married to the actress Rosamund John from 1950 until his early death in 1987. Their son Rory L. F. Silkin was born in 1954.

Silkin's publication Changing Battlefields: The Challenge to the Labour Party appeared posthumously. His papers were given to the Churchill Archives Centre by his widow in February 1990. These cover his Parliamentary and Ministerial career, as well as his other public interests, such as the Channel Tunnel, the European Economic Community and the dairy industry. There is material of particular interest concerning his relationship with his Constituency Labour Party in Deptford and on the Labour Party Leadership and Deputy Leadership Elections in 1980 and 1981.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by John Silkin
• Silkin's papers, from the Library of the University of Cambridge
• https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=7_2TA7ptsvYC&pg=PT114&dq=John+Silkin+left-wing&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CFAQ6AEwCGoVChMIlZKY2quayAIVhzgaCh1OIAMo#v=onepage&q=John%20Silkin%20left-wing&f=false

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Leslie Plummer	Member of Parliament for Deptford 1963–1974	Constituency abolished
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Lewisham Deptford 1974–1987	Succeeded by Joan Ruddock
Political offices
Preceded by Sydney Irving	Labour Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Commons 1966	Succeeded by Charles Grey
	Treasurer of the Household 1966
Preceded by Edward Short	Chief Whip of the Labour Party 1966–1969	Succeeded by Bob Mellish
	Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury 1966–1969
Preceded by Bob Mellish	Minister of State for Public Buildings and Works 1969–1970	Succeeded by Julian Amery
Preceded by Graham Page as Minister of State for Local Government and Development	Minister of State for Local Government and Planning 1974–1976	Position abolished
Preceded by Fred Peart	Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1976–1979	Succeeded by Peter Walker