Member of Parliament Keith Joseph

1 member of parliament

1.1 in government
1.2 social services
1.3 trade spokesman
1.4 1974
1.5 thatcher
1.6 secretary of state education , science
1.7 backbenches, retirement , peerage
1.8 30-year rule , official documents
1.9 legacy

member of parliament

he failed elected marginal seat of baron s court in west london 125 votes in 1955 election.

he elected parliament in by-election leeds north east in february 1956. swiftly appointed parliamentary private secretary.

in government

after 1959, joseph had several junior posts in macmillan government @ ministry of housing , board of trade. in night of long knives reshuffle of 13 july 1962 made minister housing , local government, cabinet position. introduced massive programme build council housing, aimed @ 400,000 new homes per year 1965. wished increase proportion of owner-occupied households, offering mortgage deposits. housing important issue @ 1964 election , joseph felt have done on television in campaign.

social services

in opposition, joseph spokesman on social services, , on labour under edward heath. 1 of twelve founder members of ncswd, national council single woman , dependants on 15 december 1965. according tim cook in book history of carers movement, , sally oppenheim critical in raising funds carnegie trust , other organisations, enabled carers movement succeed , thrive through formative years.

trade spokesman

despite joseph s reputation right-winger, heath promoted him trade spokesman in 1967, had important role in policy development. in run-up 1970 election joseph made series of speeches under title civilised capitalism , in outlined political philosophy , hinted of cuts in public spending. @ selsdon park hotel meeting, conservative party largely adopted approach.

after conservatives won election, joseph made secretary of state social services, put him in charge of largest bureaucracy of government department kept him out of control of economics. despite speeches against bureaucracy, joseph found himself compelled add increased , improved services in national health service. however, grew increasingly opposed heath government s economic strategy, had seen u-turn in favour of intervention in industry in 1972.

1974

following 1974 election defeat, joseph worked margaret thatcher set centre policy studies, think-tank develop policies new free-market conservatism both favoured. joseph became interested in economic theory of monetarism formulated milton friedman, , earlier enoch powell, , persuaded mrs thatcher support it.

despite still being member of heath s shadow cabinet, joseph openly critical of government s record. joseph delivered famous stockton lecture on economy monetarism not enough, contrasted wealth-producing sectors in economy such manufacturing service sector , government, tend wealth-consuming. contended economy begins decline wealth-producing sector shrinks.

many on right-wing of conservative party looked joseph challenge heath leadership, joseph s chances of damaged controversial speech on 19 october 1974. covering variety of social conservative topics, while drawing on article written arthur wynn , wife had been published child poverty action group.

the notion of cycle of deprivation holding down poor people basis of speech. linked current theories of culture of poverty, chaotic lifestyle of poorest people. suggested poor people should stop having many children. in highly publicised speech @ edgbaston, reflected on moral , spiritual state of britain:

“a high , rising proportion of children being born mothers least fitted bring children world.... of low intelligence, of low educational attainment. unlikely able give children stable emotional background, consistent combination of love , firmness…. producing problem children…. balance of our human stock, threatened….”

the response outrage despite repeated apologies sharply undercut joseph s campaign replace heath party leader. speech largely written alfred sherman controversial sentence inserted joseph himself.

thatcher

joseph withdrew contest against heath, , endorsed thatcher. had been eager run had backed joseph. became major advisor. thatcher later referred joseph closest political friend , both moved sharply right. overnight conversion free-market, small-government policies had force of religious conversion. in 1975, explained:

in april 1974 converted conservatism. (i had thought conservative see not 1 @ all.)

this remark expressed joseph s sense of failure during multiple conservative governments had automatically followed post-war consensus of welfare state strong labour unions. policies stabilise economy retained government control on industries , creating intricate system control wages , dividends. in eyes of thatcher , joseph, pragmatic approach contrary true conservative ideology. had done great deal promote thatcher, when won leadership in 1975 determined put him in position facilitate profound influence on conservative party policy.

in thatcher s shadow cabinet, joseph wanted shadow chancellor of exchequer, after notorious 1974 speech impossible. instead given overall responsibility policy , research. had large impact on conservative manifesto 1979 election, although compromise had reached heath s more moderate supporters such james prior. thatcher named him secretary of state industry. began prepare many nationalised industries privatisation bringing in private sector managers such ian macgregor, still forced give large subsidies industries making losses.

secretary of state education , science

as thatcher s secretary of state education , science 1981 started ball rolling gcses, , establishment of national curriculum in england , wales. mark carlisle, predecessor in new conservative government of 1979 had cancelled plans of shirley williams, second-last predecessor, merge o levels , cses, achieved during time. although not responsibility of central government, insisted on approving individual subject syllabuses before gcse system introduced.

his attempts reform teachers pay , bring in new contracts opposed trade unions, leading series of one-day strikes.

in 1984 public spending negotiations treasury colleagues resulted in proposed plan research funding universities financed through curtailment of financial support students dependent children of more affluent parents. plan provoked heated opposition fellow members of cabinet (in particular cecil parkinson) , compromise plan found necessary secure consensus. involved abandonment of joseph s plan levy tuition fees, while preserving aspiration abolish minimum grant. resulting loss research funding halved concession of further revenue treasury team.

anthony gilberthorpe named joseph in dossier of alleged abusers of young boys sent prime minister margaret thatcher in 1983.

joseph 1 of tory ministers survive ira terrorist blast @ grand hotel while attending conservative party conference @ brighton in 1984.

in 1985 published white paper on university sector, development of higher education 1990s, advocated appraisal system assess relative quality of research, , foresaw retrenchment in size of higher education sector. both proposals highly controversial.

backbenches, retirement , peerage

joseph stepped down cabinet in 1986, , retired parliament @ 1987 election. appointed order of companions of honour in 1986.

he received life peerage in dissolution honours, being created baron joseph, of portsoken in city of london on 12 october 1987.

30-year rule , official documents

at end of 2011, release of confidential documents under uk government s 30-year rule revealed joseph s thoughts regarding liverpool riots. in response michael heseltine s regeneration proposal, joseph suggested there should managed rundown of merseyside instead. later, private secretary asked minutes of meeting amended remove reference explicit economic regeneration joseph believed “it no means clear such strategy lead viable economic entity”.

legacy

joseph s political achievement in pioneering application of monetarist economics british political economics, , in developing later become known thatcherism . knew own limitations, remarking of prospect of becoming leader of conservative party have been disaster party, country, , me , , rated himself failure in office.

his political philosophy speeches, led being nicknamed mad monk , ridiculed @ time profoundly influential within conservative party , in practice set tone politics in 1980s.