George Wigg, Baron Wigg
George Edward Cecil Wigg, Baron Wigg PC (28 November 1900 – 11 August 1983) was a British politician who only served in relatively junior offices but had a great deal of influence behind the scenes, especially with Harold Wilson. Wigg served in the British Army for almost all his career up to his election as Member of Parliament for Dudley in 1945. He served in the Royal Tank Corps from 1919 to 1937 and returned to service in the Second World War, being commissioned into the Army Educational Corps in 1940 and serving until 1946. He was Parliamentary Private Secretary to Emanuel Shinwell during the Attlee government.
According to veteran Press Association reporter Chris Moncrieff, Wigg was unpopular with Labour MPs [1] but managed to use procedure to place the Profumo affair on the record in Parliament and led the pursuit of Profumo which ultimately resulted in the latter's resignation. Wigg also played an important part in the aftermath of the failed prosecution of suspected serial killer John Bodkin Adams by questioning in Parliament the unusual conduct of the Prosecution led by Attorney-General, Reginald Manningham-Buller.[2]
Wigg was already known for passing on gossip to Labour leader Harold Wilson, and when Labour won the 1964 election Wilson appointed Wigg as Paymaster-General. This was a cover as his real responsibilities were many and varied. He was Wilson's link to the Security Service and the Secret Intelligence Service. In November 1967, he was appointed Chairman of the Horserace Betting Levy Board (Wigg loved horse racing) and left Parliament with a life peerage as Baron Wigg, of the Borough of Dudley. His resignation for parliament sparked a by-election in the Dudley seat in early 1968, with the Conservatives winning the seat before Labour reclaimed it at the general election two years later.
He had been made a Privy Councillor in 1964.
References [edit]
- ^ Chris Moncrieff, PA (10 March 2006). "Profumo and Fleet Street | Media". London: MediaGuardian. Retrieved 2010-05-14.
- ^ Cullen, Pamela V., "A Stranger in Blood: The Case Files on Dr John Bodkin Adams", London, Elliott & Thompson, 2006, ISBN 1-904027-19-9
External links [edit]
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by George Wigg
- Catalogue of the Wigg papers at the Archives Division of the London School of Economics.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Cyril Edward Lloyd |
Member of Parliament for Dudley 1945–1967 |
Succeeded by Donald Williams |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by John Boyd-Carpenter |
Paymaster-General 1964–1967 |
Vacant
Title next held by
Lord Shackleton |
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- 1900 births
- 1983 deaths
- Labour Party (UK) MPs
- Members of the United Kingdom Parliament for English constituencies
- United Kingdom Paymasters General
- Labour Party (UK) life peers
- Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
- UK MPs 1945–1950
- UK MPs 1950–1951
- UK MPs 1951–1955
- UK MPs 1955–1959
- UK MPs 1959–1964
- UK MPs 1964–1966
- UK MPs 1966–1970
- Royal Tank Regiment soldiers
- Royal Army Educational Corps officers
- British Army personnel of World War II
- Labour MP (UK) stubs
- English politician stubs
- Peerage of the United Kingdom baron stubs
