David Waddington

The Right Honourable The Lord Waddington GCVO PC QC DL
Governor of Bermuda
In office 11 April 1992 – 2 May 1997
Premier	John Swan David Saul Pamela Gordon
Preceded by	Desmond Langley
Succeeded by	Thorold Masefield
Leader of the House of Lords Lord Privy Seal
In office 28 November 1990 – 11 April 1992
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	The Lord Belstead
Succeeded by	The Lord Wakeham
Home Secretary
In office 26 October 1989 – 28 November 1990
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	Douglas Hurd
Succeeded by	Kenneth Baker
Chief Whip of the Conservative Party Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
In office 13 June 1987 – 24 July 1989
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	John Wakeham
Succeeded by	Tim Renton
Member of Parliament for Ribble Valley
In office 9 June 1983 – 28 November 1990
Preceded by	Constituency Created
Succeeded by	Michael Carr
Member of Parliament for Clitheroe
In office 1 March 1979 – 9 June 1983
Preceded by	David Walder
Succeeded by	Constituency Abolished
Member of Parliament for Nelson and Colne
In office 27 June 1968 – 10 October 1974
Preceded by	Sydney Silverman
Succeeded by	Doug Hoyle
Member of the House of Lords
In office 4 December 1990 – 26 March 2015
Personal details
Born	(1929-08-02) 2 August 1929 Burnley, Lancashire, England
Political party	Conservative
Alma mater	Hertford College, Oxford Gray's Inn

David Charles Waddington, Baron Waddington GCVO PC QC DL (born 2 August 1929), is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons from 1968 to 1990, and was then made a life peer. He was the government Chief Whip from 1987 to 1989, and served in the Cabinet as Home Secretary from 1989 to 1990 and Leader of the House of Lords from 1990 to 1992. He then served as the Governor of Bermuda from 1992 to 1997.

Early life

Waddington was born in Burnley, Lancashire, and educated at two independent schools in North West England: Cressbrook School in Kirkby Lonsdale (formerly in Westmorland, since 1974 in Cumbria) and Sedbergh School (formerly in the West Riding of Yorkshire and also now, since 1974, in Cumbria). He then went to Hertford College, Oxford, where he became President of the Oxford University Conservative Association and was called to the Bar at Gray's Inn in 1951.

Stefan Kiszko trial

In 1976 Waddington led the defence in the trial of Stefan Kiszko, a case that would become one of the most notorious miscarriages of justice in recent years. The British tax clerk from Rochdale, who was convicted of the murder of 12-year-old Lesley Molseed, would go on to serve 16 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. It is alleged this was because Kiszko's defence team made significant mistakes. Firstly, they did not seek an adjournment when the Crown delivered thousands of pages of additional unused material on the first morning of the trial. Waddington recalls, "the unused material did not include the results of tests on Mr Kiszko's semen which were then in the hands of the Police and showed that Mr Kiszko was not the murderer." Secondly, it has also been alleged that, in court, Waddington maintained the defence of diminished responsibility which Kiszko had never authorised. Waddington states that this assertion runs counter to what Kiszko's new counsel told the Court of Appeal. Sedley (later Lord Justice Sedley) said that "I am now completely satisfied that advice had been given to Mr Kiszko and his authority properly obtained." Kiszko was finally released in 1992 after the Court of Appeal was told forensic evidence showed that he could not have been the murderer. The Court of Appeal was told that Kiszko was incapable of producing the sperm found on the girl's clothing, evidence to this effect being available at the time of the trial but not disclosed to the defence. Coincidentally, Kiszko's appeal was first lodged on the day Waddington was announced as the new Home Secretary in 1989.

Political career

Waddington stood several times for election before finding success. He fought Farnworth at the 1955 general election, Nelson and Colne constituency in 1964, and Heywood and Royton in 1966.

He was first elected to Parliament in 1968 at a by-election in Nelson and Colne caused by the death of Labour MP Sydney Silverman. He was re-elected in 1970 and in February 1974, but lost his seat at the October 1974 general election by a margin of 669 votes to Labour's Doug Hoyle.

He was returned to Parliament for Clitheroe at the by-election in March 1979, and was subsequently elected for the broadly-similar Ribble Valley constituency in 1983.

In government

A junior minister under Margaret Thatcher, Waddington was a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury and Government Whip (1979–81), Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department of Employment (1981–83), Minister of State at the Home Office (1983–87) and Chief Whip from 1987 until his elevation to Cabinet level, becoming Home Secretary in 1989.

Life peer

On 4 December 1990 he was created a life peer as Baron Waddington, of Read in the County of Lancashire. He served as Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords until 1992. He served as Governor of Bermuda 1992–1997.

In 1994 Lord Waddington was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO).

In 2008 his amendment to the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill, known as the Waddington Amendment, inserted a freedom of speech clause into new anti-homophobic hate crime legislation. In 2009 the Government failed to repeal the Waddington Amendment in the Coroners and Justice Bill.

On 26 March 2015 Lord Waddington retired from the House of Lords pursuant to section 1 of the House of Lords Reform Act 2014.

Personal life

Lord Waddington is currently Chairman of the European Reform Forum. He lived in Sabden for many years.

Arms

Coat of arms of David Waddington

Coronet A Coronet of a Baron Crest An Arm embowed vested Azure, issuing from the Sleeve of a Silk Gown Sable, the Hand proper, holding a Wreath of four Roses Gules, barbed and seeded proper, enfiled by a Sword point upwards Argent, Hilt Pommel and Quillons Or. Escutcheon Ermine, on a Cross Azure, between four Roses Gules, barbed and seeded proper, a Lion's Head guardant Or, langued Gules. Supporters Dexter: A Lion in trian aspect; Sinister: a Griffin, both Or, armed and langued Gules, gorged with a Bar dancetty Ermine, edged Azure, each statant erect amid Reeds growing from a Grassy Mount proper. Motto Deus Noster Refugium Et Virtus (God is our refuge and courage)

External links

• Profile on Parliament website
• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by David Waddington