Background
WALKER, Harold was born on July 12, 1927. Parents: the late Harold Walker.
WALKER, Harold was born on July 12, 1927. Parents: the late Harold Walker.
Born in Audenshaw, Walker was educated at Manchester College of Technology and became a toolmaker.
He served in the Royal Navy"s Fleet Air Arm and was a lecturer for the National Council of Labour Colleges. He was a junior whip and then junior employment minister in the first Harold Wilson government, and continued being spokesman on employment in opposition, returning to the ministry in 1974. He was Minister of State at the Department of Employment 1976-1979 and he became a Privy Counsellor in 1979.
Walker left the employment brief in 1983 following that year"s general election, and became Chairman of Ways and Means & Deputy Speaker to Bernard Weatherill.
He did not, however, become Speaker when Weatherill retired in 1992, that honour instead going to Betty Boothroyd. He was knighted in 1992 and returned to the backbenches.
Walker retired in 1997 and was made a life peer as Baron Walker of Doncaster. In 1998 he became a Deputy Lieutenant of South Yorkshire and Honorary Freeman of Doncaster.
Walker died in 2003, Aged 64.
43rd United Kingdom Parliament. 44th United Kingdom Parliament. 45th United Kingdom Parliament.
46th United Kingdom Parliament.
47th United Kingdom Parliament. 48th United Kingdom Parliament.
49th United Kingdom Parliament. 50th United Kingdom Parliament.
51st United Kingdom Parliament]
Walker was elected member of Parliament for Doncaster (after 1983 Doncaster Central) at the 1964 general election.
Spouse Mary Griffin, 1984. Children: one daughter (from previous marriage).