Reginald Ernest Prentice

July 16, 1923 (age 77)

Croydon, London

He was the most senior Labour figure ever to defect to the Conservative party. He served in Austria and Italy during the Second World War. He joined the staff of the Transport and General Workers Union (Transport and General Workers' Union) in 1950. Prentice was a councillor for Whitehorse Manor in the then-County Borough of Croydon from 1949, having stood unsuccessfully in Thornton Heath ward in 1947. He served on the Housing, Libraries, Planning & Development, Water and Reconstruction Committees. He first stood, unsuccessfully, for parliament in Croydon North in 1950 and 1951, then Streatham in 1955. When Labour regained power, he was Secretary of State for Education and Science between 1974 and 1975, subsequently becoming Minister for Overseas Development with a seat in the cabinet until 1976. In 1976, he was deselected by his Constituency Labour Party. He appealed unsuccessfully for the National Executive Committee to overturn their endorsement of his deselection from the rostrum of the Labour Party Conference. In 1977, Prentice left the Labour Party after a series of battles with left-wing constituency activists such as Owen Ashworth and joined the Conservative Party. Lady Hesketh was instrumental in him standing for Daventry. He was a Minister of State at the Department of Health and Social Security in Margaret Thatcher"s government between 1979 and 1981. He left the government owing to ill health. He was knighted in 1987, the year he stepped down as an Member of Parliament. On 30 January 1992, he was created Life Peer as Baron Prentice, of Daventry in the County of Northamptonshire. In the last few years before his death at age 77, he was President of the Devizes Conservative Association. He died in Mildenhall, Wiltshire. Catalogue of the Prentice papers at the Division of the London School of Economics.

Reginald Ernest Prentice

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Background

Regional Prentice was born in Croydon, London, and educated at Whitgift School in South Croydon, then at the London School of Economics.

Education

London School of Economics.

Career

He was the most senior Labour figure ever to defect to the Conservative party. He served in Austria and Italy during the Second World War. He joined the staff of the Transport and General Workers Union (Transport and General Workers' Union) in 1950.

Prentice was a councillor for Whitehorse Manor in the then-County Borough of Croydon from 1949, having stood unsuccessfully in Thornton Heath ward in 1947.

He served on the Housing, Libraries, Planning & Development, Water and Reconstruction Committees. He first stood, unsuccessfully, for parliament in Croydon North in 1950 and 1951, then Streatham in 1955.

When Labour regained power, he was Secretary of State for Education and Science between 1974 and 1975, subsequently becoming Minister for Overseas Development with a seat in the cabinet until 1976. In 1976, he was deselected by his Constituency Labour Party.

He appealed unsuccessfully for the National Executive Committee to overturn their endorsement of his deselection from the rostrum of the Labour Party Conference.

In 1977, Prentice left the Labour Party after a series of battles with left-wing constituency activists such as Owen Ashworth and joined the Conservative Party. Lady Hesketh was instrumental in him standing for Daventry. He was a Minister of State at the Department of Health and Social Security in Margaret Thatcher"s government between 1979 and 1981.

He left the government owing to ill health.

He was knighted in 1987, the year he stepped down as an Member of Parliament. On 30 January 1992, he was created Life Peer as Baron Prentice, of Daventry in the County of Northamptonshire. In the last few years before his death at age 77, he was President of the Devizes Conservative Association.

He died in Mildenhall, Wiltshire. Catalogue of the Prentice papers at the Division of the London School of Economics.

Politics

Conservative Party, Labour Party.

Membership

41st United Kingdom Parliament. 42nd United Kingdom Parliament. 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]

As Labour Member of Parliament from 1957 for East Ham North, later Newham North East, he was a minister of state in Harold Wilson"s first government at Education and Science (1964–1966), then as Minister of Public Buildings and Works (1966–1967), and finally was put in charge of the still-new Ministry of Overseas Development (1967–1969).

He was elected as a Conservative Member of Parliament for Daventry in the 1979 general election.

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Reginald Ernest Prentice

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