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Harcourt Johnstone

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316: 298: 45: 532:. After 1935, again out of Parliament, he gave close support to Sinclair and, despite the animosities of earlier years, endorsed Sinclair's attempts to reunite the Liberal party with the Lloyd George family group of MPs. Despite temptations to defect from the party during these years – and plenty did – he remained a constant Liberal. 512:, who was Liberal leader from 1935 to 1945. He was a key figure in the Liberal Party Organisation between the two World Wars and was Secretary of the influential Liberal Candidates Association. He was a leading supporter of 535:
Johnstone's unexpected return to government and Parliament in 1940 came about mainly as a result of his closeness to Sinclair and his friendship with Churchill. Johnstone had been a member and one-time co-secretary with
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said that Harcourt "dug his own grave with his teeth". He was known as a lover of books, furniture and pictures, being good fun and good company and not being a great exponent of taking exercise.
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which was held on 3 March 1923. Johnstone was again chosen to contest the seat for the Liberals and won by a majority of 5,176 votes over the Conservative
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in 1943. By common consent he was an effective minister. He is to date the last MP for South Shields to have represented any party other than
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Aged only 49, Johnstone died suddenly in March 1945 at Westminster Hospital of a cerebral stroke. A memorial service was held for him at the
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decided to appoint him to the government as Secretary to the Department of Overseas Trade. Two months later the Liberal constituency of
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Although little known today, Johnstone was the most prominent Liberal member of the wartime coalition government after Sir
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after 1931 he remained a faithful member of the Samuelite Liberals, always supporting the traditional policy of
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Reynolds, Jaime & Hunter, Ian. 'Crinks' Johnstone, Journal of Liberal History, Issue no.26, Spring 2000
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in 1911. This fitted with Johnstone's reputation for enjoying the good life. In his diaries, "Chips", Sir
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since the early 1930s. The Other Club was a political dining club founded by Churchill and
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and used a lot of his own personal wealth to support the ailing Liberal party. During the
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on 7 August 1940 unopposed under the terms of the wartime electoral truce. He was made a
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Military personnel from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
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Politicians from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
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C.R.Coote. The Other Club (Chapter Eminent Unknowns), 1971
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Johnstone was born in London in 1895, the son of the Hon.
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Ministers in the Churchill wartime government, 1940–1945
356:(19 May 1895 – 1 March 1945), nicknamed 605:; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow, 1949 p277 877:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom 872:Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies 710:contributions in Parliament by Harcourt Johnstone 838: 603:British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949 564:on 13 March attended by the prime minister and 416:Drawn to politics, he unsuccessfully contested 460:, where he lost by just 149 votes. He fought 448:. He then tried and failed to return to the 376:, a British diplomat, and his American wife 367: 121:27 October 1931 – 25 October 1935 43: 388:. His paternal grandfather was the first 408:and on the staff in France and Belgium. 576:amongst prominent government mourners. 839: 468:again losing narrowly. However at the 166:3 March 1923 – 9 October 1924 867:British Army personnel of World War I 392:. Harcourt Johnstone was educated at 74:7 August 1940 – 1 March 1945 444:, only to lose it to Stanley at the 562:Church of St. Margaret, Westminster 484:became vacant when the sitting MP, 13: 684: 14: 933: 862:Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford 697: 440:. Johnstone held the seat in the 719:Parliament of the United Kingdom 314: 296: 887:People educated at Eton College 671: 662: 659:Jo Grimond, Memoirs 1979(p.69) 653: 644: 635: 626: 617: 608: 595: 586: 1: 677:The Times, 14 March 1945 here 579: 432:, resigned in 1923 causing a 572:(deputy prime minister) and 7: 503: 411: 10: 938: 452:at by-elections: first at 825: 806: 798: 788: 769: 761: 751: 732: 724: 717: 347: 337: 327: 309: 291: 286: 274: 257: 247: 230: 203: 198: 194: 182: 170: 159: 147: 137: 125: 114: 102: 90: 78: 67: 55: 51: 42: 23: 728:Sir Harry Mallaby-Deeley 650:The Times, 8 August 1940 555: 516:in the party split with 438:George Frederick Stanley 422:general election of 1922 420:for the Liberals at the 368:Early life and education 668:The Times, 1 March 1945 641:The Times, 18 July 1940 486:Frank Kingsley Griffith 398:Balliol College, Oxford 386:William Ewart Gladstone 382:William Vernon Harcourt 281:Balliol College, Oxford 917:People from Kensington 897:Rifle Brigade officers 632:The Times, 16 May 1940 424:. However the sitting 592:Coote, The Other Club 470:1931 general election 466:1929 general election 464:a second time at the 446:1924 general election 442:1923 general election 809:Member of Parliament 802:F. Kingsley Griffith 772:Member of Parliament 735:Member of Parliament 566:Clementine Churchill 177:Harry Mallaby-Deeley 149:Member of Parliament 104:Member of Parliament 85:F. Kingsley Griffith 57:Member of Parliament 26:The Right Honourable 522:National Government 813:Middlesbrough West 518:David Lloyd George 482:Middlesbrough West 454:Eastbourne in 1925 430:H M Mallaby-Deeley 378:Antoinette Pinchot 374:Sir Alan Johnstone 354:Harcourt Johnstone 265:Sir Alan Johnstone 62:Middlesbrough West 30:Harcourt Johnstone 16:British politician 835: 834: 826:Succeeded by 789:Succeeded by 752:Succeeded by 478:Winston Churchill 404:he served in the 351: 350: 243:, London, England 929: 912:UK MPs 1935–1945 907:UK MPs 1931–1935 902:UK MPs 1923–1924 799:Preceded by 762:Preceded by 725:Preceded by 715: 714: 678: 675: 669: 666: 660: 657: 651: 648: 642: 639: 633: 630: 624: 621: 615: 612: 606: 599: 593: 590: 494:Privy Councillor 458:Westbury in 1927 450:House of Commons 360:, was a British 320: 318: 317: 302: 300: 299: 287:Military service 237: 213: 211: 199:Personal details 185: 173: 164: 143:James Chuter Ede 140: 132:James Chuter Ede 128: 119: 93: 81: 72: 47: 37: 21: 20: 937: 936: 932: 931: 930: 928: 927: 926: 837: 836: 831: 816: 804: 794: 779: 767: 757: 742: 730: 700: 687: 685:Further reading 682: 681: 676: 672: 667: 663: 658: 654: 649: 645: 640: 636: 631: 627: 623:Craig, page 499 622: 618: 614:Craig, page 480 613: 609: 600: 596: 591: 587: 582: 558: 538:Brendan Bracken 510:Archie Sinclair 506: 414: 402:First World War 370: 342:First World War 315: 313: 297: 295: 270: 248:Political party 239: 235: 215: 209: 207: 183: 171: 165: 160: 151: 138: 126: 120: 115: 106: 91: 79: 73: 68: 59: 38: 33: 31: 28: 17: 12: 11: 5: 935: 925: 924: 919: 914: 909: 904: 899: 894: 892:Pinchot family 889: 884: 879: 874: 869: 864: 859: 854: 849: 833: 832: 827: 824: 805: 800: 796: 795: 790: 787: 768: 763: 759: 758: 755:George Stanley 753: 750: 739:Willesden East 731: 726: 722: 721: 713: 712: 699: 698:External links 696: 695: 694: 691: 686: 683: 680: 679: 670: 661: 652: 643: 634: 625: 616: 607: 594: 584: 583: 581: 578: 570:Clement Attlee 557: 554: 505: 502: 418:Willesden East 413: 410: 369: 366: 349: 348: 345: 344: 339: 335: 334: 329: 325: 324: 311: 310:Branch/service 307: 306: 304:United Kingdom 293: 289: 288: 284: 283: 278: 272: 271: 269: 268: 261: 259: 255: 254: 249: 245: 244: 238:(aged 49) 232: 228: 227: 205: 201: 200: 196: 195: 192: 191: 189:George Stanley 186: 180: 179: 174: 168: 167: 157: 156: 154:Willesden East 145: 144: 141: 135: 134: 129: 123: 122: 112: 111: 100: 99: 94: 88: 87: 82: 76: 75: 65: 64: 53: 52: 49: 48: 40: 39: 32: 29: 24: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 934: 923: 920: 918: 915: 913: 910: 908: 905: 903: 900: 898: 895: 893: 890: 888: 885: 883: 880: 878: 875: 873: 870: 868: 865: 863: 860: 858: 855: 853: 850: 848: 845: 844: 842: 830: 823: 819: 815: 814: 810: 803: 797: 793: 786: 782: 778: 777: 776:South Shields 773: 766: 760: 756: 749: 745: 741: 740: 736: 729: 723: 720: 716: 711: 707: 706: 702: 701: 692: 689: 688: 674: 665: 656: 647: 638: 629: 620: 611: 604: 601:F W S Craig, 598: 589: 585: 577: 575: 571: 567: 563: 553: 551: 550:Henry Channon 547: 543: 539: 533: 531: 530:protectionism 527: 523: 519: 515: 514:H. H. Asquith 511: 501: 499: 495: 491: 487: 483: 479: 475: 474:South Shields 472:he got in at 471: 467: 463: 459: 456:and later at 455: 451: 447: 443: 439: 435: 431: 427: 423: 419: 409: 407: 406:Rifle Brigade 403: 399: 395: 391: 390:Baron Derwent 387: 383: 379: 375: 365: 363: 362:Liberal Party 359: 355: 346: 343: 340: 336: 333: 332:Rifle Brigade 330: 326: 323: 312: 308: 305: 294: 290: 285: 282: 279: 277: 273: 266: 263: 262: 260: 256: 253: 250: 246: 242: 233: 229: 226: 222: 218: 206: 202: 197: 193: 190: 187: 181: 178: 175: 169: 163: 158: 155: 150: 146: 142: 136: 133: 130: 124: 118: 113: 110: 109:South Shields 105: 101: 98: 95: 89: 86: 83: 77: 71: 66: 63: 58: 54: 50: 46: 41: 36: 27: 22: 19: 807: 770: 733: 703: 673: 664: 655: 646: 637: 628: 619: 610: 602: 597: 588: 574:Anthony Eden 559: 534: 507: 415: 394:Eton College 371: 364:politician. 357: 353: 352: 338:Battles/wars 322:British Army 236:(1945-03-01) 234:1 March 1945 184:Succeeded by 161: 139:Succeeded by 116: 92:Succeeded by 69: 18: 852:1945 deaths 847:1895 births 829:Don Bennett 708:1803–2005: 546:F. E. Smith 490:by-election 434:by-election 241:Westminster 214:19 May 1895 172:Preceded by 127:Preceded by 97:Don Bennett 80:Preceded by 841:Categories 792:Chuter Ede 765:Chuter Ede 580:References 542:Other Club 526:Free Trade 292:Allegiance 276:Alma mater 217:Kensington 210:1895-05-19 400:. In the 162:In office 117:In office 70:In office 528:against 504:Minister 462:Westbury 428:MP, Sir 412:Politics 267:(father) 705:Hansard 540:of the 396:and at 252:Liberal 225:England 498:Labour 358:Crinks 319:  301:  258:Parent 221:London 556:Death 822:1945 818:1940 811:for 785:1935 781:1931 774:for 748:1924 744:1923 737:for 426:Tory 328:Unit 231:Died 204:Born 152:for 107:for 60:for 843:: 568:, 500:. 223:, 219:, 35:MP 820:– 783:– 746:– 212:) 208:(

Index

The Right Honourable
MP

Member of Parliament
Middlesbrough West
F. Kingsley Griffith
Don Bennett
Member of Parliament
South Shields
James Chuter Ede
Member of Parliament
Willesden East
Harry Mallaby-Deeley
George Stanley
Kensington
London
England
Westminster
Liberal
Sir Alan Johnstone
Alma mater
Balliol College, Oxford
United Kingdom
British Army
Rifle Brigade
First World War
Liberal Party
Sir Alan Johnstone
Antoinette Pinchot
William Vernon Harcourt

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