John Silkin

This article is about the politician. For the poet, see Jon Silkin.

The Right Honourable John Silkin MP
Silkin in 1979
Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
In office 24 November 1981 – 26 October 1984
Leader	Michael Foot Neil Kinnock
Preceded by	Brynmor John
Succeeded by	Denzil Davies
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
In office 8 December 1980 – 30 October 1983
Leader	Michael Foot
Preceded by	Michael Foot
Succeeded by	Peter Shore
Shadow Secretary of State for Industry
In office 14 July 1979 – 8 December 1980
Leader	Jim Callaghan
Preceded by	Eric Varley
Succeeded by	Stanley Orme
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
In office 10 September 1976 – 4 May 1979
Prime Minister	Jim Callaghan
Preceded by	Fred Peart
Succeeded by	Peter Walker
Minister of State for Local Government and Planning
In office 7 March 1974 – 10 September 1976
Prime Minister	Harold Wilson Jim Callaghan
Preceded by	Graham Page (Local Government and Development)
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Services
In office 24 March 1972 – 5 March 1974
Leader	Harold Wilson
Preceded by	Barbara Castle
Succeeded by	Keith Joseph
Minister of Public Buildings and Works
In office 30 April 1969 – 19 June 1970
Prime Minister	Harold Wilson
Preceded by	Bob Mellish
Succeeded by	Julian Amery
Government Chief Whip in the House of Commons Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
In office 4 July 1966 – 30 April 1969
Prime Minister	Harold Wilson
Preceded by	Edward Short
Succeeded by	Bob Mellish
Treasurer of the Household
In office 11 April 1966 – 4 July 1966
Prime Minister	Harold Wilson
Preceded by	Sydney Irving
Succeeded by	Charles Grey
Member of Parliament for Lewisham Deptford Deptford (1963–1974)
In office 4 July 1963 – 26 April 1987
Preceded by	Leslie Plummer
Succeeded by	Joan Ruddock
Personal details
Born	(1923-03-18)18 March 1923 London, England
Died	26 April 1987(1987-04-26) (aged 64) London, England
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Rosamund John ​ (m. 1950)​
Alma mater	University of Wales Trinity Hall, Cambridge

John Ernest Silkin (18 March 1923 – 26 April 1987) was a British left-wing Labour politician and solicitor.

Early life

He was the third son of Lewis Silkin, 1st Baron Silkin, and a younger brother of Samuel Silkin, Baron Silkin of Dulwich. He was educated at Dulwich College, the University of Wales and Trinity Hall, Cambridge. Silkin served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve from 1942 to 1946. He was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant in 1943, serving in the East Indies Fleet, Eastern Fleet and Pacific Fleet aboard HMS King George V and HMS Formidable, and ashore at Anderson, Ceylon (FECB). He was later promoted lieutenant. He was demobilised in 1946 and returned to Cambridge.

Silkin was admitted as a solicitor in 1950 and worked for his father's law practice in London.

Parliamentary career

He contested the seat of St Marylebone for the Labour Party at the 1950 general election, West Woolwich in 1951 and South Nottingham in 1959. He served as a councillor in the Metropolitan Borough of St Marylebone (1962–1963) and was elected to the House of Commons for the first time in July 1963. He served as the Labour Member of Parliament for Deptford (1963–1974) and for Lewisham, Deptford (1974–1987).

He was appointed to the Privy Council in 1966. He served as a Government Chief Whip (1966–1969) and as the deputy leader of the House of Commons (1968–1969). He was appointed as the Minister of Public Buildings and Works (1969–1970) and the Minister for Planning and Local Government in the Department for the Environment (1974–1976). He served as the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1976–79).

In opposition, Silkin was an unsuccessful candidate in the 1980 Labour leadership election following the resignation of James Callaghan, losing to Michael Foot, and in the deputy leadership election in 1981, losing to incumbent Denis Healey. He served as Opposition Spokesman on Industry (1979–1980), Shadow Leader of the House of Commons (1980–1983), Shadow Defence Secretary (1981–1983) and the Dairy Industry Arbitrator (1986–1987).

Silkin's publication Changing Battlefields: The Challenge to the Labour Party appeared posthumously. His widow gave his papers to the Churchill Archives Centre in February 1990. These cover his parliamentary and ministerial career, as well as his other public interests, such as the Channel Tunnel, the European Economic Community and the dairy industry. There is material of particular interest concerning his relationship with his Constituency Labour Party in Deptford and on the Labour Party's 1980 leadership and 1981 deputy leadership elections.

Family

He was married to the actress Rosamund John from 1950 until his death in 1987. Their son Rory L. F. Silkin was born in 1954. Rory has a daughter called Natasha Silkin, who also works in politics for Hanover Communications.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by John Silkin
• The Papers of John Ernest Silkin held at Churchill Archives Centre