Edmund Dell

The Rt. Hon. Edmund Emanuel Dell (August 15 1921 - October 28 1999) was a British politician and businessman.

Related Topics:
August 15 - 1921 - October 28 - 1999 - British

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Dell was born in London, the son of a Jewish manufacturer. In World War II, he served in the Rifle Corps and the Royal Artillery, leaving as a first lieutenant. He studied at Queen's College, Oxford where he was a Communist, graduating with first class honours in modern history in 1947.

Related Topics:
World War II - Rifle Corps - Royal Artillery - Queen's College, Oxford

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In 1953 Dell was elected to Manchester city council and served for seven years. He stood unsuccessfully for Parliament in 1955 in Middleton and Prestwich.

Related Topics:
Manchester - Middleton - Prestwich

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He served as Labour Member of Parliament for Birkenhead from 1964-79. He served as parliamentary private secretary to Jack Diamond, then parliamentary secretary for technology under Tony Benn in 1966 and under secretary in economic affairs under Peter Shore in 1967. In 1968 he was promoted to minister of state for trade. Switched to employment in 1969, he was made a privy councillor in 1970.

Related Topics:
Labour - Member of Parliament - Birkenhead - Jack Diamond - Tony Benn - Peter Shore - 1970

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When Wilson returned to Downing Street, Dell became Paymaster General, then Secretary of State for Trade and President of the Board of Trade in James Callaghan's government 1976-78. He was tipped to become Chancellor of the Exchequer but resigned his seat, annoyed by the drift of the Labour Party to a left-wing, anti-European position. He later joined the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Democrats. He was a trustee of both parties and was one of the SDP's three negotiators during its merger with the Liberal Party.

Related Topics:
Downing Street - Paymaster General - Secretary of State for Trade and President of the Board of Trade - Chancellor of the Exchequer - Social Democratic Party - Liberal Democrats - Liberal Party

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After Parliament he had a career in business as chairman of Guinness Peat and Channel 4 and as a director of Shell Trading. In 1991-2 he was president of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In 1996, he wrote The Chancellors: A History Of Chancellors Of The Exchequer 1945-90.

Related Topics:
Channel 4 - Chamber of Commerce and Industry - 1996

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Dell was married to Susan Gottschalk for 36 years.

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