Doug Hoyle Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Right Honourable
The Lord Hoyle
Primeminister:Tony Blair
Term Start:8 May 1997
Term End:9 April 1999
Predecessor:The Earl of Courtown
Successor:The Lord Burlison
Office1:Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party
Term Start1:18 July 1992
Term End1:3 May 1997
Predecessor1:Stan Orme
Successor1:Clive Soley
Term Start2:14 May 1997
Term End2:25 July 2023
Life peerage
Parliament3:United Kingdom
Constituency Mp3:Warrington North
Prior Term3:Warrington (1981–1983)
Term Start3:16 July 1981
Term End3:8 April 1997
Predecessor3:Thomas Williams
Successor3:Helen Jones
Constituency Mp4:Nelson and Colne
Term Start4:10 October 1974
Term End4:7 April 1979
Predecessor4:David Waddington
Successor4:John Lee
Birth Name:Eric Douglas Harvey Hoyle
Birth Date:17 February 1926
Birth Place:Coppull, Lancashire, England
Party:Labour
Children:Lindsay

Eric Douglas Harvey Hoyle, Baron Hoyle,, (17 February 1926 – 6 April 2024) was a British politician and life peer who was chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party from 1992 to 1997 and a lord-in-waiting from 1997 to 1999. A member of the Labour Party, he was Member of Parliament (MP) for Nelson and Colne from 1974 to 1979 and Warrington North from 1981 to 1997.[1] [2]

Early life, education and career

Eric Douglas Harvey Hoyle was born in Coppull, near Chorley, in Lancashire, on 17 February 1926 to William Hoyle and Leah Hoyle (née Harvey).[3] [4] [5] His father was a shop assistant at a Co-op and a social member of the local Conservative club.

Hoyle attended Adlington Church of England school and Horwich and Bolton Technical Colleges, before he started working as an engineering apprentice for British rail in Horwich. He moved to Manchester to work as a sales engineer in 1951, before joining a company in Salford as a marketing executive in 1953 where he worked until his election as an MP.

Hoyle joined the Labour Party in 1945.

Parliamentary career

House of Commons

Hoyle first stood for Parliament at Clitheroe in 1964, but came second. In 1970, he first fought Nelson and Colne, and was defeated by the Conservative incumbent David Waddington by 1,410 votes. He fought the seat again in February 1974, and reduced Waddington's margin to 177. He was finally elected at the general election of October 1974 for Nelson and Colne by 669 votes; this was the first Labour gain to be announced on election night.

Hoyle narrowly lost his seat at the general election of 1979, but returned to Parliament in 1981 when he saw off a strong challenge from Roy Jenkins in a traditionally safe Labour seat. This was a notable by-election in Warrington when enthusiasm for the newly created Social Democratic Party was at its peak. Constituency boundaries were redrawn for the general election of 1983, when he became MP for Warrington North.

In the 1992 Labour Party leadership election he voted for Bryan Gould; one of only 12 MPs to do so.[6]

House of Lords

Hoyle stepped down from the House of Commons at the general election of 1997, and on 14 May 1997, he was created a life peer as Baron Hoyle, of Warrington in the County of Cheshire in the 1997 Dissolution Honours.[7] [8] He retired from the Lords on 25 July 2023.

Other interests

Lord Hoyle served as chairman of Warrington Wolves Rugby League Club from 1999 to 2009.[9] He was also a non-executive director of the major local employer Debt Free Direct.[10] [11] In 1957 he helped found Labour Friends of Israel. [12] Hoyle received the Freedom of the Borough of Warrington on 11 November 2005.[13]

Hoyle was awarded the Freedom of the City of Gibraltar, and in July 2008 received the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour (GMH).[14]

In November 2010, Lord Hoyle was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by the University of Chester for his 'outstanding contribution to the Borough of Warrington'.[15]

Personal life and death

Hoyle was married to Pauline Spencer from 1953 until her death in 1991. Their only child, Lindsay Hoyle, became the Member of Parliament for Chorley in 1997 and the Speaker of the House of Commons in 2019.[16]

Lord Hoyle died on 6 April 2024, at the age of 98.[17] He was survived by his son, grandchild and great grandchildren.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mr Doug Hoyle . Hansard . 14 May 2021.
  2. Web site: Parliamentary career for Lord Hoyle - MPs and Lords . UK Parliament . 14 May 2021 . en.
  3. Web site: Eric D. H. Hoyle . 7 April 2024 . FreeBMD.
  4. News: 7 April 2024 . Tributes to Doug Hoyle, former MP and father of Commons speaker Sir Lindsay, who has died aged 98 . 7 April 2024 . ITV News.
  5. News: Langdon . Julia . 7 April 2024 . Lord Hoyle obituary . 7 April 2024 . The Guardian.
  6. Web site: Lord Hoyle obituary: Labour backbencher and parliamentary party chairman . The Times . 8 April 2024.
  7. Web site: Find Members of the House of Lords - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament. https://web.archive.org/web/20081212094207/http://www.parliament.uk/directories/house_of_lords_information_office/alphabetical_list_of_members.cfm. dead. 12 December 2008.
  8. Web site: Doug Hoyle steps down as Warrington Wolves chairman. Murphy. Connor. 13 September 2009. Warrington Guardian. 17 December 2017.
  9. http://www.debtfreedirect.co.uk/faq.php Debt Free Direct, FAQ, Frequently Asked Questions | Debt Free Direct
  10. Web site: Debt Free Direct . 27 August 2007 . 24 February 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210224203952/https://www.debtfreedirect.co.uk/ . dead .
  11. Web site: Commons Speaker says ‘family history’ makes him determined to fight antisemitism. Lee. Harpin. www.jewishnews.co.uk.
  12. Web site: The Mayor's role and history.
  13. News: Gibraltar Medallion . . July 2008 . 15 April 2024 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091113172646/http://www.gibraltar.gov.gi/latest_news/press_releases/2008/171.1-2008.pdf . 13 November 2009 . dmy .
  14. Web site: Local heroes honoured . 12 November 2010 . 22 November 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101122220028/http://www.chester.ac.uk/node/6926 . dead .
  15. News: Martin . Daniel . 2024-02-21 . Lindsay Hoyle: The Speaker from a very political - and very Labour - family . 2024-02-22 . The Telegraph . en-GB . 0307-1235.
  16. News: Downey . Emma . Sir Lindsay Hoyle left devastated after dad passes away . 7 April 2024 . Lancashire Post . 7 April 2024.