The Right Honourable
The Lord Stoneham of Droxford
Official portrait, 2020
Chief Whip of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords
Assumed office
13 September 2016
LeaderTim Farron
Vince Cable
Jo Swinson
Davey · Brinton
Preceded byThe Lord Newby
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Assumed office
17 January 2011
Life Peerage
Personal details
Born (1948-08-26) 26 August 1948
Political partyLabour (Before 1981)
Social Democratic (1981–1988)
Liberal Democrats (1988–
present)
Alma materChrist's College, Cambridge
University of Warwick
University of London

Benjamin Russell Mackintosh Stoneham, Baron Stoneham of Droxford (born 26 August 1948)[1] is a British peer, journalist, and Liberal Democrat politician.[2] He is currently the Liberal Democrat Chief Whip in the House of Lords, having been elected to that position in October 2016.

Education

He was educated at Harrow School, Christ's College, Cambridge (BA, 1970), the University of Warwick (MA, 1971) and London Business School.

Political career

Stoneham's early politics were Labour. At the age of 29 he was Labour candidate in the Saffron Walden by-election of 1977.[3][4] He was later treasurer of the moderate Campaign for Labour Victory,[5] many of whose leading lights later joined the SDP. Stoneham was the SDP candidate for Parliament in Stevenage in 1983 and 1987. In 1983, he had the best finish by any non-incumbent SDP candidate in an English seat and narrowly lost by about 1,700 votes.

In 2004, he stood for election in Denmead, Winchester, and in 2010 he stood for election in Bishops Waltham, Winchester.

He is a senior party activist for the Liberal Democrat party.[6] From 2003 to 2010, he was operations director of the party, under the leadership of Charles Kennedy,[7] and Nick Clegg.[8] He was made a Life peer on 17 January 2011 as Baron Stoneham of Droxford, of Meon Valley in the County of Hampshire.[9] He gave his maiden speech on 20 January 2011.[10]

In October 2016, Lord Stoneham was elected as the Liberal Democrat Chief Whip in the House of Lords, succeeding Lord Newby.

Super-injunction statement

Lord Stoneham came to prominence on 19 May 2011 when used parliamentary privilege to reveal details of a super-injunction during a debate in the House of Lords. He questioned whether a super-injunction prevented bank regulators from investigating corporate governance at the Royal Bank of Scotland:[11]

Every taxpayer has a direct public interest in the events leading up to the collapse of the Royal Bank of Scotland, so how can it be right for a super-injunction to hide the alleged relationship between Sir Fred Goodwin and a senior colleague.
If true, it would be a serious breach of corporate governance and not even the Financial Services Authority would be allowed to know about it.[12]

Reprimanded

Lord Stoneham was reprimanded on 27 February 2013 by his own party following reports he telephoned and angrily remonstrated with one of the women who had complained to newspapers about his close friend Lord Rennard's alleged sexual harassment of party workers. Nick Clegg's aides described Lord Stoneham's conduct as "completely unacceptable." Liberal Democrat chief whip in the House of Lords, Lord Newby gave a warning to Lord Stoneham over his conduct.[13]

Personal life

He is married to Anne Kristine Mackintosh. Lady Stoneham is appointed as Chair of The Board of Trustees of the charity St Christopher’s Fellowship and a member of the Avon Tyrrell Trust. In the 2012 New Year Honours she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), for services to young people.[14][15]

References

  1. ↑ The Lord Stoneham of Droxford Archived 27 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Debrett's People of Today
  2. ↑ "Lord Stoneham of Droxford". Archived from the original on 1 October 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  3. ↑ Interview with Lord Stoneham at Lib Dem conference, Birmingham on 17 September 2011
  4. ↑ The Times, 18 June 1977 p3
  5. ↑ The Times, 1 October 1977 p3
  6. ↑ "New Lib Dem peers to lead reform of the House of Lords" Archived 2 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Liberal Democrats, 19 November 2010
  7. ↑ Henley, Peter (15 September 2006). "South: Politics-on-Sea". BBC Politics Show.
  8. ↑ "Liberal Democrat MPs and strategists are pushing for Clegg to rule out an alliance with the Tories". The New Statesman. 21 January 2010.
  9. ↑ "No. 59676". The London Gazette. 20 January 2011. p. 870.
  10. ↑ "Lords Hansard text for 20 Jan 201120 Jan 2011 (Pt 0001)".
  11. ↑ Penny, Thomas; Lumley, James; Donaldson, Kitty (19 May 2011). "Goodwin Won Order to Halt Reports of Affair". Bloomberg.
  12. ↑ "Peer raises Fred Goodwin injunction in Lords". BBC. UK. 19 May 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  13. ↑ "Lord Rennard claims: Peer reprimanded over telephone call". BBC News. 27 February 2013.
  14. ↑ "MBEs for Hampshire disability sport ambassadors". BBC News. 31 December 2011.
  15. ↑ "No. 60009". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 31 December 2011. p. 22.
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