Syd Lawrence (26 June 1923 – 5 May 1998) was a British bandleader , who became famous in the UK for his orchestra's Big Band sound, which drew on the 1940s style of music of Glenn Miller and Count Basie amongst others.
80-787: Born in Wilmslow , Cheshire , England, in 1923, Lawrence was a talented trumpet player during World War II . He wrote and arranged music. He was based in Cairo during the war years, playing and arranging for the RAF service bands. After he left the armed forces, he played with some of the leading British dance bands of the 1940s, finally being invited to join the BBC Northern Dance Orchestra in 1953. He stayed with this band for sixteen years playing alongside fellow trumpet player Stan Hibbert. In 1967, Lawrence teamed up with several of his colleagues at
160-632: A membership ballot for the leadership of UKIP in Wales . The eventual winner would become the UKIP Assembly Group Leader and ultimately the party's main spokesperson for Wales. Hamilton, Jones and another UKIP Assembly Member in Wales, Gareth Bennett , stood in the election, which was won by Bennett. Hamilton said he could "happily" work with Mr Bennett, but Jones said she had "a lot of thinking to do". Batten said he expected his Welsh Assembly members to now "work together for UKIP's cause and get on with
240-444: A Nazi salute on a visit to Berlin and sought to question the then party chairman, Norman Tebbit . Dale Campbell-Savours claimed he had evidence in the form of a letter from Pedley to the former Party Chairman, John Selwyn Gummer , demonstrating Conservative Central Office (CCO) had contacted witnesses. Tebbit confirmed one witness had been in touch with CCO. "I am aware that one potential witness sought advice from Central Office but
320-556: A chance and they did. And so the Syd Lawrence Orchestra was given their first real break on TV and a regular spot on the comedy show. As the music became more popular, Lawrence and his band started touring around the UK, which they did with great success for many years. In 1969 he signed with Philips Records and the band's first release was on the low-price Contour label (catalogue no. 6870 550), selling at 10/6d. Titled "Syd Lawrence with
400-638: A few farms and a church. For purposes of the Office for National Statistics , Wilmslow forms part of the Greater Manchester Urban Area . The town is part of the Golden Triangle together with Alderley Edge and Prestbury . It grew in popularity in the Victorian era as a desirable area for wealthy North West (most generally Manchester) merchants to move out to once the railways arrived and connected
480-467: A firm specifically created to lobby against anti-apartheid movements and economic sanctions and for apartheid South Africa 's 'transitional government' of Namibia set up in defiance of UN Resolution 435 on Namibian independence. Derek Laud was an ex-Monday Club activist and protégé of Hamilton's friend Michael Brown, who offered Hamilton a fee of £8,000 per year. Hamilton failed to register the paid-for consultancy. Hamilton took free trips to South Africa in
560-508: A libel case on the matter. Hamilton became widely associated with sleaze, and was forced to resign his ministerial role. He was defeated by an independent candidate, Martin Bell , in the 1997 general election . Hamilton left the Conservative Party in 2002 and joined UKIP. In 2011, he returned to politics and was elected to the national executive committee of UKIP. Following his election to
640-468: A minister at the time of the 1995 Conservative Party leadership election , Hamilton did not support Major. Initially a supporter of Michael Portillo , when Portillo did not contest the leadership Hamilton voted instead for John Redwood . Hamilton also sent condolences to Portillo in 2001, when he failed to win that year's leadership election . Prior to the 1997 general election , Hamilton determined to try to retain his parliamentary seat. His majority at
720-480: A number of contacts with Ministers and officials as part of their campaign to influence Government policy on Skoal Bandits" and said that there was "no evidence ... that any appropriate declaration was made". Hamilton was obliged to concede he had been wrong to make no reference to the payment "when I went on those meetings with Ministers". In June 1990, Hamilton was recruited by the right-wing Monday Club activist Derek Laud to work for Strategy Network International,
800-681: A postgraduate law degree. At the 1970 Conservative Party conference, Hamilton called for mass privatisation . The following year, he opposed the plan for Britain to join the European Communities . In 1972, after several years' membership, Hamilton was elected to the executive council of the Conservative Monday Club . He left the Club in 1973, and stood as chairman of the Federation of Conservative Students against David Davis , but lost. In
880-485: A tea-bag type of pouch of tobacco designed for chewing. The product was believed to cause serious risk of oral cancer , particularly for minors, and the government was inclined to ban its import. Hamilton said he supported the introduction of Skoal Bandits on libertarian grounds, and lobbied ministers (including Edwina Currie and David Mellor ) to allow its introduction. The House of Commons Select Committee on Standards investigation stated: "Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Brown had
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#1732885011977960-483: A wide range of Conservative supporters." Pedley did not name the supporters but the then chairman of the Young Conservatives, Richard Fuller , pledged financial support to the fight and in a meeting with Jeffrey Archer , Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party, Fuller resisted Archer's demand to back down. Labour accused Conservative Central Office of organising a cover-up over claims that Hamilton had given
1040-551: Is a market town and civil parish in Cheshire , England. It is 11 mi (18 km) south of Manchester and within the unitary authority of Cheshire East . The population was 24,497 at the 2011 Census. Wilmslow derives its name from Old English Wīghelmes hlāw = "mound of a man called Wīghelm." Much about the local Iron Age history of Wilmslow was uncovered with the discovery of Lindow Man , in Lindow Moss . Preserved in
1120-662: Is a British politician and former barrister who was leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) from 2020 to 2024. He was the Conservative member of parliament (MP) for Tatton from 1983 to 1997 and a UKIP Member of the Senedd (MS) for Mid and West Wales from 2016 to 2021. Hamilton was elected to the House of Commons in the 1983 general election . He was appointed parliamentary under-secretary of state for corporate affairs by
1200-516: Is buried beneath a headstone presumably engraved by him outside the entrance to the church. Wilmslow Methodist Church occupies a modern building close to the town centre, replacing an 1886 building which itself replaced the original 1798 church, built seven years after John Wesley's death. The Sacred Heart & St Teresa's Church is the Roman Catholic church and dates from the late 19th century. Dean Row Chapel , 2 miles (3.2 km) east of
1280-470: Is located on Altrincham Road in Wilmslow, at the site of Huntingdon Life Sciences ' Stamford Lodge facility, which was demolished in 2012. Wilmslow and its close surroundings are served by several car showrooms of notable marques. These include Aston Martin , Porsche , Ferrari , Jaguar , Maserati , Land Rover , Bentley , McLaren , Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini . The town's Aston Martin dealership sells
1360-572: Is served by the local newspapers, The Wilmslow Express and Knutsford Guardian . Wilmslow railway station is situated on the Crewe to Manchester spur of the West Coast Main Line , via Stockport . The station is also a junction for the Styal Line which takes a different route to Manchester Piccadilly , via Styal , Manchester Airport and Heald Green , but avoiding Stockport. The station
1440-627: Is served by three train operating companies : Wilmslow's main bus interchange is at Bank Square; it is served by three regular bus routes, operated by D&G Bus : There is also a free bus service, between Knutsford and Handforth Dean retail park, which operates on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. There are no longer any direct bus services to Stockport or Manchester , as Wilmslow lies outside of Greater Manchester where Stagecoach Manchester now focus their operations; there are also no Sunday or Bank Holiday bus services. The A34 road, which links Salford and Winchester , by-passes
1520-715: The 1979 general election in Bradford North , but failed on both occasions. Hamilton was a teacher at St John's College in Southsea between 1973 and 1976. In his spare time he studied for his bar practice exam . He also taught constitutional law at Hatfield Polytechnic between September 1978 and July 1982. From September 1979, Hamilton practised as a barrister . He specialised in taxation , trust and property law. However, after he lost his parliamentary seat in 1997, he vowed never to return to "that constipated profession". In April 2001, Hamilton said, "If I am bankrupt [which he
1600-501: The 1983 general election Hamilton was elected to Parliament as MP for Tatton. On entering the Commons, Hamilton was appointed as an officer of the backbench committee on Trade and Industry under the chairmanship of Michael Grylls . In 1984, against party policy, Hamilton opposed the abandonment of leaded petrol in Britain. He argued there was no evidence that leaded petrol was damaging
1680-715: The Eldon League , and his involvement with the Powellite faction of the Monday Club and the far-right activist, George Kennedy Young , the former Deputy Director of MI6 and Chairman of the Society for Individual Freedom . The programme also made the claim that Hamilton gave a Nazi salute in Berlin while "messing around" on a parliamentary visit in August 1983. A Nazi salute is a criminal offence in
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#17328850119771760-579: The South Wales East region. He criticised BBC Wales for excluding UKIP from the main leaders' debates, with Hamilton instead being invited to a separate debate alongside Reform UK and the Wales Green Party . Hamilton contested the constituency of Islwyn but came sixth with just 507 votes. He was also top of the UKIP list for that region but was not appointed as an additional member either. Meanwhile
1840-591: The University College of Wales, Aberystwyth in 1970, and an MScEcon degree in economics and politics in 1975. While at Aberystwyth, he was active in the Federation of Conservative Students ; he was a member between 1968 and 1974. In 1973, as a representative of the Federation of Conservative Students, Hamilton attended a conference of the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement (MSI). Hamilton went on to study at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge , where he attained
1920-476: The Winter Hill TV transmitter. Local radio stations are BBC Radio Manchester on 95.1 FM, Heart North West on 105.4 FM, Smooth North West on 100.4 FM, XS Manchester on 106.1 FM, Capital Manchester and Lancashire on 102.0 FM, Greatest Hits Radio Manchester & The North West on 96.2 FM, Silk Radio on 106.9 FM and Canalside Radio, a community based station which broadcast on 102.8 FM. The town
2000-896: The elections for the National Assembly for Wales on 5 May 2016, he was elected as a Member of the National Assembly for Wales for the Mid and West Wales Region , one of seven UKIP candidates to win a seat through the Regional List system. On 10 May 2016, UKIP's AMs voted him their leader in the Welsh Assembly, defeating Nathan Gill . The UKIP leader, Nigel Farage , criticised the move as an "unjust act of deep ingratitude". Hamilton dismissed Farage's criticism as "irrelevant", accused him of "throwing toys out of pram" and referred to him as "the MEP for
2080-484: The 1992 general election had been almost 16,000 votes. In 1997, Tatton was the fourth safest Conservative seat in Britain. Hamilton was under investigation by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner as part of the cash for questions enquiry and some party members thought he should stand down after the collapse of his case against The Guardian . Disquiet in the local association became public, but
2160-575: The BBC decision. The Financial Times reported, "A solicitor for Mr Hamilton and Mr Howarth said later that their linked libel action against Mr Philip Pedley... would continue. Mr Pedley indicated that he intends to continue the case." The media began to focus on the remaining unsettled case. The Guardian reported that "The spotlight had swivelled to Phil Pedley, the Tory defendant who remained adamant he would fight on alone, backed by independent funds and, he claims,
2240-702: The Board of Governors met during the trial and instructed the BBC Board of Management to settle the case: "the BBC executives at this meeting expressed serious doubts about the decision. It was pointed out the BBC had not even begun to put its case". The National Young Conservatives hinted at a stitch-up at the BBC. The chairman, Richard Fuller , told the Eastern Area Young Conservatives: "I find it strange that they have apparently decided to settle now, when things appeared to be going well." Attention focussed on
2320-803: The Conservative Party was not related to the Western Goals Institute. In the event the meetings were cancelled, as neither Le Pen nor Mussolini could come to Britain. Hamilton also lent his support to the No Turning Back Group organised by his friend Michael Brown MP. Other MPs active in the No Turning Back Group included Michael Portillo , Peter Lilley , Alan Duncan and Gerald Howarth . In 1985, he began working for Ian Greer Associates , lobbying on behalf of US Tobacco . Hamilton, together with Michael Brown, became an enthusiastic supporter of US Tobacco's product Skoal Bandits ,
2400-698: The Federal Republic of Germany. In October 1986, Hamilton and his fellow MP Gerald Howarth (one of his closest friends), sued the BBC for libel along with Phil Pedley , a former chairman of the National Young Conservatives , who had appeared on the programme. The Guardian newspaper highlighted Hamilton's admission in The Sunday Times in an article he wrote after the court case that he did give "a little salute with two fingers to his nose to give
2480-711: The Glenn Miller Sound", and credited to The Syd Lawrence Orchestra, it was recorded at Strawberry Studios on 23 and 25 September 1969. It had ten tracks, all being songs or tunes previously recorded by Miller between 1939 and 1942; some being slightly extended or rearranged. The Orchestra went on to record about fifteen long playing albums, usually at the Strawberry Recording Studios in Manchester along with radio and television appearances on variety shows. He appeared with his band on 3-2-1 and also occasionally
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2560-537: The House in a personal statement". He invited Tebbit to make a statement in the House. "If he refuses, then the country will know that a conspiracy of silence is being engineered by senior figures to hide the truth." More information appeared in the press alleging witness interference, including the Hogan Memorandum, the internal BBC document listing the witnesses who had changed their account. The Independent revealed
2640-566: The Labour and Liberal Democrat candidates for the area stood down in order to give Bell a clear run against Hamilton. Bell defeated Hamilton, winning by a majority of over 11,000 votes with a swing of 48%. Although Hamilton vowed to return to parliament, this defeat marked the end of his political career in the Conservative Party. In March 1999, George Osborne was selected by the Tatton Conservative Association to be their candidate for
2720-413: The National Assembly for Wales, he was UKIP's assembly group leader from 2016 to 2018 and again from 2019 to 2021. He became leader of UKIP Wales in 2016. In September 2020, Hamilton was named acting leader of UKIP, following the suspension from the party of the previous leader, Freddy Vachha . Hamilton was defeated at the 2021 Senedd election . In October 2021, Hamilton was elected UKIP leader. Hamilton
2800-647: The Northern Dance Orchestra to play the music that he was most enthusiastic about, that of Glenn Miller. Early concerts at the Mersey Hotel in Manchester were a success, and larger venues were found to play in as the reputation of his band grew. Respected comedian Les Dawson discovered the Syd Lawrence Orchestra playing in a bar. He liked them so much, that he wanted them to play backing music for his show Sez Les . He begged Yorkshire Television to give them
2880-658: The South East of England". In leaked emails, he was accused by UKIP's biggest donor, Arron Banks , of being a "corrupt old Tory". Nathan Gill subsequently left the UKIP group in the assembly to sit as an independent, resulting in Neil Hamilton becoming UKIP's Leader in Wales in September 2016. Hamilton was ousted as leader of UKIP in the National Assembly on 17 May 2018 and was replaced by Caroline Jones . In August 2018, UKIP leader Gerard Batten MEP announced that there would be
2960-564: The Wilmslow Business Group. The Wilmslow Festive 10k, organised by Run North West, takes place at the end of November each year. The run starts in Wilmslow town centre with 2479 finishers in 2017. The Wilmslow Half Marathon is an annual half marathon road running race, established in 1984 and usually run in March. Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC North West and ITV Granada . Television signals are received from
3040-547: The actions of Malcolm McAlpine, a cousin of Alistair McAlpine the treasurer of the Conservative Party: "He denied yesterday that he had promised Mr Hamilton that he could 'deliver' the governors behind a settlement". In the immediate aftermath of the BBC settlement, allegations of witness intimidation abounded. A BBC internal memorandum to the Board of Management claimed some 17 witnesses had been intimidated into changing their testimony. A BBC source stated: "Nearly all
3120-593: The case, Hamilton said he saw himself as being "the Mike Yarwood of the Federation of Conservative Students " and that he frequently did impressions of public figures such as Frankie Howerd , Harold Wilson , Edward Heath , Charles De Gaulle and Enoch Powell . Hamilton said he had coloured himself black in 1982 to look like Idi Amin and dressed as Canon James Owen on a boat on the River Cam . He said he would have twenty character witnesses: "My main character witness
3200-572: The company of Brown. Thatcher appointed Hamilton a whip in July 1990. In November 1990, Michael Heseltine initiated a leadership challenge to Margaret Thatcher . Hamilton was told by the Chief Whip to stay neutral, but says he ignored this instruction. "I naturally ignored this advice and fed all my intelligence into her campaign." He also said that he made the fateful suggestion that she interview each cabinet member individually, believing they would lack
3280-460: The constituencies of the three Conservative candidates tainted by scandal and seeking re-election: Hamilton, Allan Stewart and Piers Merchant . Both Stewart and Merchant were found to have support consistent with their party's standing, but in Tatton "there was massive hostility to Hamilton". When Martin Bell , the BBC war correspondent, announced he would stand as an independent candidate in Tatton,
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3360-408: The defence witnesses have had a quiet word in their ears. Only two or three people connected with Tory politics who would have given vital evidence for us now stick to their testimony. Some previously expressed disgust at incidents they had witnessed. Now they claim to have witnessed nothing." Howarth and Hamilton said the case against Pedley would not be dropped and Pedley said he would not be joining
3440-567: The early 1970s, Hamilton was the founder of the Eldon League , a right-wing social organisation given to having picnics and dinners 'and having a good time'. He appointed himself its "Grand Imperial Prior" and called for the abolition of the internal combustion engine and plastic. Hamilton stood as the Conservative parliamentary candidate in the February 1974 general election in Abertillery and in
3520-570: The election by independent candidate Martin Bell . Bell was supported in his door to door canvassing for votes by David Soul and served a single term as MP. Wilmslow was one of the eight ancient parishes of the Macclesfield Hundred of Cheshire. It was subdivided into the townships of Bollinfee, Chorley , Fulshaw and Pownall Fee. Under the Poor Law Amendment Act 1866 the townships became civil parishes in their own right. Wilmslow
3600-632: The election for the National Executive Committee. Hamilton was elected to the committee on 1 November 2011. He later become deputy chairman of the party. Hamilton was demoted from his role as campaign director in April 2014. In the May 2014 local elections , he stood as a UKIP candidate in the St Mary's Park ward of Wandsworth London Borough Council and finished 8th of the 9 candidates with 396 votes. In
3680-582: The environment, or health, and that jobs would be lost in his constituency if leaded petrol was banned. Hamilton resumed his activities as a supporter of pressure groups, including the Western Goals Institute , led by ex-Young Monday Club Chairman, Andrew V. R. Smith and attracting the support of other parliamentarians such as Sir Patrick Wall , Bill Walker , Nicholas Winterton and the Revd. Martin Smyth . He
3760-428: The existence of a taped conversation of a Tory witness being "shaken rigid" by Central Office's suggestion that the Berlin events had not happened and "no other witness would substantiate or give evidence about those alleged incidents" and the witness was told no other witness would back his account. The witness said, "this was like a bad dream." Campbell-Savours claimed this was proof of BBC nobbling and announced that he
3840-517: The following general election. Following Hamilton's ejection from Tatton and the Conservative defeat in the 1997 election, the new party leader, William Hague , sought to distance the Conservative Party from the disgraced Hamilton and asked Hamilton to stay away from the party conference. In September 2011, Hamilton attended the annual conference of the UK Independence Party (UKIP). The party's leader Nigel Farage pledged to support him in
3920-454: The highest number of Aston Martins in the UK; a high demand stimulated largely by the high level of affluence in the town. The town has a number of parks including The Carrs Park . Wilmslow held its first Scarecrow Festival in July 2010 with 85 local businesses taking part and 93 different scarecrows. The week-long festival is organised by the Rotary Club of Wilmslow Dean and the members of
4000-414: The impression of a toothbrush moustache." The prosecution was financed by Sir James Goldsmith and Taki , The Spectator columnist. David Davis , then a director of Tate and Lyle , persuaded that company to donate a sum to the cause. Lord Harris of High Cross (who helped to finance Hamilton's failed libel action against Mohammed Al-Fayed 13 years later), also raised approximately £100,000. During
4080-424: The insistence of John Major . Denmark rejected the Maastricht Treaty on 2 June 1992. Like some other Conservative ministers, Hamilton had also opposed the treaty and was a member of the Eurosceptic "No Turning Back" group. Despite this, Hamilton remained, for a time, loyal to the Major government which endorsed the treaty. Hamilton urged his colleagues not to resign over the Treaty and other issues. No longer
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#17328850119774160-478: The job." Following his maiden speech in the Welsh Assembly, he was accused of making sexist remarks towards female politicians after referring to Kirsty Williams and Leanne Wood as "concubines" in a "harem". Hamilton caused further controversy during a debate on the effects of Brexit in Wales. When Eluned Morgan claimed that the economic consequences of Brexit would be hardest for those who could least afford it, Hamilton remarked that "suicide's an option". He
4240-401: The location for many of the town's banks, the name in fact originates from the bank, or slope, leading down to the Carrs and up towards the railway station. The River Bollin flows through The Carrs Park and once provided the power source for nearby Quarry Bank Mill , now a National Trust site, and enjoyment for the local population. Before the railway came in 1842, Wilmslow comprised only
4320-467: The majority gave him the benefit of the doubt. Hamilton resisted the pressure from senior Conservatives and Conservative Central Office to stand down. Jeremy Paxman states that Conservative Central Office "begged him not to stand, but in a gesture of overweening arrogance, he refused to go quietly." On 8 April 1997, Hamilton was chosen as the Conservative candidate for Tatton (182 for, 35 against, 100 abstained). The Observer commissioned ICM polls in
4400-507: The metropolitan county of Greater Manchester when it was formed in 1974, although the town does form part of the Greater Manchester Urban Area . According to the 2001 United Kingdom census , the wards of Wilmslow North and Wilmslow South have a combined population of 25,498, of which 13,400 (52.5%) are females and 12,098 (47.5%) are males. In addition, 5,197 (20.4%) are aged 16 and under while 4,780 (18.8%) are aged 65 and over. Ethnic white groups (British, Irish, other) account for 95.9% of
4480-653: The newly formed civil parish of Wilmslow. On 21 June 1951 it was granted its own coat of arms . On 1 April 1974 Wilmslow became part of Macclesfield Borough and on 1 April 2009 it became part of the Cheshire East unitary authority. On 1 April 1936, Wilmslow lost 19 acres (77,000 m ) to Alderley Edge . However it gained 3 acres (12,000 m ) from Chorley and on the abolition of Bollinfee, Handforth and Styal civil parishes it gained 1,080 acres (4.4 km ) and 1,521 acres (6.16 km ) respectively. Wilmslow along with other towns such as Whitworth , Poynton and Alderley Edge successfully objected to being part of
4560-493: The next round of the election Hamilton voted for John Major . From 1992 to 1994, Hamilton was the Minister for Deregulation and Corporate Affairs in John Major 's government. He came under pressure to step down after the resignation of another minister, Tim Smith , on 19 October 1994, after Smith had admitted to taking money in the cash-for-questions affair . Facing the same allegations, Hamilton denied them and issued proceedings for libel , but he resigned on 26 October at
4640-441: The party lost all its other Senedd seats. After a period as acting leader, Hamilton was elected as leader in October 2021, receiving 498 out of 631 votes cast (78.9%) against challenger John Poynton. In December 2023, the anti-racism magazine, Searchlight , reported that Hamilton would step down as UKIP leader in 2024 in order to spend more time with his family. Following the election of Lois Perry as UKIP leader in May 2024, he
4720-455: The peat bogs for 2,000 years, Lindow Man is one of the most important Iron Age finds in the country. Despite a campaign to keep Lindow Man in the area, he was transferred to the British Museum and is a central feature of the Iron Age exhibition. Lindow Man returned to Manchester Museum in April 2008 for a year-long exhibition. An IRA bomb exploded near the railway station in March 1997, damaging signalling equipment. The original IRA message
4800-410: The population, with ethnic minority groups accounting for 4.1% of the population. A breakdown of religious groups and denominations: There are three Church of England churches in Wilmslow, St Bartholomew's , St Anne's and St John's. St Bartholomew's is a 16th-century building, which was modified in the 19th century. It has a turreted bell tower. The first rector of the church was a Thomas Dale, who
4880-493: The press reported new evidence of inappropriate witness contact. Later that day, Hamilton announced that he was dropping the action against Pedley. However, Pedley reaffirmed that he "had no intention of withdrawing from the case." Hamilton's announcement failed to quell demands for an enquiry and Campbell-Savours denounced Tebbit's tactic of making his statements outside the House of Commons chamber, accusing him of "a deliberate ploy to avoid placing himself in contempt by misleading
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#17328850119774960-417: The prime minister, John Major , in 1992. In 1994, The Guardian alleged that Hamilton had taken cash payments in exchange for asking questions in Parliament. Hamilton sued The Guardian for libel, but settled on the day of the trial. The Guardian published a headline branding him "A Liar and a Cheat". The cash-for-questions affair enquiry in 1997 found that Hamilton had taken bribes. He subsequently lost
5040-412: The resolve to tell her to her face that she must go. "Unfortunately, I had miscalculated." Hamilton strongly encouraged Thatcher to persist. At a meeting where Peter Lilley argued that Thatcher could not survive, Hamilton subjected him to a barrage of "sarcasm and heckling". On 21 November 1990, Hamilton and like-minded colleagues met Thatcher at Downing Street . Thatcher did subsequently resign, and in
5120-501: The town centre to the east; this was later extended around neighbouring Alderley Edge . It joins the A555 at Handforth Dean, which has been extended to Manchester Airport . Manchester Airport lies just four miles (6 km) along the A538 to the north-west, but Wilmslow lies away from the approach and departure routes and therefore does not suffer from aircraft noise as Hale Barns and Heald Green do. Neil Hamilton (politician) Mostyn Neil Hamilton (born 9 March 1949)
5200-494: The town centre, is a Grade II* listed building built around the end of the 17th century. Initially Presbyterian , it is now a Unitarian chapel. There is also a United Reformed Church in Wilmslow close to the town centre. Situated in the North of England , 11 miles (18 km) from Manchester city centre and 7 miles (11 km) from Macclesfield , Wilmslow town centre is focused upon Bank Square, Grove Street and Water Lane. Although Bank Square has traditionally provided
5280-440: The towns. Wilmslow is the founding location of sports equipment manufacturer Umbro which has its headquarters in the area. The town is a key location for Royal London , the mutual financial services company. The Information Commissioner's Office , one of the government's executive agencies, is also based in Wilmslow. The UK headquarters of Waters Corporation , an American manufacturer of analytical laboratory instruments,
5360-430: Was a vocalist. Lawrence retired from touring in 1994 and died of an aneurysm in 1998. Following his death, the Syd Lawrence Band continued on and still tours. The orchestra was led by Bryan Pendleton, and is currently led by Chris Dean. In 2011 it was voted the Best Big Band in the Land for the 11th consecutive year. Wilmslow Wilmslow ( / ˈ w ɪ l m s l oʊ / or / ˈ w ɪ m s l oʊ / )
5440-476: Was appointed honorary president of the party. On 30 January 1984, a Panorama programme, " Maggie's Militant Tendency ", was broadcast. The programme made a number of allegations regarding Hamilton's past and more recent activities. These included his attending and giving a fraternal speech in 1972 to the Movimento Sociale Italiano (MSI) an Italian neo-fascist party led by one of Benito Mussolini's ex-ministers, Giorgio Almirante , Hamilton's membership of
5520-438: Was born in Fleur-de-Lis, a Gwent pit village near Blackwood , Wales. In 1960 he moved to Ammanford. His father was a chief engineer for the National Coal Board . His grandfathers were coal miners . He grew up in Ammanford in Carmarthenshire and joined the Conservative Party in 1964, at the age of 15. Hamilton attended Amman Valley Grammar School in Ammanford. He received a BScEcon degree in economics and politics from
5600-489: Was confusing and led to the evacuation of the Wilmslow Police Station to the local leisure centre not far from the explosion. Nobody was hurt. In the general election of the same year, the parliamentary constituency of Tatton , in which Wilmslow falls, made headlines as part of the "sleaze" accusations levelled against the then Conservative Government . Tatton MP , Neil Hamilton , was accused of accepting cash for tabling Parliamentary questions, and subsequently defeated in
5680-446: Was going to be Norman St John Stevas ." In a Sunday Times article, Hamilton denied there was any malicious intent behind the salute. He also pointed out that one person present at the incident, Julian Lewis , was a Jew and that a "number of his relatives were killed by the Nazis during the war". In mid-trial and without cross-examining Hamilton, the BBC capitulated on 21 October 1986. The Director-General, Alasdair Milne , stated he
5760-517: Was instructed by the presiding officer to apologise for the remark. Hamilton initially refused, saying, "What is there to apologise for?" and "What was unparliamentary about the remark?" He did eventually apologise, saying, "I apologise for whatever remark I am supposed to have made." In April 2018, Hamilton said that "the idea that Enoch Powell was some kind of uniquely racist villain is absolute nonsense". Commenting on Powell's 'Rivers of Blood' speech about mass immigration, Hamilton said that Powell
5840-491: Was instructed to do so by the Governors of the BBC. The corporation was directed to pay the men's legal costs. Hamilton and Howarth were awarded £20,000 each and in the next edition of Panorama , on 27 October, the BBC made an unreserved apology. The settlement of the case raised serious concerns regarding political pressure and the intimidation of witnesses. Before the BBC defence lawyers had an opportunity to interrogate Hamilton,
5920-522: Was on their parliamentary advisory board. The Western Goals Institute achieved notoriety by inviting Jean-Marie Le Pen (leader of the French National Front) and Alessandra Mussolini ( Benito Mussolini 's granddaughter, a Deputy sitting for the Italian neo-fascist MSI) to address fringe meetings at the 1992 Conservative Party conference. The Party Chairman Sir Norman Fowler was outraged, and said
6000-542: Was recreated as a civil parish on 30 September 1894 when Pownall Fee and Fulshaw were abolished. Wilmslow gained most of Bollinfee, most of Fulshaw and part of Pownall Fee; the rest of Fulshaw became part of the much reduced Bollinfee civil parish, in Alderley Edge Urban District, while the other 1,523 acres (6.16 km ) of Pownall Fee were used to create the new Styal civil parish. The Wilmslow Urban District Council came into being in 1895 consisting only of
6080-466: Was sending his evidence to Sir Michael Havers , the Attorney General. In the Commons, Campbell-Savours stated: "Central Office set about an elaborate attempt to interfere directly with potential witnesses. Attempts were made to manage and rig statements by Mr. David Mitchell. I repeat what I have said previously, but additionally I am able to say today that there is a tape in existence that confirms
6160-410: Was the UKIP candidate in the by-election for Newport West . He came third behind the Labour and Conservative candidates with 2,023 votes (8.6%). Hamilton was the only MS not to live in Wales. By 2021 he was UKIP's only representative at any level above local government. On 12 September 2020, he was appointed acting leader, replacing Freddy Vachha . In the 2021 Senedd election Hamilton moved to
6240-479: Was the following month], I won't be able to return to the bar but even if I was able to do so, I couldn't contain myself from saying what I thought to some of the judges." Hamilton was also European and Parliamentary Affairs Director of the Institute of Directors during this time. On 12 March 1983, Hamilton was selected as the Conservative candidate for the newly created Tatton constituency . Three months later, at
6320-434: Was told that no advice could be given..." Tebbit accused Campbell-Savours of making his accusations behind the cloak of parliamentary privilege and left the chamber to make his reply. "My staff are appalled and disgusted. They are filled with contempt for a man who can make these sort of accusations of a criminal offence against a member of staff, who, Mr Campbell-Savours knows damn well, is not guilty of it." On 25 October,
6400-652: Was wrong about predicting racial violence, but had been "proved right by events" in terms of social change that was "never desired by the majority of the British people". Hamilton said that Powell "changed politics by articulating the fears and resentments of millions and millions of people who are being ignored by the establishment". In response, the leader of Plaid Cymru , Leanne Wood , accused Hamilton of "keeping Powell's racist rhetoric going". Labour AM Hefin David described Hamilton's comments as "outrageous". In April 2019, Hamilton
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