The Lord Bowness | |
---|---|
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal | |
Assumed office 17 January 1996 Life Peerage | |
Leader of Croydon London Borough Council | |
In office 1980–1994 | |
Mayor of Croydon | |
In office 1979–1980 | |
Leader of Croydon London Borough Council | |
In office 1976–1979 | |
Member of Croydon London Borough Council | |
In office 1968–1998 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Peter Spencer Bowness 19 May 1943 |
Political party | Conservative (1996–2020) Non-affiliated (2020–2021) Crossbench (2021–present) |
Education | Whitgift School |
Alma mater | University of Law |
Awards | Deputy Lieutenant (1981) CBE (1981) Knight Bachelor (1987) Life peer (1996) |
Peter Spencer Bowness,Baron Bowness, CBE , DL (born 19 May 1943) is a British politician,solicitor,and life peer. Since 1996,he has been a member of the House of Lords.
Bowness was born on 19 May 1943. [1] He was educated at Whitgift School,an all-boys private school in South Croydon,London. [2] He graduated from the University of Law,and began work as a solicitor in 1966.
Bowness is a qualified solicitor and notary public. [3] From 1970 to 2002,he was a partner at Weightman Sadler Solicitors in Purley,London Borough of Croydon. From 2002 to 2011,he was a consultant to Streeter Marshall Solicitors (the successor to the now merged Weightman Sadler Solicitors). [2] Since then,he has not practised as a solicitor or notary public. [3]
Bowness became a councillor and soon rose within Conservative Party ranks,becoming Leader of Croydon Council, [4] London's largest borough. During the 1980s,Bowness was said to have been one of Margaret Thatcher's favourite Council leaders,and took part in the abolition of the GLC. [5] [6] He was unusual amongst his Conservative colleagues,however,for supporting Ken Livingstone's low-cost public transport initiative,Fares Fair.
He continued as Leader until 1994 when the Labour Party won the local elections. He stepped down from the Council in 1998. He served as a member of the Committee of the Regions and the Audit Commission.
On 17 January 1996,Bowness was created a life peer as Baron Bowness,of Warlingham in the County of Surrey and of Croydon in the London Borough of Croydon. [7] From December 2002 to November 2006,he was member of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights. [3] From December 2003 to May 2014,he served on the European Union Committee. [3] He chaired the Foreign Policy Defence and Developmental Aid Sub-Committee of the EU Select Committee from 2003 to 2006,and chaired the Justice,Institutions and Consumer Protection Sub-Committee from 2009 to 2013. [2]
He is a patron of the Warehouse Theatre and was formerly a Governor of the Whitgift Foundation.
On 14 June 1981,Bowness was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant (DL) to the Lord Lieutenant of Greater London. [8] In the 1981 Queen's Birthday Honours,he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in recognition of his service as Chairman of the London Boroughs Association. [9]
In the 1987 New Year Honours,it was announced that he was to be made a Knight Bachelor "for political and public service". [10] On 11 February 1987,he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. [11]
In 1987,Bowness was made Freeman of the City of London. In 2002,he was made an Honorary Freeman of the London Borough of Croydon. [2]
On 1 May 1988,Bowness was appointed Honorary Colonel of the 151 (Greater London) Transport Regiment,Royal Corps of Transport (Volunteers),Territorial Army. [12] On 5 April 1993,he stood down from the appointment and was granted permission to retain his honorary rank. [13]
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