Irwin Bellow, Baron Bellwin
Irwin Norman Bellow, Baron Bellwin JP DL (7 February 1923 – 11 February 2001) was a British Conservative politician.
The Lord Bellwin of Leeds | |
|---|---|
| Minister of State for Local Government | |
| In office 6 January 1983 – 11 September 1984 | |
| Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher |
| Preceded by | Tom King |
| Succeeded by | Kenneth Baker |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment | |
| In office 7 May 1979 – 6 January 1983 | |
| Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher |
| Preceded by | Kenneth Marks |
| Succeeded by | no appointment |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal | |
| In office 21 May 1979 – 11 February 2001 Life Peerage | |
| Leader of Leeds City Council | |
| In office 1975 – 1979 | |
| Preceded by | Sir Albert King |
| Succeeded by | Peter Sparling |
| Leeds City Councillor for Talbot Ward | |
| In office 1973 – 1980 | |
| Preceded by | P. Brayshay or R. Crousden |
| Succeeded by | Ward abolished |
| Leeds City Councillor for Chapel Allerton Ward Potternewton (1965-1968) | |
| In office 1965 – 1973 | |
| Preceded by | L. Lyons |
| Succeeded by | Ward abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Irwin Norman Bellow 7 February 1923 Leeds, England |
| Died | 11 February 2001 (aged 78) |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Doreen Saperia |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Leeds Grammar School |
| Alma mater | University of Leeds |
Bellow was born to a Jewish family in Leeds, and was educated at Leeds Grammar School and the University of Leeds, where he read Law. He then joined the family's sewing-machine firm. Bellow served as the Leader of the Leeds City Council from 1975 to 1979. As council leader, he sold 3,000 council houses and cut rates, which brought him to the attention of Margaret Thatcher.[1][2]
On 21 May 1979, he was created a life peer as Baron Bellwin, of the City of Leeds.[3] Between 1979 and 1983, Bellwin served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of the Environment under Michael Heseltine. Between 1983 and 1984 he was Minister of State for the Environment (Local Government).
As a junior minister, Bellwin piloted 28 bills through the House of Lords, including the Thatcher government's 'Right to Buy' legislation and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. He spoke more than 1,000 times in the Lords during the passage of Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980.[2] The Bellwin scheme, which he introduced in 1983, is named after him. He resigned from the government in 1984, allegedly because of his opposition to Margaret Thatcher's plans to abolish the Labour-dominated metropolitan county councils.[1]
Bellwin was made a Justice of the Peace for Leeds in 1969 and became a Deputy Lieutenant for West Yorkshire in 1991. He was Master of the Worshipful Company of World Traders from 1988 to 1989.
He married Doreen Saperia in 1948; they had one son and two daughters.[2]
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References
- Roth, Andrew (30 March 2001). "Lord Bellwin". The Guardian.
- "Lord Bellwin". The Telegraph. 14 February 2001.
- "No. 47849". The London Gazette. 24 May 1979. p. 6641.
- Debrett's Peerage. 1985.
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Lord Bellwin