Peter Pilkington, Baron Pilkington of Oxenford

Peter Pilkington, Baron Pilkington of Oxenford (born September 5, 1933 in Newcastle upon Tyne , † February 14, 2011 ) was a British life peer and politician ( Conservative Party ).

life and career

Pilkington was born on September 5, 1933 to Frank and Doris Pilkington. His parents were atheists ; he himself discovered his turn to Christianity during his time as a student at Dame Allan's Grammar School in Newcastle upon Tyne . His father was a traveling salesman. In 1952 he started at Jesus College of the University of Cambridge history study. In the history faculty of the university, conservative currents were very popular at the time; Pilkington was determined by the ideas of the historian and philosopher Maurice Cowling , Herbert Butterfield and Michael Oakeshott . In 1955 he graduated with a Master of Arts in history.

He joined the Universities' Mission to Central Africa , an Anglican missionary society . From 1955 to 1957 he worked as a teacher in mission stations . He also worked with lepers in Tanganyika , an experience that further convinced him of the Christian religion and its power to change. In 1957 he returned to Cambridge. In preparation for the priesthood he attended Westcott House Theological College in Cambridge . He was ordained a priest in Bakewell , Derbyshire , in 1959 . There he took a position as vicar ( curate ). He held this position until 1962.

From 1962 to 1976 he was a Schoolmaster at Eton College , where he became a Masters in College within two years and took over the school supervision for the King's Scholars . 1975 he became Rector ( Headmaster ) to the The King's School , where he remained until 1986 in office. There he was instrumental in setting up a voluntary social service in which boys volunteered with the elderly, with children from socially disadvantaged families or in hospitals. From 1986 to 1992 he was Rector ( High Master ) of St Paul's School in London . He entered early retirement to Chairman ( Chairman ) of the Broadcasting Complaints Commission to be (BCC), a position he held from 1992 to 1996.

From 1975 to 1990 he was Honorary Canon ( Honorary Canon ) at Canterbury Cathedral ; then Canon Emeritus .

Membership in the House of Lords

Pilkington was named a Life Peer as Baron Pilkington of Oxenford, of West Dowlish in the County of Somerset on January 12, 1996 . He gave his inaugural address in the House of Lords on February 21, 1996. From 1997 to 1998 he was the Opposition Spokesperson for Education and Employment under William Hague , but resigned under protest as Hague Lord Cranborne , the chairman of the Conservatives in the House of Lords, dismissed.

He last spoke up on December 9, 2010. He last took part in a vote on February 9, 2011.

Working in public

Although known for his conservative attitude, Pilkington implemented a number of reforms during his tenure as headmaster. This included the abolition of corporal punishment and the admission of mixed classes in some grades. Two new school buildings and an arts study center were opened during his tenure; an increasing number of students won scholarships from the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.

He was a staunch opponent of " inclusion " and the view held at the time that professional and school qualifications should be given equal status. Pilkington believed that these two disciplines were incompatible and should remain separate. Pilkington was an advocate of school selection, arguing that the school leaving age must be lowered to avoid non-academic students continuing an education in which they are not interested.

The socio-political model of the welfare state ( welfarism ), he was skeptical. He believed that Christianity should be "politically indifferent and morally involved". He rejected the concept of a church that tries to remain relevant by compromising on secularism .

In 1991 he wrote a pamphlet for the Center for Policy Studies , End Egalitarian Delusion , calling on the government to prioritize educational excellence over social engineering .

The assumption of the chairmanship of the BCC was noted with indignation by some Labor politicians . The most controversial decision by the BCC under his chairmanship is considered to be the 1994 decision when the National Council of One Parent Families upheld a complaint that the BBC series Babies on Benefit was unfair to single parents.

Pilkington served as president of the National Grammar Schools' Association . He led the campaign against the government's attempt to abolish the remaining grammar schools . Pilkington criticized the school principals there, who “hide behind paragraphs” in order to avoid problems.

Family and death

Pilkington married in 1966 Helen Wilson, the granddaughter of a snuff - tycoons who he had met in 1959 while serving as vicar in Bakewell. She died in 1997. They had two daughters together.

Pilkington died on February 14, 2011 at the age of 77. The memorial service was held in Somerset on February 23, 2011 . A thanksgiving service will be held on June 16, 2011 at St Margaret's Church in Westminster , London .

Web links

• Peter Pilkington at Hansard (English)
• Peter Pilkington, Baron Pilkington of Oxenford at theyworkforyou
• Peter Pilkington, Baron Pilkington of Oxenford at The Public Whip
• The Rev Canon Lord Pilkington of Oxenford obituary in The Telegraph dated February 14, 2011

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Lords who have died since January 1, 2010 ( Memento of the original from January 16, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. List of deceased members on the House of Lords website , accessed April 2, 2011 
2. ↑ Dod's Parliamentary Companion 2004.Vacher Dod Publishing, Limited, 2004. S. 682
3. ^ Peter Pilkington, Baron Pilkington of Oxenford on thepeerage.com , accessed August 18, 2015.
4. ↑ Hague defiant over sacking article on BBC News, December 4, 1998
5. ↑ Obituary: the Revd Canon Lord Pilkington of Oxenford (1933-2011) Obituary of the Tory Reform Group of February 17, 2011
6. ↑ Peter Pilkington ( Memento of the original from March 11, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Obituary of the St. Paul School of February 23, 2011 
7. ↑ Lord Pilkington contribution to Lords of the Blog by Lord Norton, February 17, 2011
8. ↑ Death of Lord Pilkington  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. King's School obituary dated February 17, 2011  
9. ↑ The Reverend Canon Lord Pilkington of Oxenford  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Announcement on Westminster Abbey website , accessed April 2, 2011