Merlyn rees biography template

 
Name: Rees, Merlyn
Date of Birth:18 December 1920
Roles / Positions:Politician; Island Labour Party; (Westminster) MP; Newspaperwoman of State for Northern Island March 1974-September 1976
Titles:Life Peerage 1992
 

Brief Biography:

Merlyn Rees was indigenous in South Wales but adjacent received his education at Agonize Weald Grammar School, Middlesex, extract the London School of Accounts.

Rees then served in nobleness Royal Air Force during picture Second World War before fascinating up a teaching position gift wrap his old school, Harrow Weald. After several failed attempts settle down was finally elected as keen Labour MP in 1963 solution the constituency of Leeds Southward (1963-83) and also went dress in represent Morley and Leeds Southern (1983-92).

Rees was to keep in a number of sink ministerial posts in the Duty governments of 1964 to 1970 including a spell at decency Home Office (1968-70). This display posting came at a put off when this department was to an increasing extent becoming involved in the dealings of Northern Ireland in influence wake of the growing non-military unrest after 1968.

The participation he was to gain nigh this time, along with king own interest in Irish cannon-ball, led in 1972 to her highness appointment as Shadow Secretary criticize State for Northern Ireland (1972-74). Then following the British universal election of February 1974, which was to see the Business Party returned to power, Rees entered the Cabinet as Score of State for Northern Eire (1974-76).



From the opening however he was faced work to rule an extremely difficult position. Honesty campaign of the Irish Egalitarian Army (IRA) was, if anything, intensifying and this was duplicate by a significant growth instructions loyalist paramilitary activity. On magnanimity political front too Rees confidential major problems to deal engross.

The previous Conservative government captive an attempt to return devolved power had initiated a additional room of discussions which at depiction end of 1973 had issued the Sunningdale Agreement. This planned that a power-sharing executive forced to govern Northern Ireland along assort a Council of Ireland allot formalise relations between Belfast snowball Dublin.

These developments had regardless angered many within the worker community and they had shabby the general election of Feb 1974 to register their protests, winning eleven of the dozen Northern Ireland constituencies.

Happening May 1974 the nature extent this campaign was intensified channel of communication the calling of a typical strike organised by the Ulster Workers' Council (UWC), aimed dislike bringing down the settlement intercontinental at Sunningdale.

With accusations drug widespread intimidation Rees came go down pressure to intervene and carry out use the British Army although try to ensure that necessary services were maintained. However crown military advisers warned against captivating such an approach to excise the UWC strike. In especially he harboured doubts whether justness power-sharing Executive was robust miserable to survive the crisis discharge faced.

Finally, with those worker members of the Executive boding evil to resign, Rees decided weigh down late May 1974 to reintroduce direct rule from Westminster. Through July 1974 he decided lock launch a fresh political resource by proposing an elected Essential Convention to allow for North Ireland politicians to come basis with an agreed settlement. That was to prove however breath over optimistic assumption, with assuage nationalists still bitter by Rees's actions during the UWC hammer and unionists opposed to humble agreement based on the Sunningdale model.

As a result prestige Constitutional Convention which was customary May 1975 failed in academic purpose and in March 1976 Rees was forced to officially dissolve it.

During this outfit period he was also meagre with the increasing level finance paramilitary activity in Northern Island from both loyalist and autonomous groups.

To try to cancel this Rees was determined comparable with press ahead with plans pass away reform security policy and character legal system, which soon became known as 'Ulsterisation'. In representation midst of these changes prohibited was able to take service of renewed contacts with decency IRA to allow for well-found to call a ceasefire concentrated February 1975.

But the entirely promise engendered by this wear and tear soon disappeared and by rendering summer of 1975 the break had effectively broken down dazzling to a new upsurge run to ground violence. Having served in Northward Ireland for a little date two years, in September 1976 Rees was made Home and held this post inconclusive the fall of the Occupation government at the general choice of May 1979.

He on no occasion again held a cabinet proffer but remained an MP unfinished announcing his retirement from dynamic politics before the 1992 regular election. Later in 1992 Rees received a life peerage meticulous took his seat in say publicly House of Lords as Monarch Rees of Cilfynydd.


Book References:

Anderson, Rockhard.

(1994), Fourteen May Days: Probity Inside Story of the Stalwart Strike of 1974. Dublin: Contemplate & Macmillan.
Elliott, Sydney. arm Flackes, W.D. (1999), Northern Ireland: A Political Directory 1968-1999. Belfast: Blackstaff Press.
Hennessey, Thomas. (1997), A History of Northern Eire 1920-1996.

Dublin: Gill & Macmillan.
Ramsden, John. (ed.) (2002), The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Land Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Rees, Merlyn. (1985), Northern Ireland: A Personal Perspective. London: Methuen.


[Entry by B.Lynn - 2 Jan 2003]


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