 |
Business | Industries | Finance | Tax |
| Index: > A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
|
|||||
Bramall's family were wealthy merchants from Hampshire, but his mother was a convinced socialist and did much to convince her son to support the left in politics. He attended Westminster School briefly, before moving to Canford School for the benefit of his health. He went up to Magdalen College, Oxford in the mid 1930s to read Philosophy, Politics and Economics. He was elected to chair the Oxford University Labour Club in 1938Events January -June January 3 The March of Dimes is established by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. January 11 Frances Moulton is the first woman to become president of a US national bank. January 20 Wedding of king Farouk I of Egypt and Farida Zulficar in Cai. At Oxford he was an active debater at the Oxford Union Society where he often debated with Edward HeathThe Right Honourable Sir Edward Richard George Heath KG, MBE (born July 9, 1916) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and leader of the Conservative Party from 1965 to 1975. His spell in office represented a transition between the tr. He was Treasurer of the Union in 1939Events January-June January 2 End of term for Frank Finley Merriam, 28th Governor of California. He is succeeded by Culbert Levy Olson. January 24 Earthquake kills 30. 000 in Chile about 50. 000 sq mi razed January 26 Falangists take Barcelona January 26.
On the outbreak of war Bramall joined the Northamptonshire Yeomanry and he served in the Reconnaissance Corps and at the Army Staff College in Camberley, being promoted to Major. After the end of the war he served in GermanyThe Federal Republic of Germany ( German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland is one of the world's leading industrialized countries, located in the middle of the European Union. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark and the Baltic Sea, to the east in the Allied administration. His younger brother Edwin was much later to be appointed Chief of the Defence Staff and created Lord Bramall.
Bramall had already begun his political career by fighting FarehamThe market town of Fareham lies in the south east of Hampshire, between the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth. It is in the larger borough of Fareham. The National Census, 2001 found Fareham to have lower than average unemployment and crime with house for the Labour PartyThe Labour Party is a centre- left or social democratic political party in Britain (see British politics), and one of the United Kingdom's three main political parties. Under its leader Tony Blair it won a landslide in the 1997 general election, and forme in the 1945 general election, and when a vacancy occurred at Bexley he was selected to fight the by-election. During the campaign the Government was forced to introduce rationing of bread, which had never been needed during the war, and many were impressed that Bramall managed to win the seat narrowly. He made a successful maiden speech outlining the difficulties in administering Germany and removing nazi controlled institutions of government.
In the 1950 election, Bramall lost his seat by 133 votes to his old University adversary Edward Heath with whom he always remained personally friendly. He had already taken up a career outside politics by reading for the Bar, and was called in 1949 to the Inner Temple. He specialized in landlord and tenant issues. He tried to win Bexley back in 1951 and 1959, and also made an unsuccessful attempt at Watford in 1955.
Bramall was active in local politics in the Metropolitan Borough of Westminster although the local boundaries made it extremely difficult for Labour candidates to win seats. After a boundary change in 1959 the Labour Party won enough seats to elect him as an Alderman. He was elected as a councillor to the new Westminster City Council; when he lost his seat in 1968 the Conservative group blocked his election as an Alderman. In 1961 he was elected to the London County Council and made the transition to the Greater London Council when that body was set up in 1964; he was one of eight people to serve as a member of the GLC throughout its existence.
Membership of the GLC made him an ex officio member of the Inner London Education Authority and Bramall specialized in education issues. He was Chairman of ILEA from 1965 until Labour lost power in 1967. He was then chosen to lead the Labour Group. Labour won back control in 1970 and Bramall then became Leader of the authority.
In the controversy over education in the 1970s, Bramall stood firmly behind comprehensive schools as a way of raising the educational achievements of most pupils. He was opposed to the use of corporal punishment and had it banned. However, his generally strong leadership did not prevent the scandal over the William Tyndale Junior School in Islington in 1975. He was given a Knighthood in 1975.
Under Bramall, Labour retained control of ILEA in 1977 despite losing the GLC election. He was under pressure to stand as a candidate to replace Reg Goodwin as Labour Leader on the GLC in 1980, but resisted because he wanted to continue at ILEA. However, when Labour won GLC control back in 1981, the left-wing majority voted to replace him as ILEA leader. Bramall made an unsuccessful attempt to remain on the directly-elected ILEA in 1986 at Putney. Bramall was well-regarded by Officers of ILEA, especially after the leaderships that followed. At his memorial service, a former Chief Officer remarked "Under Ashley Bramall, the ILEA never found it necessary to have a foreign policy".
In his retirement, Bramall held many public appointments including Directorships of the Museum of London, Chairman of the Westminster College of Further Education, and Honorary Secretary of the Theatres Advisory Council. He remained active in local politics as chair of his local party branch and surprised many by his willingness to undertake menial tasks such as delivering leaflets while in his 80s. In 1996 he acted as Agent in a local byelection which saw Mair Garside, formerly his Deputy at ILEA, elected to Westminster City Council.
He had appeared on Mastermind while Leader of ILEA in 1976, taking "British politics since 1918" as his specialized subject, and was an active member of the Masterminders' club. His second wife, Gery Bramall (who was a fellow Westminster Councillor), was also on the show.
| Preceded by: Lena Townsend | Leader of the Inner London Education Authority 1970-1981 | Followed by: Bryn Davies |
| Politics | Business | Finance |
 |
 |
 |
|