Paul Channon
Henry Channon, Baron Kelvedon | |
|---|---|
| Born | Henry Paul Guinness Channon 9 October 1935 |
| Died | 27 January 2007 (aged 71) Brentwood, Essex, England |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Years active | 1959–1997 |
| Known for | Conservative MP for Southend West; Secretary of State for Trade and Industry; Secretary of State for Transport |
Henry Paul Guinness Channon, Baron Kelvedon, (9 October 1935 – 27 January 2007) served as a Conservative MP representing Southend West for nearly four decades, from 1959 until 1997. Throughout his political career, he occupied various ministerial posts, including senior Cabinet roles as President of the Board of Trade and Secretary of State for Trade and Industry between January 1986 and June 1987, followed by Secretary of State for Transport from June 1987 to July 1989.
Early life
Channon was the sole offspring of Sir Henry "Chips" Channon, a notable politician and diarist, and Lady Honor Channon, the eldest daughter of Rupert Guinness, 2nd Earl of Iveagh. His family maintained prominent social ties: his father’s intimate companion was Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, he received a toy panda from King Edward VIII prior to the monarch’s abdication, and he shared a birthday with childhood friend Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. During the Second World War, he was evacuated to reside with the influential Astor family.
Education
His schooling included attendance at two distinguished British private institutions: Lockers Park School in Hemel Hempstead and later Eton College. Playwright Terence Rattigan, who had close connections with his father, dedicated The Winslow Boy (1946) to him.
Between 1955 and 1956, he fulfilled his national service obligation with the Royal Horse Guards, serving in Cyprus amidst the 1956 emergency. In London’s social circles surrounding Princess Margaret, he was active before enrolling at Christ Church, Oxford in 1956, where he held the presidency of the Oxford University Conservative Association.
Parliamentary career
At just 23 years old and still an Oxford student, Channon won election as MP for Southend West during a 1959 by-election. The constituency bore strong familial associations dating back to 1912 through his grandfather Rupert Guinness and subsequent family members including his grandmother and father.
Despite facing allegations of nepotism during the selection process—competing against 129 contenders—he secured the candidacy. His grandmother commended constituents for endorsing "a colt trained in a strong stable." Upon election, he left university to dedicate himself fully to parliamentary duties and remained Britain’s youngest MP until 1964.
In government
Between 1959 and 1960, Channon acted as parliamentary private secretary to Richard Wood, Minister of Power, and subsequently served from 1961 to 1964 in similar capacity under R. A. Butler during his terms as Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary—roles formerly occupied by Channon’s father. In 1965, he joined the executive committee of the 1922 Committee and distinguished himself as one of few Conservatives supporting abolition of capital punishment that year while opposing Rhodesia’s unilateral declaration of independence.
Under Edward Heath’s leadership, Channon was appointed spokesman on public building in 1965 and arts in 1967. From 1970 to 1974, he held junior ministerial appointments: Parliamentary Secretary at Housing and Local Government; Under-Secretary at the Department of the Environment; briefly Minister of State at Northern Ireland Office; then Minister responsible for Housing and Construction. Notably, in 1972 he facilitated unsuccessful negotiations between Secretary William Whitelaw and IRA leader Sean MacStiofain.
After the February 1974 general election, he joined Heath’s shadow cabinet as environment spokesman but was dismissed by Margaret Thatcher in 1975. He took part in Conservative delegations to both the Council of Europe and Western European Union in 1976 but failed to secure nomination for the first European Parliament elections in 1979.
Returning to ministerial office in 1979 under Thatcher’s administration, Channon became Minister of State at the Civil Service Department and was inducted into the Privy Council in 1980. Following abolition of that department in 1981, he was appointed Minister for the Arts. After the Conservative victory in 1983, he served as Minister of State for Trade within the Department of Trade and Industry, temporarily leading it twice after ministerial resignations.
On 24 January 1986, following Leon Brittan’s resignation amid the Westland affair controversy, Channon assumed office as President of the Board of Trade and Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.
His time in office encountered several difficulties including involvement with the Guinness share-trading fraud connected to its acquisition of Distillers—requiring him to abstain due to familial interests—and unsuccessful attempts to privatize nationalized automakers British Leyland and Austin Rover. Leyland Trucks was ultimately sold to DAF. He opposed mergers such as Tate and Lyle with British Sugar as well as GEC’s bid for Plessey. Later allegations linked him to covert UK arms shipments to Iraq.
Transport Secretary
On 13 June 1987, Channon was named Secretary of State for Transport. His period in office was overshadowed by several significant transport catastrophes: the King's Cross fire resulting in 31 fatalities in November 1987; the Clapham Junction rail accident causing 35 deaths in December 1988; the Lockerbie disaster with 270 lives lost in December 1988; and the Kegworth air crash which claimed 44 lives in January 1989. In the House of Commons, he was criticized by Labour's transport spokesperson, John Prescott, for insufficient investment in railway infrastructure and for taking a family vacation to Mustique shortly following the Lockerbie tragedy.
Channon’s removal from his post in July 1989 was connected to a leak concerning the Lockerbie investigation. Investigative journalist Paul Foot revealed that in March 1989, soon after US President George H. W. Bush advised Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to "cool it" regarding Lockerbie, Channon informed political reporters that the Dumfries and Galloway Police had concluded their criminal inquiry and arrests were forthcoming. Although Channon denied being the source of this leak, the information became public. After being publicly accused of dishonesty on the front page of the Daily Mirror, Channon did not dispute the allegation but was quietly dismissed from his role. Thatcher appointed Cecil Parkinson as his successor on 24 July 1989.
Backbenches and retirement
Channon had ambitions to become the fourth family member to hold the position of Speaker of the House of Commons, but he withdrew from consideration during the 1992 contest following Bernard Weatherill’s retirement. Subsequently, he chaired both the House of Commons Finance and Services Committee and the Transport Select Committee.
He stepped down at the general election in 1997 and was elevated to the peerage as Baron Kelvedon, of Ongar in Essex, on 11 June 1997, adopting the title from his family estate at Kelvedon Hall.
Outside his parliamentary career, Channon held a board position at Guinness and took part in activities related to the Guinness Trust.
Personal life
In 1963, Channon wed Ingrid Guinness (née Wyndham), who was previously married to his cousin Jonathan Guinness. Together they had three children—Henry, Georgia, and Olivia Gwendolen—and he also became stepfather to three children from Ingrid’s previous marriage. Olivia died in 1986 at age 22 due to causes related to alcohol and drugs; the coroner classified her death as misadventure. Henry Channon passed away on 24 October 2021 at age 51.
Death
In his later years, Channon battled Alzheimer's disease. He passed away at his residence in Brentwood, Essex, on 27 January 2007, aged 71.