Constituency : Cheadle 1966-70, Hazel Grove 1974
Michael restored a Liberal presence in the north west by taking Cheadle from the Tories. The Liberals had taken second place in 1959 and further eroded the Tories' majority in 1964.
Michael was born in Nantwich. He was educated at Manchester Grammar School and Manchester University where he was President of the Union. He studied medicine and became a general practitioner in Urmston. He also became a medical broadcaster on TV and radio in the sixties.
Michael was often the only Liberal present in the Commons as he needed little sleep and had the stamina for all-night sittings.
Michael was narrowly defeated in 1970. He returned for the neighbouring constituency of Hazel Grove in February 1974. He became chief whip. He was discovered to be holding an office of medical officer to a Royal Ordnance factory which made him ineligible to sit as an MP and it's a measure of the esteem in which he was held that the Commons rushed through legislation to override this. However he was defeated in October.
In 1976 Michael was created Baron Winstanley. He was chairman of the Countryside Commission between 1978 and 1980.
Michael was a familiar face in the Granada region as the presenter of a weekday five minute consumer rights slot This is Your Right between 1972 and 1986. He was also a keen cricketer and a cricket columnist for the Manchester Evening News.
He died in 1993 aged 74. His niece is newsreader Anna Ford.
No comments:
Post a Comment