1234 George Lambert

Constituency : South  Molton 1891-1924, 1929-45  ( from  1931  National  Liberal )

George  recaptured   South  Molton  from  the  Liberal  Unionist   Viscount  Lymington  when  he became  Earl  of  Portsmouth, the  beginning  of  an  inordinately  long  parliamentary  career. He defeated  a  Liberal  Unionist  by  1,212  votes.

George  was  a  farmer's  son  from  Devon. He  was  educated  at  local  schools  then  started  work on  the  farm  taking  over  on  his  father's  death  in  1885.  His  father  became  a   Methodist  after an  argument  about  church  pews . He  became  a  county  councillor  for  Devonshire  in  1888  and served  for  63  years.

George  supported  Home  Rule, manhood  suffrage, old  age  penions , parish  councils  and  tenant security. He  was  an  approachable  man  and  soon  became  known  as  "Farmer  George".

In  1905  Campbell- Bannerman  made  him  Civil  Lord  of  the  Admiralty  despite  him  having  no obvious  qualifications  for  the  post. George  was  unopposed  in  1906.  Asquith  described  him  in a  letter  to Venetia  Stanley  as  not  particularly  competent  but  he  remained  in  his  post  until 1915. He  was  later  offered  a  post  as  junior  agricultural  minister by  Lloyd  George  which  he declined  unless  Admiral  Fisher  were  reinstated.

After  that   George  became  an  independent-minded  backbencher  noted  for  plain  speaking  and integrity. He  remained  wedded  to  the  idea  of  independence  and  self-help  and  thus  fervently anti-socialist.

In  1918  he  held  his  seat  against  a  "couponed"  Conservative. After  the  election  of  Donald McLean  as  leader  of  the  "Wee  Frees "   he  declared  himself  a supporter  of  Lloyd  George's government.  In  fact  he  became  chairman  of  the  Coalition Liberals  and  convened  a  gathering of  100  of   them  in  1919.   He  had  the  independent  Liberal whip  withdrawn.  He  was unopposed  in  1923  and  1924  but  lost  to  the Tories  in  1924.

In  1929  George  recaptured  the  seat  despite  a  Labour  candidate  standing  for  the  first  time. He voted  against  the  Labour   King's  Speech  in  1930 .In  1931  George  allied  himself  with  Simon against  Lloyd  George  and  the  Labour  party  and  held  his  seat  with  a  massive  majority  against Labour  in  1931  and  again  in  1935.

George  stood  down  in  favour  of  his  son  in  1945. He  was  created  a  Viscount.

George  was a  keen  golfer  and  shooter.

He  died  in  1958  aged  91.