Alan Beith is Chairman of the Justice Committee at the House of Commons.
He was appointed to the Privy Council in the Queen's Birthday Honours June 1992.
Alan Beith is a member of the Intelligence and Security Committee and of the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission.
He was born on 20th April 1943. He was educated at Kings School, Macclesfield and Balliol and Nuffield Colleges, Oxford. Before his election as an MP, he was a Lecturer in Politics at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
He has an Hon. D.C.L., University of Newcastle upon Tyne
He joined the Liberal Party in 1958.
He was elected MP for Berwick upon Tweed in a by-election in 1973 with a majority of only 57, and successfully defended the seat in two General Elections in 1974 making a total of three elections in less than a year. His majority in 2005 was 8,632.
He is a former Chief Whip and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats.
Prior to his election as an MP, Alan Beith was a member of Tynedale District Council.
Alan Beith is a Methodist local preacher. His wife Barbara died in 1998 and he married Diana, Baroness Maddock in June 2001. Alan Beith has a daughter; his son died in July 2000. He has an interest in historic buildings, music, walking and boats. He is Chairman of the Trustees of the Historic Chapels Trust. He is Vice-Chairman of the All Party Arts and Heritage Group and Chairman of the British-Norwegian Parliamentary Group.
September 2007
Speakers
