Alan John Watson, Baron Watson of Richmond CBE (born 3 February 1941)[1] is a UK-based broadcaster, Liberal Democrat politician and leadership communications consultant.[2]
The Lord Watson of Richmond | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal | |
| In office 23 July 1999 – 25 July 2023 Life Peerage | |
| President of the Liberal Party | |
| In office 1984–1985 | |
| Preceded by | Geoffrey Tordoff, Baron Tordoff |
| Succeeded by | David Penhaligon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 February 1941 Port Elizabeth, South Africa |
| Political party | Liberal Democrats (since 1988) |
| Other political affiliations | Liberal (before 1988) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence(s) | Richmond, London, England |
| Education | University of Cambridge |
| Occupation | Journalist Politician Broadcast presenter |
| Website | www.lordalanwatson.com |
Early life and education
editLord Watson of Richmond is the son of the Rev. John William Watson and Edna Mary Peters. He was educated at the Diocesan College, Cape Town in South Africa and Kingswood School in Bath. He was an Open Scholar in history at Jesus College, Cambridge 1959, a State Scholar 1959 and was awarded an MA in 1963. He was the Vice-President of the Cambridge Union.
Watson's German-born wife Karen is an artist: they have two sons, Stephen and Martin.[3]
Career
editBroadcasting
editWatson joined the BBC after graduating from Cambridge University in 1963, and later became a regular presenter for The Money Programme on BBC Two and Panorama on BBC One. He also reported on London Weekend Television, Radio 4 and the BBC World Service, and wrote and presented award-winning documentaries over many years. He was one of the studio contributors to the BBC's June 1970 Election Night television programme.
He is a Fellow and Former Chairman of the Royal Television Society. From 1976 to 1980 he was responsible for media at the European Commission.
Politics
editIn politics, Watson's notable role was as President of the Liberal Party. He was appointed CBE in 1985 and, on 23 July 1999 was elevated to the House of Lords with a Life Peerage as Baron Watson of Richmond, of Richmond in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.[4] He was a member of the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Union.
He stood for election four times: as the Liberal candidate for Richmond in the general elections of October 1974 and 1979,[5] and as the Liberal candidate (SDP-Liberal Alliance) for Richmond and Barnes in the general elections of 1983 and 1987. On all four occasions, he came in second place, losing to the Conservatives.[6][7]
Outside of the United Kingdom, Lord Watson is Chair of the Albanian British Chamber of Commerce and is a Member of the European Parliament's High Level Group on Romania. His political interests are the "worldwide use of English, EU enlargement and transatlantic relationship".[8]
He retired from the House of Lords on 25 July 2023.
Leadership communications
editLord Watson was Chairman of CTN Communications until retirement, a creative communications agency based on St Martin's Lane in central London. He advises the leaders of major UK and international companies on their communications, with clients including BP, BAE Systems and Tesco.[8]
Board memberships
editBusiness
edit- Executive Chairman, CTN Communications
- Executive Chairman, Havas Media
- Chairman, Nexus Partnerships
- Chairman, Coca-Cola European Advisory Board
- Non-Executive Chairman, I-COMP
Not-for-profit
edit- Chairman, The Council of Commonwealth Societies
- Chairman, The European Movement UK
- Chairman, The Father Thames Trust
- Chairman, The Arcadia Advisory Board
- British Chairman, Königswinter Anglo-German Conference
- President, British-German Association
- Co-Chair, Jamestown 1607-2007 British Committee
- Non-Executive Chairman, Raisin Social (a wine importer)
- Member, The Executive Committee of the Pilgrims Society
- Member, The Prince of Wales Business Leaders' Forum
- Patron, The Richmond Society[9]
- Patron, Museum of Richmond[10][11]
- Patron, The Richmond in Europe Association
- International Chairman Emeritus, The English-Speaking Union
- Chairman Emeritus, Royal Television Society
- Former Executive Board Member, UNICEF UK
- President, The European-Atlantic Movement (TEAM)[8]
Positions at educational institutions
editLord Watson holds a range of visiting and honorary posts at universities in the United Kingdom and abroad.
United Kingdom
edit- High Steward, Cambridge University
- Visiting Fellow, Oriel College, Oxford University
- Honorary Fellow, Jesus College, Cambridge
- Chairman, Cambridge University Chemistry Advisory Board
- Life Patron, Cambridge's Churchill Archives Centre
- Chairman, The Cambridge Foundation
- Honorary Professor, University of Birmingham
- Trustee, The American International University in London
- Former Chairman, Governors at Westminster College, Oxford
- President, The British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education
Overseas
edit- Honorary Doctor, St Lawrence University, USA
- Visiting Professor, Leuven, Belgium
- Honorary Professor, Saint Petersburg State University, Russia
- Honorary Professor, Korea University, South Korea
- Trustee, The Centre for British Studies, Humboldt University, Berlin
- Churchill Fellow, Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri
Publications
editEurope at Risk
editEurope at Risk was Lord Waton's first publication, released in 1972.[12]
The Germans: Who Are They Now?
editThe Germans: Who Are They Now? is a non-fiction book, first published in 1992.[13]
Eminent Europeans: personalities who shaped contemporary Europe
editEminent Europeans: personalities who shaped contemporary Europe is a collection of 17 essays on the personalities who have shaped modern Europe, for which Lord Watson contributed the essay entitled Thatcher and Kohl: Old Rivalries Revisited. The book was published in 1996, and edited by Martyn Bond, Julie Smith and William Wallace.[14]
Jamestown: The Voyage of English
editPublished in 2007, Jamestown: The Voyage of English is an exploration of the global significance of the arrival of the Godspeed, the Susan Constant and the Discovery on America's East Coast in 1607.[15] These three ships carried the ideas and the language which would shape the modern world. Lord Watson tells the story of a precarious venture that nearly failed. But it succeeded against the odds, planting the seeds of representative government, capitalism and the rule of law. These ideas were expressed in a language which had just reached a peak of power and vitality – the English of Shakespeare, Tyndale and Cranmer's Prayer Book. The year 1607 marks the start of the voyage of English from the language of 4 million inhabitants of the British Isles to its role as today's working language of the global village used by almost 2 billion people world-wide.
The Queen and the USA
editThe Queen and the USA is a non-fiction book published in March 2012 by Dementi Milestone Publishing.[16][17] During 2012, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated the 60th anniversary of her role as Queen of the United Kingdom. This book explores and celebrates the special relationship between the American and British people during this period, and honours Queen Elizabeth II for her role and contribution to a friendship recognised throughout the world. Co-authored by Horace Edward "Chip" Mann, the book is highly visual, and includes photographs of the Queen with twelve US Presidents.
Churchill's Legacy, Two Speeches to Save the World
editPublished in 2016, Churchill's Legacy, Two Speeches to Save the World is a non-fiction book published in September 2016 by Bloomsbury Publishing to mark the 70th anniversary of Churchill's speeches in 1946, first in March in Fulton, Missouri, often known as the Iron Curtain speech, and then in September in Zurich, Switzerland, often known as the United States of Europe speech.
Honours and awards
editBelow is a list of Lord Watson's most notable awards. For educational honours, please see the above section, Positions at Educational Institutions.
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire, 1985
- Federal Cross of Merit (Germany), 1995 (for his "significant and enduring contribution" to understanding between Germany and Britain)
- Grand Cross of Merit (Germany), 2001
- Commander's Grand Cross of the Romanian Order of Merit, 2004
- Churchill Medal, 2005
- The Loyola Schools Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Promotion of English by Manila University, 2005
- Knights Grand Cross of the German Order of Merit, 2007
- Doctor Honoris Causa University of Tirana, For the valuable contribution to the development of the Albanian state, 2010
- Knight of Honor of the Order of St. George, 2016
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References
edit- ^ "Biography". The Rt. Hon Lord Watson of Richmond CBE. Archived from the original on 23 December 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
- ^ "Alan Watson". Liberal Democrats. 24 January 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
- ^ "Lady Karen Watson". Lady Karen Watson. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
- ^ "No. 55565". The London Gazette. 28 July 1999. p. 8127.
- ^ "Some votes are more equal than others". The Reality Gap. 4 November 2013. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013.
- ^ "Labour's Total Collapse in South Underlines Regional Divisions". The Herald. Glasgow. 11 June 1983. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
- ^ "British Universities Film and Video Council – Alan Watson". British Universities Film and Video Council. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
- ^ a b c "Lord Watson of Richmond". UK Parliament. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
- ^ "Welcome to Sir Trevor McDonald OBE who joins our distinguished group of Patrons: Lord Attenborough of Richmond, Rachel Dickson MBE, Bamber Gascoigne and Lord Watson of Richmond upon Thames CBE" (PDF). The Richmond Society Quarterly Newsletter (236). Winter 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2013.
- ^ "The History of the Founding of the Museum of Richmond". Museum of Richmond. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
- ^ "Lord Watson of Richmond". Lords. Parliament of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
- ^ Watson, Alan (1 March 1972). Europe at Risk. George G. Harrap and Co. ISBN 9780245506581.
- ^ Watson, Alan (1992). The Germans: Who are They Now?. Edition Q. ISBN 9780867152685.
- ^ Wallace, William (1996). Eminent Europeans: personalities who shaped contemporary Europe. Greycoat Press. ISBN 9781899908004.
- ^ Watson, Alan (11 June 2007). Jamestown: The Voyage of English. U.K.: Artesian Publishing LLP. ISBN 9780955116414.
- ^ Richmond, Lord Watson Of; Mann, Horace Edward (1 April 2012). The Queen and the USA. Dementi Milestone Publishing. ISBN 9780983834892.
- ^ "The Lord Watson of Richmond, CBE". The Queen and the U.S.A. Archived from the original on 22 April 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
- ^ Debrett's Peerage. 2015. p. 1273.