Stephen Benn, 3rd Viscount Stansgate
 | This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (March 2014) |
| Director of Parliamentary Affairs for the Royal Society of Biology | |
|---|---|
| Assumed office 2011 | |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal | |
| Assumed office 6 September 2021 Hereditary peerage | |
| Preceded by | The 2nd Viscount Stansgate (1963) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Stephen Michael Wedgwood Benn 21 August 1951 |
| Spouse(s) | Nita Clarke (ex-wife) |
| Children | 2, including Emily |
| Parents |
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| Relatives |
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| Alma mater | Keele University |
Stephen Michael Wedgwood Benn, 3rd Viscount Stansgate (born 21 August 1951), is a British hereditary peer and Labour member of the House of Lords.
Early life[]
His father, Tony Benn, and his younger brother, Hilary Benn, have both been senior Labour politicians. His mother was Caroline Benn an educationalist and writer, and his sister is Melissa Benn, a feminist writer.
Education[]
He is a graduate of Keele University. He was an elected Member of the Inner London Education Authority from 1986 to 1990.
Career[]
In 2011, he was appointed director of parliamentary affairs for the Society of Biology[1] after spending two decades in a similar role for the Royal Society of Chemistry.[2] He is also a Vice-President of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee.[3]
Benn succeeded to the title of Viscount Stansgate on the death of his father in March 2014.[2][4][5][6] His active acceptance of the title was recorded on 10 November 2014 with a note in the minutes of Proceedings from the House of Lords, stating:[7]
- "The Lord Chancellor reported that Stephen Michael Wedgwood Benn had established his claim to the Viscount of Stansgate in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The Clerk of the Parliaments was accordingly directed to enter Viscount Stansgate on the register of hereditary peers maintained under Standing Order 10(5)."
He stood for election as a Labour hereditary peer in the House of Lords and was elected unopposed on 10 July 2021, replacing Lord Rea who died in 2020; he took the oath on 6 September that year. He made his maiden speech on Thursday 14th October 2021 on the debate of Regional Stategy debate, with his brother Hilary Benn watching on.[8][9]
Personal life[]
Lord Stansgate has a daughter, Emily, born in 1989, and a son, Daniel John Wedgwood Benn, born in 1991 with his ex-wife Nita Clarke. Emily, an investment banker by occupation, pursued a political career, and sat on the Croydon London Borough Council as a Labour member until she resigned in 2016 on moving to New York.
References[]
- ^ "Royal Society of Biology". Our Team.
- ^ a b Boffey, Daniel (16 March 2014). "Tony Benn's son inherits title his father gave up". The Observer. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
- ^ "Officers". Parliamentary and Scientific Committee. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
- ^ "Viscount Stansgate returns to prove blue blood is thicker than red". Financial Times. 14 November 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
- ^ Lansman, Jon (25 November 2014). "Don't revive the Benn peerage". Morning Star. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
- ^ D'Arcy, Mark (23 October 2014). "Three Asquiths - and maybe a Benn?". BBC News. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
- ^ Graham, Georgia (11 November 2014). "Son of Labour firebrand Tony Benn stakes claim on rejected title and could soon sit in Lords". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
- ^ Pogrund, Gabriel; Calver, Tom. "Without even a vote, Tony Benn's son reclaims his family seat in the Lords" – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
- ^ Allegretti, Aubrey (12 July 2021). "Tony Benn's son takes House of Lords seat renounced by his father". The Guardian.
Sources[]
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- 1951 births
- Living people
- Alumni of Keele University
- Benn family
- British people of American descent
- English activists
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- Viscounts in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
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