Timothy Raison

Summary

Sir Timothy Hugh Francis Raison (3 November 1929 – 3 November 2011) was a British Conservative politician.

Sir Timothy Raison
Minister for Overseas Development
In office
6 January 1983 – 10 September 1986
Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher
Preceded byNeil Marten
Succeeded byChris Patten
Minister of State for Immigration
In office
4 May 1979 – 6 January 1983
Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher
Preceded byBrynmor John
Succeeded byDavid Waddington
Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment
In office
11 February 1975 – 19 November 1976
LeaderMargaret Thatcher
Preceded byMargaret Thatcher
Succeeded byMichael Heseltine
Member of Parliament
for Aylesbury
In office
18 June 1970 – 16 March 1992
Preceded bySpencer Summers
Succeeded byDavid Lidington
Personal details
Born
Timothy Hugh Francis Raison

(1929-11-03)3 November 1929
Died3 November 2011 (aged 82)
NationalityBritish
Political partyConservative

Early life and education edit

The son of publisher and editor Maxwell Raison, general manager of Picture Post, and his wife Celia,[1] Raison was educated, through being a scholarship boy, at two independent schools: at Dragon School in Oxford, where he became Head of School. From there he got a scholarship to Eton College, then to Christ Church, Oxford, to which he also attained a scholarship.[1]

Career edit

Raison began his career as a journalist, first working on Picture Post, then New Scientist.[1] Whilst at New Scientist he also edited Crossbow, journal of the Bow Group (a centre-right group within the Conservative Party).[1]

According to Christopher Chataway, it was Raison, then still a journalist, who first came up with the idea of a World Refugee Year in 1958: 'It came from Tim Raison, who was a friend of mine and, like me, wanted to be a Conservative member of parliament ... He floated the idea past me and I thought it was terrific. He, I and two other journalists, Trevor Philpott and Colin Jones, wrote an article [in the Spring 1958 edition of Crossbow entitled “A Plan to Save the Refugees”] which was the start of the idea'.[2]

In 1960 Raison received The Nansen Refugee Award, which is given annually by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in recognition of outstanding service to the cause of refugees.[3] He co-founded[4] and edited the social science magazine New Society from 1962 until 1968 and was MP for Aylesbury from 1970 until his retirement in 1992.[1] He served as a junior Education and Science Minister (1973–1974).

Raison served as a Home Office minister from 1979 to 1983, under then Home Secretary William Whitelaw, (later hereditary peer Viscount Whitelaw). He then served as Minister for Overseas Development (1983–1986).[1]

In 1956 Raison married violin teacher Veldes Julia, daughter of John Arthur Pepys Charrington, of Netherton, Hurstbourne Tarrant, Hampshire, president of the Charrington Brewery and Master of the Worshipful Company of Brewers in 1952, of that landed gentry family of Cherry Orchard, Shaftesbury, Dorset;[5][6] they had a son, Paul Raison, and three daughters.[1][7][8]

Honours edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Langdon, Julia (10 November 2011). "Sir Timothy Raison obituary". The Guardian.
  2. ^ Dobbs, Leo (29 May 2013). "Q&A: Legendary British runner and politician recalls World Refugee Year". UNHCR. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  3. ^ Lindt, Auguste R. (1 January 1960). "Nansen Medal Award Ceremony: Address by Dr. Auguste R. Lindt, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, on the occasion of the presentation of the Nansen Medal for 1960 to Messrs. Chataway, Jones, Philpott and Raison". UNHCR. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  4. ^ Barker, Paul (15 November 2011). "Sir Timothy Raison obituary letter". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  5. ^ Burke's Landed Gentry 1965, 18th edition, vol. 1, ed. Peter Townsend, p. 133
  6. ^ Who was Who, vol. 7, 1971, p. 142
  7. ^ "The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/104388. ISBN 9780198614111. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  8. ^ Genealogical History of the Halliburton Family, 1983, p. 87
  9. ^ "Honours and Awards". The London Gazette. No. 52543. 28 May 1991. p. 8208.

Further reading edit

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Aylesbury
19701992
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Minister for Overseas Development
1983–1986
Succeeded by