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Home > Jo Grimond


Joseph (Jo) Grimond, Baron Grimond ( July 29, 1913 - October 24, 1993) was a British politician, leader of the Liberal Party from 1956 to 1967 and again briefly in 1976.


Grimond was educated at Eton College and Balliol College, Oxford, became a barrister, and in 1938 married Laura Bonham-Carter, a granddaughter of Herbert Asquith. After service in World War II, he entered parliament in 1950Events January January 5 US Senator Estes Kefauver introduces a resolution calling for examination of organized crime in the USA January 6 The United Kingdom recognizes the People's Republic of China. The Republic of China severs diplomatic relations with as Liberal member for OrkneyThe Orkney Islands form one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland, and are a Lieutenancy Area. Orkney consists of about 200 small islands 16 kilometers north of Caithness in northern Scotland. The largest island in the group is known as "The Mainland" and ShetlandThe Shetland Islands (sometimes historically spelled Zetland formerly Hjaltland are one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland and a Lieutenancy Area. It is a Scottish island group between the Orkney Islands and the Faroe Islands, north of mainland Sco, continuing to represent the constituency until he retired from politics in 1983Events January January 1 Beat Raaflaub became Basel Boys Choir's new conductor January 1 the ARPANET officially changes to use the Internet Protocol, creating the Internet. January 1 compulsory wearing of seat belts becomes law in the UK. January 2 The mu. He was a life-long champion of Scottish devolution within the UK, and though often weary of the EEC's bureaucracy, was an early advocate of the EEC.

Grimond led the party through a difficult period in the late 1950sCenturies: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Years: 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 Events and trends Technology United States tests the first fusion bomb. and early 1960sCenturies: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s Years: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around. The party he inherited commanded barely 2.5% of the vote. A man of considerable personal charm, charisma, and intelligence he was widely respected and inspired trust, and by the end of his tenure the Liberal party was once more a mainstream party. It was during his leadership that the first post-war Liberal revival took place- under Grimond the Liberals doubled their seats and won historic by-elections in TorringtonGreat Torrington (generally abbreviated to Torrington though it should be noted that the villages of Little Torrington and Black Torrington are situated in the same region) is a small market town in the north of Devon in England. Parts of it are sited on (1958), Orpington (1962), and Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles (1965). In 1967, he made way for a younger, more dynamic leader, Jeremy Thorpe. In 1976, when Thorpe was forced to resign because of a scandal, Grimond stepped in as caretaker leader until the election of a replacement, David Steel.

Among other posts, Grimond was a barrister and publisher in the 1930s, an army Major during World War II, Secretary of the National Trust for Scotland from 1947 to 1949, and held the Chancellorships of the University of Edinburgh and the University of Kent. His many books include " The Liberal Future " (1959- credited with reinvigorating radical liberalism as a coherent modern ideology), "The Liberal Challenge" (1963), and "Memoirs" (1979). On leaving parliament, he was created a life peer (Baron Grimond, of Firth in the County of Orkney). He remained devoted to his former parliamentary constituency, and was buried in the Orkneys.

Jo Grimond was survived by his widow Laura (the wife then widow of a Life Peer , the sister of another Life Peer, and the daughter of a Life Peeress, as well as the great-granddaughter of a hereditary peer of first creation). He had three children -


Preceded by:
Clement Davies
Leader of the British Liberal Party
1956-1967
Followed by:
Jeremy Thorpe
Preceded by:
Jeremy Thorpe
Leader of the British Liberal Party
1976
Followed by:
David Steel
Grimond, Jo Grimond, Jo Grimond, Jo Grimond, Jo

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