Alastair Robertson Goodlad, Baron Goodlad, KCMG, PC (born 4 July 1943), is a British politician who served as Chief Whip of the parliamentary Conservative Party from 1995 to 1997, and British High Commissioner to Australia from 2000 to 2005. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Northwich and later for Eddisbury from 1974 to 1999. Goodlad sat in the House of Lords as a life peer from 2005 to 2024.

The Lord Goodlad
Official portrait, 2018
British High Commissioner to Australia
In office
1 January 2000 – 1 September 2005
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Preceded byAlex Allan
Succeeded byHelen Liddell
Chief Whip of the House of Commons
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
In office
20 July 1995 – 2 May 1997
Prime MinisterJohn Major
Preceded byRichard Ryder
Succeeded byNick Brown
Shadow Cabinet portfolios
Shadow Secretary of State for International Development
In office
30 June 1997 – 1 June 1998
LeaderWilliam Hague
Preceded byLynda Chalker
Succeeded byGary Streeter
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
In office
2 May 1997 – 30 June 1997
LeaderJohn Major
Preceded byAnn Taylor
Succeeded byGillian Shephard
Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Commons
In office
2 May 1997 – 23 June 1997
LeaderJohn Major
Preceded byDonald Dewar
Succeeded byJames Arbuthnot
Junior ministerial offices
Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
In office
15 April 1992 – 20 July 1995
Prime MinisterJohn Major
Preceded byThe Earl of Caithness
Succeeded byJeremy Hanley
Deputy Chief Government Whip
Treasurer of the Household
In office
14 July 1990 – 15 April 1992
Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher
John Major
Preceded byTristan Garel-Jones
Succeeded byDavid Heathcoat-Amory
Comptroller of the Household
In office
25 July 1989 – 14 July 1990
Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher
Preceded byTristan Garel-Jones
Succeeded byGeorge Young
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy
In office
11 September 1984 – 13 June 1987
Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher
Preceded byGiles Shaw
Succeeded byMichael Spicer
Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
In office
16 February 1982 – 10 September 1984
Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher
Preceded byTony Newton
Succeeded byJohn Major
Assistant Government Whip
In office
9 January 1981 – 5 February 1982
Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher
Parliamentary offices
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
In office
20 July 2005 – 29 February 2024
Life peerage
Member of Parliament
for Eddisbury
Northwich (1974–1983)
In office
28 February 1974 – 28 June 1999
Preceded byJohn Foster
Succeeded byStephen O'Brien
Personal details
Born (1943-07-04) 4 July 1943 (age 81)
Political partyConservative
SpouseCecilia Hurst
Alma materKing's College, Cambridge

Early life

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Born in 1943,[1] Goodlad attended Marlborough College and read law at King's College, Cambridge.

Parliamentary career

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He first stood for Parliament in 1970 when he contested Crewe, but was beaten by Labour's Scholefield Allen.

Goodlad was Member of Parliament successively for Northwich (1974–83) and Eddisbury (1983–99). He also served as a junior Foreign Office Minister then as Prime Minister John Major's Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Chief Whip, for which in the 1997 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours he was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (KCMG).[2] Following the 1997 election, he served in the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, Shadow Secretary of State for International Development and Opposition Chief Whip.

Membership of Lloyd's of London

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Goodlad was an underwriting member of the Lloyd's of London insurance market, commencing in 1977 and ceasing in 1990. His membership coincided in the latter years with the rising tide of asbestos losses and his share is estimated to have been about £90,000.

High Commissioner to Australia

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Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair then appointed Goodlad as High Commissioner to Australia. Goodlad accepted the office of Steward and Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds on 28 June 1999 to formally vacate his parliamentary seat,[3] triggering the 1999 Eddisbury by-election.

Goodlad took up office as High Commissioner in 2000. At the end of his term in 2005, he was replaced by former Secretary of State for Scotland, Helen Liddell.

House of Lords

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On 19 July 2005, he was created a life peer as Baron Goodlad, of Lincoln in the County of Lincolnshire,[4] and was introduced in the House of Lords the following day.[5] He sits on the Conservative benches and was chairman of the Constitution Select Committee from 2008 to 2010.

In 2007, Goodlad was appointed Chairman of the Britain–Australia Society.

Personal life

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Goodlad married Cecilia Hurst in 1968 and has two sons.

Notes

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  1. ^ Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages – Peerages beginning with "G" (part 2)[self-published source] [better source needed]
  2. ^ "No. 54850". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 August 1997. p. 8912.
  3. ^ "No. 55544". The London Gazette. 6 July 1999. p. 7313.
  4. ^ "No. 57710". The London Gazette. 22 July 2005. p. 9525.
  5. ^ House of Lords Minutes of Proceedings for Wednesday 20 July 2005. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Northwich

19741983
Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament
for Eddisbury

19831999
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Comptroller of the Household
1989–1990
Succeeded by
Treasurer of the Household
1990–1992
Succeeded by
Preceded by Government Chief Whip in the Commons
1995–1997
Succeeded by
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
1995–1997
Preceded by Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
1997
Succeeded by
Preceded by Shadow Secretary of State for International Development
1997–1998
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Conservative Chief Whip of the House of Commons
1995–1997
Succeeded by
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by British High Commissioner to Australia
1999–2005
Succeeded by
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by Gentlemen
Baron Goodlad
Followed by