- This article is about Bill Fiske, British politician. There is an article on the US sportsman and fighter pilot Billy Fiske. William Meade Lindsley "Billy" Fiske III was the 1928 & 1932 Olympic champion Bobsled driver and following Jimmy Davis one of the first regular serving
William Geoffrey Fiske, Baron Fiske OBE (3 July 1905 - 13 January 1975), commonly known as Bill Fiske, was the first Leader of the Greater London Council and oversaw the decimalisation of the Pound Sterling as Chairman of the Decimal Currency Board. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. Events 324 - Battle of Adrianople Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. Year 1905 ( MCMV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Events 532 - Nika riots in Constantinople. 888 - Odo Count of Paris becomes King of the Franks Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Greater London Council (GLC was the top-tier Local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986 In the management of currencies, decimalisation (or decimalization) is the process of converting from traditional denominations to a " Decimal " The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency
Fiske came from a middle-class family with radical sympathies who often discussed politics, with his maternal grandfather a particularly strong influence. However, in his early life Fiske's main interest was in the art of ancient Greece. He was sent to Berkhamsted Collegiate School, and on leaving, went to work for the Bank of England. Berkhamsted Collegiate School is a public school in Hertfordshire, England, formed in 1997 by the amalgamation of the original Berkhamsted School The Bank of England (formally the Governor and Company of the Bank of England) is a state-owned institution and the Central bank of the United Kingdom After twelve years at the Bank, he took advantage of its generous pension scheme and left in 1935, and began to work as a Company Secretary. Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
When World War II broke out, Fiske was drafted as a specialist into the Civil Service where he founded the Society of Civil Servants. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including See also Bureaucrat The term civil service has two distinct meanings Branch of governmental service in which individuals are hired on the basis The war helped to energise him in politics generally and he unsuccessfully fought the constituency of Hampstead for the Labour Party in the general election of 1945. Hampstead is an area of London, England, located north-west of Charing Cross. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar
The next year saw Fiske elected to the London County Council for Hammersmith South, a seat previously held by the Conservatives. London County Council (LCC was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889-1965 existence and the first London-wide general municipal Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, approximately 5 miles (8km west of Charing Cross on The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. He managed to hold his seat and make it safe, while gradually becoming so enthusiastic about council work that by 1955 it had eclipsed his previous ambitions to be elected to Parliament. Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) (On becoming Leader of the GLC, he observed that "Here you see far more of the results of what you do than you can across the river. ")
Fiske became popular among his colleagues in the Labour Group and in 1960 he was elected as Chief Whip, deposing Freda Corbet who had held the job for 12 years and was a close ally of the Labour leader Isaac Hayward. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Sir Isaac James Hayward (usually known as 'Ike' Hayward ( 17 November 1884 - 3 January 1976) was Leader of the London County Council He was less popular among individual members of the Labour Party, and when the LCC was abolished, he was selected as a candidate for the new Greater London Council in Havering, which was marginal. The Greater London Council (GLC was the top-tier Local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986 He was however selected as the Leader of the Labour Group for the GLC elections.
He fought the 1964 elections on traditional lines, campaigning on the record of the LCC in building new Council housing which was regarded as good quality at the time. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. The council house is a form of public or social housing in the United Kingdom. Despite predictions that the wider boundaries of the GLC would hand power to the Conservatives, Fiske was returned in his own seat and Labour won a comfortable victory. When Labour won the general election later that year, Fiske was given a knighthood. Knight is the English term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages.
In power Fiske's administration treated the GLC as a version of the LCC with wider boundaries, which ignored the increased power of the new London Boroughs. Attempts to press GLC policy on unwilling boroughs were made but could now be resisted. The GLC also had to cope with increasing road transport problems because of the increase in the number of cars. Fiske proposed to increase charges for parking in inner London, with residents' parking permits required for those living in the zone, stating that he hoped more people would leave their car and use public transport. The scheme proved unpopular among car drivers.
Fiske carried on a policy of subsidies for the arts, and it was under his leadership that the decision was made to build the Royal National Theatre on the South Bank site. The Royal National Theatre, located on the South Bank in the London Borough of Lambeth, England. He himself served as a member of the board. However, he was unable to hold council house rents down as far as he wished.
The 1967 elections took place when the Labour Government of Harold Wilson had become unpopular and it was accepted that Fiske would find it difficult to hold on. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. James Harold Wilson Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, PC (11 March 1916 &ndash 24 May 1995 was one of the most prominent British politicians However, the result was shattering. Not merely did Fiske lose his own seat, the Labour Party was reduced to only 20 members. Fiske accepted immediately that his career in local politics was over. He received a life peerage with the title Baron Fiske, of Brent in Greater London as a consolation. In the United Kingdom, life peers are created members of the Peerage whose titles may not be inherited (those whose titles are inheritable are known as Hereditary Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England.
He had already been handed a lifeline by Chancellor of the Exchequer James Callaghan who, thinking of his Bank of England experience, appointed him Chairman of the Decimal Currency Board on 12 December 1966. The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all Economic and Financial Leonard James Callaghan Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC (27 March 1912 – 26 March 2005 was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. Fiske was charged with arranging the changeover from a Pound consisting of 20 shillings, with each shilling containing 12 pence, to a decimalised Pound of 100 new pence.
Fiske led an ambitious public campaign in the years leading up to the switch, trying to make sure every business and every consumer was aware of the implications. Public information films were made and shown on television and leaflets were distributed by the Government. The date for the switch, which became known as 'Decimal day' or 'D day', was set for Monday 15 February 1971 but the new decimal coins (some of which were the same value as existing pre-decimal coinage) were introduced gradually. Decimal Day ( 15 February Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar.
In the event, despite some predictions of disaster, D day went off smoothly, with the main concerns being over retailers using the opportunity to round prices up and thereby boost inflation. The Decimal Currency Board was wound up at the end of 1971, and Fiske then went into retirement. He used his seat in the Lords to campaign in support of council tenants, statutory control of estate agents, and for better treatment of diabetes. Diabetes mellitus (ˌdaɪəˈbiːtiːz or /ˌdaɪəˈbiːtəs/ /məˈlaɪtəs/ or /ˈmɛlətəs/ often referred to simply as diabetes ( Ancient Greek: grc
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by New creation |
Leader of the Greater London Council 1964-67 |
Succeeded by Sir Desmond Plummer |
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic