Alastair Goodlad

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 Right Honourable The Lord Goodlad KCMG PC
Official portrait, 2018
British High Commissioner to Australia
In office 1 January 2000 – 1 September 2005
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Alex Allan
Succeeded by	Helen Liddell
Chief Whip of the House of Commons Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
In office 20 July 1995 – 2 May 1997
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	Richard Ryder
Succeeded by	Nick Brown
Shadow Cabinet portfolios Shadow Secretary of State for International Development In office 30 June 1997 – 1 June 1998 Leader William Hague Preceded by Lynda Chalker Succeeded by Gary Streeter Shadow Leader of the House of Commons In office 2 May 1997 – 30 June 1997 Leader John Major Preceded by Ann Taylor Succeeded by Gillian Shephard Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Commons In office 2 May 1997 – 23 June 1997 Leader John Major Preceded by Donald Dewar Succeeded by James Arbuthnot
Junior ministerial offices Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs In office 15 April 1992 – 20 July 1995 Prime Minister John Major Preceded by The Earl of Caithness Succeeded by Jeremy Hanley Deputy Chief Government Whip Treasurer of the Household In office 14 July 1990 – 15 April 1992 Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher John Major Preceded by Tristan Garel-Jones Succeeded by David Heathcoat-Amory Comptroller of the Household In office 25 July 1989 – 14 July 1990 Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher Preceded by Tristan Garel-Jones Succeeded by George Young Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy In office 11 September 1984 – 13 June 1987 Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher Preceded by Giles Shaw Succeeded by Michael Spicer Lord Commissioner of the Treasury In office 16 February 1982 – 10 September 1984 Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher Preceded by Tony Newton Succeeded by John Major Assistant Government Whip In office 9 January 1981 – 5 February 1982 Prime Minister Margaret 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 by John Foster Succeeded by Stephen O'Brien
Personal details
Born	(1943-07-04) 4 July 1943 (age 81)
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Cecilia Hurst
Alma mater	King's College, Cambridge

Early life

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

Parliamentary career

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

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

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

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

Goodlad married Cecilia Hurst in 1968 and has two sons.

Notes

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.

External links

• "The Shadow Cabinet" – BBC Election '97
• "Another Tory wooed by Blair" – BBC News
• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Alastair Goodlad

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by John Foster	Member of Parliament for Northwich 1974–1983	Constituency abolished
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Eddisbury 1983–1999	Succeeded by Stephen O'Brien
Political offices
Preceded by Tristan Garel-Jones	Comptroller of the Household 1989–1990	Succeeded by Sir George Young
	Treasurer of the Household 1990–1992	Succeeded by David Heathcoat-Amory
Preceded by Richard Ryder	Government Chief Whip in the Commons 1995–1997	Succeeded by Nick Brown
	Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury 1995–1997
Preceded by Ann Taylor	Shadow Leader of the House of Commons 1997	Succeeded by Gillian Shephard
Preceded by Clare Short	Shadow Secretary of State for International Development 1997–1998	Succeeded by Gary Streeter
Party political offices
Preceded by Richard Ryder	Conservative Chief Whip of the House of Commons 1995–1997	Succeeded by James Arbuthnot
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Alex Allan	British High Commissioner to Australia 1999–2005	Succeeded by Helen Liddell
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by The Lord Soley	Gentlemen Baron Goodlad	Followed by The Lord Turnbull