Harold Walker, Baron Walker of Doncaster

Harold Walker, Baron Walker of Doncaster, PC, DL (12 July 1927 – 11 November 2003)[1] was an English Labour politician.

The Right Honourable The Lord Walker of Doncaster PC DL
Walker as Deputy Speaker chairing the Budget debate, March 1990
Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Chairman of Ways and Means
In office 23 June 1983 – 6 May 1992
Speaker	Bernard Weatherill
Preceded by	Bernard Weatherill
Succeeded by	Michael Morris
Minister of State for Employment
In office 14 April 1976 – 4 May 1979
Prime Minister	James Callaghan
Preceded by	Albert Booth
Succeeded by	The Earl of Gowrie
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
In office 21 October 1997 – 11 November 2003 Life Peerage
Member of Parliament for Doncaster Central Doncaster (1964–1983)
In office 15 October 1964 – 8 April 1997
Preceded by	Anthony Barber
Succeeded by	Rosie Winterton
Personal details
Born	(1927-07-12)12 July 1927 Audenshaw, Lancashire, England
Died	11 November 2003(2003-11-11) (aged 76)
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Lady Mary Walker [nee Griffin]

Born in Audenshaw, Walker was educated at Manchester College of Technology and became a toolmaker. He served in the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm and was a lecturer for the National Council of Labour Colleges.

Walker was elected Member of Parliament for Doncaster (after 1983 Doncaster Central) at the 1964 general election. He was a junior whip and then junior employment minister in the first Harold Wilson government, and continued being spokesman on employment in opposition, returning to the ministry in 1974. He was Minister of State at the Department of Employment 1976-79 and he became a Privy Counsellor in 1979. When Labour lost the election that year, Walker became the opposition spokesman for employment and training.

Walker left the employment brief in 1983 following that year's general election, and became Chairman of Ways and Means & Deputy Speaker to Bernard Weatherill. He did not, however, become Speaker when Weatherill retired in 1992, that honour instead going to Betty Boothroyd. He was knighted that year and returned to the backbenches until his retirement.

Walker retired in 1997 and was created a life peer as Baron Walker of Doncaster, of Audenshaw in the County of Greater Manchester on 26 September 1997.[2] In 1998 he became a Deputy Lieutenant of South Yorkshire and Honorary Freeman of Doncaster.

Walker died in November 2003, aged 76.[3]