John Attlee, 3rd Earl Attlee

John Richard Attlee, 3rd Earl Attlee (born 3 October 1956), styled Viscount Prestwood between 1967 and 1991, is a British Conservative Party peer and member of the House of Lords. He is the grandson of Clement Attlee, the Labour Prime Minister, who was the first Earl Attlee.

The Right Honourable
The Earl Attlee
Lord-in-Waiting
Government Whip
In office
11 May 2010 – 8 April 2014
Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
Preceded byThe Lord Tunnicliffe
Succeeded byThe Baroness Williams of Trafford
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
as a hereditary peer
2 March 1992 – 11 November 1999
Preceded byThe 2nd Earl Attlee
Succeeded bySeat abolished[lower-alpha 1]
as an elected hereditary peer
11 November 1999
Preceded bySeat established[lower-alpha 2]
Personal details
Born (1956-10-03) 3 October 1956
Political partyConservative (from 1997)
Other political
affiliations		Crossbench (until 1997)
Spouses
​
(m. 1993⁠–⁠2002)​
    Teresa Ahern
    ​
    (m. 2008)​

    Early life

    Attlee was educated at Stowe School, trained with Smiths Industries, and worked mainly in materials management.

    Professional career

    In 1985, Attlee went into business in the field of commercial vehicle recovery and repair.[1] In this connection he is president of the Heavy Transport Association and Patron of the Road Rescue Recovery Association.[1]

    He undertook a tour with the non-governmental organisation British Direct Aid in Bosnia during the winter of 1993–94, and then ran British Direct Aid's operation in Rwanda for most of 1995.[1]

    Military service

    A member of the Territorial Army, Attlee served in Bosnia with an aid agency during 1993–1994. He has also served in the Gulf War.[2]

    Political career

    Attlee inherited his title following his father's death in 1991 and entered the House of Lords in 1992,[1] initially as a crossbencher. Shortly before the general election of 1997 he joined the Conservative Party. He is one of the ninety elected hereditary peers that remain in the House of Lords after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999.

    He served as an Opposition spokesman on various subjects; immediately prior to the 2010 general election he was spokesman for transport and an Opposition whip.[3] Following the Conservative victory in that election Earl Attlee was appointed a Lord-in-waiting or Government whip in the House of Lords.[4] He continued in that role until April 2014, when he left the government. He was replaced by Susan Williams, Baroness Williams of Trafford.[5]

    Personal life

    Earl Attlee married Teresa Ahern on 27 September 2008, in the Crypt Chapel of St Mary Undercroft, Palace of Westminster.[6] Lady Attlee is the younger daughter of Mortimer Ahern, of Malvern, Worcestershire. Should Lord Attlee die without a son, the earldom will become extinct.

    Arms
    Coat of arms of John Attlee, 3rd Earl Attlee
    Coronet
    A Coronet of an Earl
    Crest
    On a Mount Vert two Lions addorsed Or
    Escutcheon
    Azure on a Chevron Or between three Hearts of the Last winged Argent as many Lions rampant Sable
    Supporters
    On either side a Welsh Terrier sejant Proper
    Motto
    Labor vincit omnia (Labour conquers all)

    Notes
    1. Seat abolished by the House of Lords Act 1999.
    2. Seat established by the House of Lords Act 1999.

    References
    1. "John Attlee". Conservative Party. Archived from the original on 5 April 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
    2. "The Tory peer who went to war". 20 June 2003. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
    3. "Earl Attlee". Democracy Live. BBC News. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
    4. "Who's who: Cameron's government". BBC News. 3 June 2010.
    5. "Appointment to the government: Baroness Williams of Trafford". GOV.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
    6. "Earl Attlee and Miss T. M. Ahern". Telegraph Announcements. London: Telegraph Media Group. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2010.


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