32 Facts About Alan Beith

The son of John Alan Beith, of Scottish extraction, he was born in 1943 at Poynton in Cheshire.

Alan Beith was educated at The King's School, Macclesfield before going to Balliol College, Oxford, where he read Philosophy, Politics and Economics graduating in 1964.

Alan Beith then pursued postgraduate studies at Nuffield College, receiving a Bachelor of Letters degree.

In 1966, Alan Beith began his career as a politics lecturer at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Alan Beith contested Berwick-upon-Tweed as the Liberal candidate at the 1970 general election but was heavily defeated by the sitting Conservative MP Antony Lambton.

Alan Beith became a member of Tynedale District Council in 1973.

At the ensuing by-election on 8 November 1973, Alan Beith was narrowly elected by 57 votes, becoming Berwick's first Liberal MP since 1945.

Just three months after his by-election success, Alan Beith was out canvassing his constituents again at the February 1974 general election, being returned to Parliament with an increased majority of 443.

Later that same year and still less than a year after entering the House of Commons, Alan Beith had to contest the constituency for a third time in less than a year at the October 1974 general election, retaining his seat with a slender majority of 73 votes.

Alan Beith held his seat with comfortable majorities in the eight further elections he stood in.

Alan Beith was appointed to the BBC Advisory Council in 1974, and served as a member until 1984.

Alan Beith was elected as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party in 1985, in both cases continuing his duties as a Commons Chief Whip.

Alan Beith stood against Paddy Ashdown in the first leadership election in 1988, an election which Ashdown won by a large margin.

Alan Beith stayed on as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats following the 1992 general election under Ashdown until 2003, and was sworn of the Privy Council in 1992.

On 19 May 2009, Alan Beith was the first MP to declare his candidacy to succeed Speaker Michael Martin, who stood down from the position on 21 June 2009.

Alan Beith pledged he was "willing to take on the task of leading reform" were he elected as Commons Speaker.

Alan Beith served as Chairman of the Commons Justice and of the Liaison Select Committees until retiring in 2015.

Alan Beith was one of only four Liberal Democrat MPs to vote against the third reading of the Marriage Bill.

Alan Beith was the only Liberal Democrat MP to oppose recognising Palestine as a state in the Commons vote on 13 October 2014.

Alan Beith campaigned throughout his years in the House of Commons for the A1 road to be made a dual carriageway in Northumberland.

On 7 August 2013, Alan Beith announced that he would retire as an MP at the next election, having at that point represented Berwick-upon-Tweed for 42 years.

Alan Beith was announced as a life peer in the 2015 Dissolution Honours and was created Baron Beith, of Berwick-upon-Tweed in the County of Northumberland on the afternoon of 19 October.

Alan Beith is more left-leaning and liberal in social issues, and more right-leaning and conservative economically.

Alan Beith has only voted for reducing VAT once, on 13 December 2008; from then on he voted for raising it.

Alan Beith has voted for reducing capital gains tax and corporation tax.

Alan Beith has voted for raising the threshold for paying income tax.

Alan Beith voted against the Marriage Act 2013 in its third reading.

Alan Beith voted for smoking bans and against a hunting ban.

Alan Beith was married in 1965 to Barbara Ward, and they had a son and a daughter.

Lord Alan Beith serves as President of the Liberal Democrat Christian Forum and of the Historic Chapels Trust, a charity he helped to found and of which he was Chair of Trustees between 2001 and 2014.

Alan Beith is President of Northumberland Hospital Radio and of the National Liberal Club.

Alan Beith reportedly speaks French, Norwegian, Swedish and Welsh, and is a keen supporter of heritage matters.