On This Day

September 29, 1928

Birth of Eric Lubbock, Liberal MP for Orpington 1962-70

Lubbock came to prominence with his victory in the Orpington by-election of March 1962, coming from third place to win the seat from the Conservatives. In parliament Lubbock campaigned for electoral reform and a reduction in the voting age. In 1963 he was appointed Chief Whip and in 1967 stood for the party leadership against Emlyn Hooson and the eventual winner Jeremy Thorpe. Out of parliament from 1970, he succeeded as Baron Avebury the following year, serving as a member of the Foreign Affairs Team in the House of Lords. In 1976 he founded the Parliamentary Human Rights Group, chairing it for over 20 years and producing a string of hard hitting reports on human rights breaches which saw him banned from visiting several countries. Lord Avebury died in 2016, aged 87.