Barnes, Michael Cecil John (b 1932) politician

Administrative/Biographical History

Michael Barnes was born in September 1932, the son of Major C.H.R. Barnes OBE and Katherine Louise (nee Kennedy). After studying at Malvern and Corpus Christi, Oxford, he entered National Service becoming a Second Lieutenant in the Wiltshire Regiment and serving in Hong Kong between 1952 and 1953. After unsuccessfully standing in Wycombe in 1964, Barnes was elected as Labour MP for Brentford and Chiswick in 1966. He served as Opposition spokesman on food and food prices (1970-1971), Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party Social Security Group (1969-1970), served on the ASTMS Parliamentary Committee (1970-1971) and was also a long serving member of the Public Accounts Committee (1967-1974). After losing the seat of Brentford and Isleworth in 1974, Barnes helped later in establishing the SDP, although rejoined the Labour Party between 1983 and 2001.

Aside from politics, he was Legal Services Ombudsman for England and Wales (1991-1997), Director of the United Kingdon Immigrants Advisory Service (UKIAS) (1984-1990), member of the Council of Management of War on Want (1972-1977), Vice Chairman of the Bangabandhu Society (1980-1990) and has served in a variety of other official positions.

Scope and Content

• Handwritten notes and photographs taken by Barnes during War-on-Want mission to India and West Bengal shortly after the Pakistani ‘crackdown’ (May 1971)
• Handwritten notes and photographs taken by Barnes on a Parliamentary Delegation visit to Bangladesh (November 1973)
• Miscellaneous papers relating to Bangladesh and Bengali politics, including newsletters, photographs of a visit by Sheikh Hasina to the United Kingdom Immigrant Advisory Service (UKIAS) and press cuttings (1971-1989).

Quantity

1 box.