A brave politician who crossed the floor: tribute to Lord Howarth of Newport
Lord Howarth of Newport: 11 June 1944 – 10 September 2025 | Image courtesy of UK Parliament
3 min read
A clever, thoughtful and sincere man, Alan Howarth's fascinating political journey led him to represent two very different constituencies and serve as a minister in both Conservative and Labour governments
Alan Howarth's memoir Begun, Continued was published this year. Knowing he was terminally ill, Alan asked friends with his customary courtesy to “perhaps pen a very few words saying why you think this book worth reading”.
It certainly is worth reading as Alan had a long, fascinating and brave political journey. Serving as an MP from 1983 to 2005, from Stratford-on-Avon to Newport East, to finally a seat in the Lords, he was one of only a few politicians in recent years to have been a minister in both Labour and Tory governments (and in that time spent only 18 months in opposition).
An English teacher at Westminster School, he was recruited to Conservative Central Office where he caught the eye of Margaret Thatcher and became vice chairman of the Tory Party, and was elected three times to what was then the ultra-safe seat of Stratford-on-Avon.
But having served in a number of frontbench roles, including as an education minister, he became increasingly unhappy with the direction of his party and disenchanted with Tory social policies.
With the helping hand of Alastair Campbell, he defected to Labour in 1995, crossing the floor on the eve of Tory Party Conference in a blaze of publicity, reducing John Major's majority to just five in the process (not bad for a former Tory whip).
But win them over he did by visiting the CLP members door-to-door (he was said to park his Jaguar around the corner)
To continue in politics, he needed a seat. As Alan's successor in Newport East I can say that he could have been proud of many things in his life, but getting selected and embraced as a former Tory in a South Wales Constituency Labour Party in a steel city – a part of the world which still keenly felt the impact of the Tories taking on the miners – was quite something.
But win them over he did by visiting the CLP members door-to-door (he was said to park his Jaguar around the corner). Clever, thoughtful and sincere he won the selection through graft and on merit.
Even members who never supported him came to respect him as an excellent constituency MP. They were proud of his service as an arts minister under Tony Blair (he maintained free entry to museums and galleries and took on the Oxford University Press for its decision to stop publishing contemporary poetry) and touched by the fact that when he eventually stood down in 2005, he chose our city as his territorial designation on his elevation to the House of Lords.
Until his illness Alan was an active member of the Lords, including during the Brexit debates as a Leave supporter.
He sadly lost his partner Baroness Hollis in 2018 and is survived by his four children. His last letters were full of gratitude for his life, not least for his children, grandchildren and close friendships. Love to them all at this time.
Jessica Morden is Labour MP for Newport East
