Join us for lunch and a talk about James Chuter Ede, the Cambridge-educated social and educational reformer, who became the longest-serving Home Secretary in the last 200 years. Although Chuter Ede has generally had a lower profile than other senior members of Clement Attlee's 1945-51 government, his biography has now been published by a member of our own Cambridge Society of Hereford and Worcester, Stephen Hart.

Stephen will be giving an illustrated talk about Ede, from his early days, his time at Cambridge (Christ's College), and then in local government, educational administration, and at Westminster. As a minister in Churchill's wartime coalition, he worked with RA Butler, another personality from Cambridge, who eventually became Master of Trinity. Together, they brought the Education Act 1944 into law, establishing secondary education for all.

In 1945, Ede joined Attlee's cabinet as Home Secretary, where his reforms included the Representation of the People Act 1948, which brought into being the single constituency Parliament we know today, and the Criminal Justice Act, abolishing penalties such as hard labour, and improving the system for child offenders. In addition, the British Nationality Act established a common citizenship for all in Britain and its empire at the time.

Stephen will speak about these, and also about Ede's subsequent campaign against capital punishment. There will be an opportunity to discuss different aspects of this versatile individual, and this should be a very interesting occasion.

Stephen is a lawyer, originally (like Chuter Ede) from Surrey, who after his retirement researched and wrote his life of Ede - the first published about him.

Programme
Arrival 12.00pm
Lunch 12.30pm – 1.45pm
Talk (+ Q&As) 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Depart after 3.00pm

If you and your guests would like to join us, please fill out the booking form under 'Attached documents' at the bottom of this page and send it to Nicholas using the link below.

Please book as soon as possible and in any case before 9th February 2024.