Alan Haselhurst
A steadfast parliamentarian who presided over the Commons with unflappable decorum for 13 years as Deputy Speaker.
Born 1937 (age 89)·British Conservative politician and life peer·Birthday: June 23·The Silent Generation
Biography
Sir Alan Haselhurst was the calm, courteous voice in the often-chaotic theater of the House of Commons. Elected as a Conservative MP in 1970, he cultivated a reputation not as a firebrand ideologue, but as a meticulous proceduralist and a devoted constituency man. His defining role came after the Labour landslide of 1997, when he was elected by fellow MPs to the ancient post of Chairman of Ways and Means—effectively the Deputy Speaker. For thirteen years, through prime ministers from Blair to Cameron, he presided over debates with a blend of firmness and wit, mastering the arcane rules of the House to keep order during Prime Minister's Questions and contentious legislative battles. His tenure spanned a period of significant political change, yet his style remained consistently impartial and dignified. After stepping down from the chair, he focused on strengthening parliamentary ties across the Commonwealth. For four decades in Saffron Walden, he was also the model of a local MP, known for his diligent attention to constituent concerns.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Alan was born in 1937, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1937
#1 Movie
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Best Picture
The Life of Emile Zola
Alan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1937Born
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1942Started school
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1950Became a teenager
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Could drive
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1955Could vote
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1958Turned 21
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1967Turned 30
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 40
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 50
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 60
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 70
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 80
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 89 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as Chairman of Ways and Means (Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons) from 1997 to 2010, one of the longest tenures in modern history.
- Elected as the Member of Parliament for Saffron Walden for ten consecutive general elections, serving from 1977 to 2017.
- Chaired the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) from 2011 to 2014, promoting democracy across member nations.
- Successfully steered the complex proceedings of the House through the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act and the Iraq War debates.
- Was knighted in 1999 for his political and public service.
Did You Know?
He is a devoted supporter of Birmingham City Football Club and served as the President of the Football Foundation.
Haselhurst lost his seat in the February 1974 election but returned to Parliament three years later in a different constituency.
He was the last MP to wear a traditional three-piece suit and watch chain regularly in the Commons chamber.
As a student at Oxford, he was President of the Oxford University Conservative Association.
He is a keen amateur historian and has written about the history of his former constituency.
“The duty of the Speaker is to protect the rights of the minority, however small.”
