Harold Watkinson, 1st Viscount Watkinson
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Harold Arthur Watkinson, 1st Viscount Watkinson PC CH (25 January 1910 – 19 December 1995) was a British Conservative politician and businessman.
Educated at Queen's College, Taunton and at King's College London, he worked with his family business, 1929–35 and in technical and engineering journalism, 1935–39. He saw active service as a Lieutenant-Commander in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve from 1939–45.
He was elected as Member of Parliament for Woking, Surrey in 1950, holding the seat until 1964. He was Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, 1951–52; Parliamentary Secretary to Ministry of Labour and National Service, 1952–55; Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, December 1955–59; Minister of Defence, 1959–62, serving in Cabinet from 1957–62. He was one of seven cabinet ministers sacked in Harold Macmillan's Night of the Long Knives.
He held a number of public and business appointments, including as President of the Confederation of British Industry, 1976–77 and Chairman of Cadbury Schweppes Ltd, 1969–74.
He was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1955, a Companion of Honour in 1962, and was raised to the peerage as Viscount Watkinson, of Woking, in 1964. The peerage became extinct on his death.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by (none: constituency created) |
Member of Parliament for Woking 1950–1964 |
Succeeded by Cranley Onslow |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by John Boyd-Carpenter |
Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation 1957–1959 |
Succeeded by Ernest Marples |
| Preceded by Duncan Sandys |
Minister of Defence 1959–1962 |
Succeeded by Peter Thorneycroft |
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