Charles Strachey, 4th Baron O'Hagan
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The Right Honourable The Lord O'Hagan |
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|---|---|
| Member of the European Parliament for Devon |
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In office 1973–1975 |
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| Preceded by | New constituency |
| Succeeded by | ? |
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In office 1979 – 1994 |
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| Preceded by | ? |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 September 1945 |
| Political party |
Crossbencher (1967-73); Independent (1973-5); Conservative (1975-present) |
| Relations | See Strachey |
| Residence | Devon, United Kingdom |
Crossbencher (1967-73); Independent (1973-5);
Charles Towneley Strachey, 4th Baron O'Hagan (born 6 September 1945) is a British Conservative party politician.
O'Hagan was born a godson of Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II. The grandson of Maurice Towneley-O'Hagan, 3rd Baron O'Hagan, he inherited the family title at the age of 16 on his grandfather's death in 1961, his father the Hon. Major Thomas Anthony Edward Towneley Strachey having committed suicide in 1955. He was educated at Eton and New College, Oxford, and served as a Page to Queen Elizabeth II between 1959 and 1961. A relative of the Strachey Baronets, he is the great-great-grandson of Edward Strachey, 1st Baron Strachie.
O'Hagan first took his seat in the House of Lords on 5 December 1967, and gave his maiden speech whilst he was still a student.
He was appointed an Independent MEP in December 1972, taking his seat on the day Britain began its EEC membership, 1 January 1973. Between 1973 and 1979, British MEPs were not elected, but were appointed from the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Since the Labour party was opposed to EU membership, it refused to nominate members to the Parliament. Accordingly, O'Hagan was one of a group of Independents and Liberals appointed instead of the Labour nominations.
During this first period as an MEP, O'Hagan tried to introduce the first Bill to allow the European Parliament to be directly elected instead of appointed. On 1 May 1974, he introduced the Bill in the House of Lords, but it was voted down.
The 5 June 1975 referendum on British EEC membership settled the question of Britain's position in Europe, and from that point onwards, the Labour party demanded its share of MEP nominations. O'Hagan thus lost his seat on 3 July 1975 after a joint decision by the Conservative and Labour parties to cease appointing Independents and Liberals to the European Parliament. He then joined the Conservative party and became a whip and a frontbench spokesman for the Conservatives in the House of Lords between 1977 and 1979. He was also involved in the Primrose League before its dissolution, serving as its Chancellor from April 1979 to April 1981.
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