BBC Radio Leeds and its debt to runaway MP John Stonehouse – Yorkshire Post Letters

From: Michael McGowan, Former Labour MEP.
By YP Letters
Published 16th Sep 2021, 16:35 BST
f John Stonehouse, a Labour MP who faked his own death, spent months secretly rehearsing his new identity, according to official papers made public Thursday December 29, 2005. Stonehouse - a former minister - famously staged his disappearance from Miami Beach on November 20 1974 amid the collapse of a series of fraudulent businesses which he had set up.f John Stonehouse, a Labour MP who faked his own death, spent months secretly rehearsing his new identity, according to official papers made public Thursday December 29, 2005. Stonehouse - a former minister - famously staged his disappearance from Miami Beach on November 20 1974 amid the collapse of a series of fraudulent businesses which he had set up.
f John Stonehouse, a Labour MP who faked his own death, spent months secretly rehearsing his new identity, according to official papers made public Thursday December 29, 2005. Stonehouse - a former minister - famously staged his disappearance from Miami Beach on November 20 1974 amid the collapse of a series of fraudulent businesses which he had set up.

THE recent book John Stonehouse, My Father: The True Story of the Runaway MP by his daughter Julia has led to further damning criticisms of his complicated and sad life.

I would like to risk a word in his favour by mentioning it was John Stonehouse, as Postmaster General in Harold Wilson’s Government, who influenced 
the development of BBC local radio.

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In the late 1960s the BBC launched an experiment in local broadcasting with a network of eight local radio stations, including BBC Radio Leeds.

John Stonehouse, pictured with his wife Barbara, was instrumental in the development of BBC local radio.John Stonehouse, pictured with his wife Barbara, was instrumental in the development of BBC local radio.
John Stonehouse, pictured with his wife Barbara, was instrumental in the development of BBC local radio.

The Labour MP for Bradford East, Edward Lyons, at the time was impressed by local radio and used the opportunity of a House of Commons adjournment debate to call for permanent BBC local radio.

When the debate took place at 3am, only John Stonehouse and Edward Lyons were present on the floor of the House of Commons but in the pubic gallery were listeners to Radio Leeds who had hired a coach to travel from Leeds to London for the debate.

John Stonehouse was later asked why the experiment was a success and said the fact that listeners from Leeds had travelled to London to hear the debate convinced him of the value of local radio.

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Related topics:BBC Radio LeedsYorkshire PostMEPLabourGovernment

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