Frances Morrell - Revision history

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v2.05 - Repaired 1 link to disambiguation page - (You can help) - Bryn Davies

← Previous revision		Revision as of 15:58, 4 July 2025
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	After Labour left office she helped to create the [[Rank and File Mobilising Committee]], through which the left organised to bring changes in the party. In this capacity she was referred to cynically by some in the media: ''[[Private Eye]]'' commented "How typical of Tony Benn to have a hatchet-woman". The Eye also published a [[Clerihew]]: "Frances Morrell / Has done very well / To be leader of the ILEA / Without being black, working class or gay." In the run-up to the 1981 [[Greater London Council]] (GLC) elections she was chosen to fight [[Islington South and Finsbury (UK Parliament constituency)\|Islington South and Finsbury]], and on election formed part of the GLC's left faction in support of [[Ken Livingstone]].		After Labour left office she helped to create the [[Rank and File Mobilising Committee]], through which the left organised to bring changes in the party. In this capacity she was referred to cynically by some in the media: ''[[Private Eye]]'' commented "How typical of Tony Benn to have a hatchet-woman". The Eye also published a [[Clerihew]]: "Frances Morrell / Has done very well / To be leader of the ILEA / Without being black, working class or gay." In the run-up to the 1981 [[Greater London Council]] (GLC) elections she was chosen to fight [[Islington South and Finsbury (UK Parliament constituency)\|Islington South and Finsbury]], and on election formed part of the GLC's left faction in support of [[Ken Livingstone]].

	However, Morrell's background as a teacher led her to spend most time on the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA), membership of which came with membership of the GLC representing an inner borough. She was chosen as Deputy Leader of the new left leadership of the ILEA under [[Bryn Davies]]. She became unsatisfied with his leadership, which she considered weak, and built support for a change through the GLC Women's Group; in April 1983 she challenged him and was elected as the new leader.		However, Morrell's background as a teacher led her to spend most time on the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA), membership of which came with membership of the GLC representing an inner borough. She was chosen as Deputy Leader of the new left leadership of the ILEA under [[Bryn Davies, Baron Davies of Brixton\|Bryn Davies]]. She became unsatisfied with his leadership, which she considered weak, and built support for a change through the GLC Women's Group; in April 1983 she challenged him and was elected as the new leader.

	Under Morrell, the ILEA became concerned with promoting gender equality. The authority was severely criticised for what the right wing regarded as propaganda in the schools it administered.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=The Inner London Education Authority after the Abolition of the Greater London Council \|url=https://cps.org.uk/research/the-inner-london-education-authority-after-the-abolition-of-the-greater-london-council/ \|access-date=2025-03-12 \|website=The Centre for Policy Studies \|language=en}}</ref> Many of the policies of the Davies leadership were continued, which included the high spending: the ILEA deliberately set an illegally high budget for 1985. The government under Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]], which was proposing to abolish the GLC, would have wanted to abolish the ILEA as well, but found it was impractical to do so. However, new legislation allowed the Government to limit the ILEA's budget, and it did so. The ILEA was helped by a bail-out from the GLC for one year.		Under Morrell, the ILEA became concerned with promoting gender equality. The authority was severely criticised for what the right wing regarded as propaganda in the schools it administered.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=The Inner London Education Authority after the Abolition of the Greater London Council \|url=https://cps.org.uk/research/the-inner-london-education-authority-after-the-abolition-of-the-greater-london-council/ \|access-date=2025-03-12 \|website=The Centre for Policy Studies \|language=en}}</ref> Many of the policies of the Davies leadership were continued, which included the high spending: the ILEA deliberately set an illegally high budget for 1985. The government under Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]], which was proposing to abolish the GLC, would have wanted to abolish the ILEA as well, but found it was impractical to do so. However, new legislation allowed the Government to limit the ILEA's budget, and it did so. The ILEA was helped by a bail-out from the GLC for one year.
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	\| title = Leader of the [[Inner London Education Authority]]		\| title = Leader of the [[Inner London Education Authority]]
	\| years = 1983–1987		\| years = 1983–1987
	\| before = [[Bryn Davies]]		\| before = [[Bryn Davies, Baron Davies of Brixton\|Bryn Davies]]
	\| after = [[Neil Fletcher (politician)\|Neil Fletcher]]}}		\| after = [[Neil Fletcher (politician)\|Neil Fletcher]]}}
	{{s-end}}		{{s-end}}

imported>DustyArchivist at 12:35, 12 March 2025

2025-03-12T12:35:11Z

New page

{{Short description|British politician}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{One source|date=January 2010}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Frances Morrell
| image =
| alt = 
| caption =
| birth_name = Frances Maine Galleway
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1937|12|28}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2010|01|10|1937|12|28}}
| death_place =
| nationality = British
| alma_mater = [[University of Hull]]
| other_names =
| occupation = [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] politician
| years_active =
| known_for = [[Inner London Education Authority]]
| notable_works =
}}

'''Frances Morrell''' (''[[née]]'' '''Frances Maine Galleway'''; 28 December 1937 – 10 January 2010) was a British [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] politician who led the [[Inner London Education Authority]] from 1983 until 1987.

== Life and career ==
Frances Morrell was brought up in [[York]], and educated at that city's [[Queen Anne Grammar School]] and at [[University of Hull|Hull University]]. Much later she undertook an MA at [[Goldsmiths, University of London|Goldsmiths College, London University]].<ref name="TTTB">[[Tony Travers]]/[[Tony Benn]] [https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/jan/14/frances-morrell-obituary Obituary in ''The Guardian''], 14 February 2010</ref> She worked as a schoolteacher from 1960, and married Brian Morrell in 1964. In 1970 she became a Press Officer, working for the [[Fabian Society]] and the [[National Union of Students (United Kingdom)|National Union of Students]]. This latter role brought her into contact with [[Tony Benn]], then coming to be seen as the leader of the Labour left, and with whom she then agreed on many important issues.

In 1973, Benn invited Morrell to be his political adviser should Labour win the next election. She was Labour candidate for [[Chelmsford (UK Parliament constituency)|Chelmsford]] at the [[February 1974 United Kingdom general election|February 1974 general election]], and served as a Special Adviser to Benn at the Departments of Industry and Energy from 1974 to 1979.<ref name="BENN">Stuart Weir [http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/stuart-weir/frances-morrell Obituary in ''OurKingdom''], 14 February 2010</ref> Benn was increasingly marginalised as the Parliament went on, but Morrell worked to link him with a network of activists outside Parliament. She was unlucky in failing to be selected as candidate for any of several Labour constituencies at the [[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979 general election]] (among them [[Birkenhead (UK Parliament constituency)|Birkenhead]] and [[Manchester Blackley (UK Parliament constituency)|Manchester Blackley]]).

After Labour left office she helped to create the [[Rank and File Mobilising Committee]], through which the left organised to bring changes in the party. In this capacity she was referred to cynically by some in the media: ''[[Private Eye]]'' commented "How typical of Tony Benn to have a hatchet-woman". The Eye also published a [[Clerihew]]: "Frances Morrell / Has done very well / To be leader of the ILEA / Without being black, working class or gay." In the run-up to the 1981 [[Greater London Council]] (GLC) elections she was chosen to fight [[Islington South and Finsbury (UK Parliament constituency)|Islington South and Finsbury]], and on election formed part of the GLC's left faction in support of [[Ken Livingstone]].

However, Morrell's background as a teacher led her to spend most time on the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA), membership of which came with membership of the GLC representing an inner borough. She was chosen as Deputy Leader of the new left leadership of the ILEA under [[Bryn Davies]]. She became unsatisfied with his leadership, which she considered weak, and built support for a change through the GLC Women's Group; in April 1983 she challenged him and was elected as the new leader.

Under Morrell, the ILEA became concerned with promoting gender equality. The authority was severely criticised for what the right wing regarded as propaganda in the schools it administered.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Inner London Education Authority after the Abolition of the Greater London Council |url=https://cps.org.uk/research/the-inner-london-education-authority-after-the-abolition-of-the-greater-london-council/ |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=The Centre for Policy Studies |language=en}}</ref> Many of the policies of the Davies leadership were continued, which included the high spending: the ILEA deliberately set an illegally high budget for 1985. The government under Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]], which was proposing to abolish the GLC, would have wanted to abolish the ILEA as well, but found it was impractical to do so. However, new legislation allowed the Government to limit the ILEA's budget, and it did so. The ILEA was helped by a bail-out from the GLC for one year.

The abolition of the GLC in 1986<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cunningham |first=John |date=2014-04-01 |title=From the archive, 1 April 1986: Thatcher abolishes the GLC |url=https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2014/apr/01/glc-ken-livingstone-abolished-thatcher |access-date=2025-03-12 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> also meant something had to be done to provide for future elections to the ILEA. It was first suggested that the ILEA could be made up of delegates from the 12 inner London Boroughs, but the Conservative group on the ILEA was strongly against this policy; eventually it was decided that there would be direct elections. Morrell led Labour into the campaign, and with London hostile to the abolition of the GLC, Labour won an easy victory. Morrell was re-elected quite narrowly herself, as the [[Social Democratic Party (UK)|SDP]] had a strong challenge.

Morrell lost her leadership in 1987 by 23 votes to 22, continuing a tradition of internal deselection established by both her predecessors. She had insisted that teachers who were surplus to requirements at one ILEA school should transfer to another where there was a shortfall, and threatened to dismiss those who refused.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-02-05 |title=Frances Morrell |url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/obituaries/frances-morrell-1988746 |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=Yorkshire Post |language=en}}</ref> She became secretary of the Speaker of the House of Commons' Commission on Citizenship the next year and a senior research fellow at [[Queen Mary, University of London|Queen Mary and Westfield College]] briefly in 1991–92, before becoming executive director of the Institute for Citizenship Studies.

She was joint chief executive of [[ArtsInform]], which she set up with Linda Payne in 1995 to build relationships between schools and colleges with professional artists and arts organisations.

=== Personal life and death ===
Morrell's husband Brian committed suicide in April 2009, and she herself suffered from increasingly poor health. She died from cancer on 10 January 2010, at the age of 72. She was survived by her daughter, Daisy, and brother, Peter.<ref name="TTTB"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{succession box
| title = Leader of the [[Inner London Education Authority]]
| years = 1983–1987
| before = [[Bryn Davies]]
| after = [[Neil Fletcher (politician)|Neil Fletcher]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morrell, Frances}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:2010 deaths]]
[[Category:Academics of Queen Mary University of London]]
[[Category:Alumni of Goldsmiths, University of London]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Hull]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in England]]
[[Category:Labour Party (UK) councillors]]
[[Category:Members of the Greater London Council]]
[[Category:Politicians from York]]
[[Category:Women councillors in England]]