Godfrey Huggins

Politician

Godfrey Huggins was born in London Borough of Bexley, England, United Kingdom on July 6th, 1883 and is the Politician. At the age of 87, Godfrey Huggins biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.

  Report
Date of Birth
July 6, 1883
Nationality
United Kingdom
Place of Birth
London Borough of Bexley, England, United Kingdom
Death Date
May 8, 1971 (age 87)
Zodiac Sign
Cancer
Profession
Military Physician, Politician
Godfrey Huggins Height, Weight, Eye Color and Hair Color

At 87 years old, Godfrey Huggins physical status not available right now. We will update Godfrey Huggins's height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, and measurements.

Height
Not Available
Weight
Not Available
Hair Color
Not Available
Eye Color
Not Available
Build
Not Available
Measurements
Not Available
Godfrey Huggins Religion, Education, and Hobbies
Religion
Not Available
Hobbies
Not Available
Education
Not Available
Godfrey Huggins Spouse(s), Children, Affair, Parents, and Family
Spouse(s)
Not Available
Children
Not Available
Dating / Affair
Not Available
Parents
Not Available
Godfrey Huggins Life

Godfrey Martin Huggins, 1st Viscount Malvern (July 1883 – 7 May 1971), a Rhodesian politician and surgeon, was a professor and scholar.

He served as the fourth Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia from 1933 to 1953 and then served as the first Prime Minister of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, becoming the longest-serving prime minister in British Commonwealth history.

Early life and education

Huggins was born at 'Dane Cottage', Bexley, Kent, England (now a borough of London), the second child, but the eldest son of a stockbroker. The family then moved to 'Shore House' in Sevenoaks, a town 27 miles away from London, but not so far from London. He was educated at Brunswick House, a preparatory school in Hove, and then transferred to Sutherland House, a similar school in Folkestone.

At the age of 11, he had a serious left middle ear infection that delayed his graduation to Malvern College, which later took part of his honor. After having trouble obtaining the necessary entrance qualifications, he moved on to study medicine at St. Thomas' Hospital in London.

Huggins travelled to Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia, in 1911, after practising medicine and training as a surgeon and spending some time as a Resident Superintendent at Great Ormond Street Hospital, but eventually deciding to stay on.

Source

Godfrey Huggins Career

Political career

He entered politics in 1924 as a member of the Rhodesia Party and was elected, unopposed, in the Salisbury North constituency of the newly formed self-governing colony. In 1932, he broke with the Rhodesia Party government led by Howard Unwin Moffat after it introduced a bill to lower civil service salaries by 10%, a measure that was especially unpopular in Huggins' constituency, which contained a large number of civil servants. Huggins could not vote against the government without triggering an early general election, something he did not want to do since the next election was already scheduled for next year. Huggins, in contrast, voted for the bill and then hopped over the floor the next day to join the newly formed Reform Party, which named Huggins Leader of the Opposition.

Huggins was Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia after the 1933 general election, which his Reform Party secured a one-seat majority with 16 out of 30 seats in the Legislative Assembly. The Reform Party's platform contained steps such as the establishment of a central bank and several economic, credit, and monetary policies aimed at the white working class during the Great Depression. Many in Rhodesia thought the Reform Party was a left-wing party, but Huggins led a cautiously conservative Cabinet after winning office in 1933. Particularly, Finance Minister Jacob Smit was a big believer in conventional economics and an opponent of Keynesianism. The government's course eventually culminated in a confrontation in August 1934 between the left-wing of the party and the right-wing of the opposition over the renovation of the Rhodesian Railways. Huggins took the initiative of Sir Percy Fynn, the Rhodesia Party's leader, who had promised his support for a National Government under Huggins.

However, the acting Governor denied a dissolution on the grounds that the Assembly had many years to go, and that the government had not been defeated. Huggins begged the majority of the Executive of the Reform Party to dissolve a National Government on September 17th and then founded the United Party with Fynn, seeking a second time for a divorce based on a new party alliance. This time, the Acting Governor acknowledged.

Huggins' United Party, which gained 24 seats out of 30 seats in November 1934, saw a landslide, while the Reform Party gained just one seat in the new legislature. Huggins remained in different constituencies and defeated Reform Party MP Thomas Nangle, who had been one of the Reform Party's foundings. Huggins served as the Minister of Finance on several occasions, in lieu of prime ministership.

In the 1947 Birthday Honours, Huggins was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) and was elected to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom. He was a visitor at the 1947 wedding of Prince Elizabeth and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at the Royal Albert and Philip's house.

Source