PERSON OF STYLE & SUBSTANCE
he did become head boy of his grammar school( kind of like class president) and going on to study English and Law at Keele University. He was called to the Bar in 1978 and felt that he finally held a position which he could to fight the racial injustice he became familiar with growing up in the English midlands. This, however, was only the first step.
Let us again press the forward button through what was a successful career in law to 1992 when John Taylor won the right to be the Conservative party candidate for Cheltenham( political riding) in the 1992 General Election. He lost by a slim margin in an election that many viewed as being highly influenced by the issue of race. However, his poise and elocution raised eyebrows and gave him a level of notoriety he had not previously held amongst the party. He quickly became one to watch. Obviously impressing the right people, John Major himself( British Prime Minister), four years later in 1996, made John Taylor“ Lord Taylor of Warwick”, one of the youngest men ever to sit in the House of Lords and the only black man at that time.
Lord John Taylor and his wife Lady Laura Taylor
to effect real and lasting change, that his eyes come to life. This is when I truly got to know Lord Taylor of Warwick and started to understand him as a person with a distinct life philosophy.
Growing up in Birmingham, the son of Jamaican immigrants is not a traditional path to the House of Lords. His mother Enid, a nurse, and father Derief a cleaner, led a modest life and taught John( yes Lord Taylor does have a traditional first name) strong family values and the strength to pursue his own path. One thing that Lord Taylor remembers of Birmingham in the 1950’ s was that his family was often referred to as“ those Jamaican immigrants” and being defined by this status. When Derief rose to prominence as a highly skilled cricketer( baseball on valium for those who aren’ t familiar with the sport) his status changed to that of a local hero and John saw the value of setting oneself apart from the crowd. And set himself apart
This appointment fulfilled a dream he had since his first school trip to Parliament at the age of 10. Lord Taylor’ s eyes open wide at this point in our interview accompanying a soft grin as he recalls this young boy looking up at the ceilings of Westminster and feeling a“ strong sense of belonging”. This is the point when you can’ t help but like Lord Taylor. He comes across as a genuine soul who really and truly sought after a life in politics not for the prestige but because he felt it was a calling.“ Politics is about the now. It is about anticipating future trends and gearing them towards building bridges of thought and conscience” says Taylor.“ In Parliament there seems to be an information overload and a lack of revelation”.
In addition to spearheading important pieces of legislation such as the Criminal Amendments Act of 1997 which sought to protect the public through DNA evidence recording, Lord Taylor has been a champion of diversity and the development of youth. The 1997 establishment of the Warwick Leadership Academy( now the Warwick Leadership Academy) seeks to develop oratory skills and confidence in motivated young people and effective training for entrepreneurs
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Fall 2016 1961 Magazine