John Diamond, Baron Diamond

Who was John Diamond, Baron Diamond?

John Diamond, Baron Diamond PC, also known as "Jack Diamond", was a British Labour Party politician.

Diamond was educated at Leeds Grammar School and became an accountant. He was elected Member of Parliament in 1945 for the Blackley division of Manchester, but lost it in 1951. In 1946 and 1947, he was parliamentary private secretary to the Ministry of Works. He returned to the House of Commons in a 1957 by-election for Gloucester, caused by the death of its Labour MP, Moss Turner-Samuels.

He served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 1964, a cabinet position from 1968, and Privy Councillor from 1965. He represented Gloucester until his surprise defeat in 1970 by the Conservative candidate, Sally Oppenheim-Barnes.

Diamond was made a life peer as Baron Diamond of the City of Gloucester on 25 September 1970. In 1981 he left the Labour Party for the new Social Democratic Party. He led the SDP in the House of Lords from 1982 to 1988 but opposed its merger with the Liberals and rejoined Labour in 1995.