140:
of which were the subject of a special investigation by the party. However it has been alleged that
Watkins' approach to this issue was to accept the status quo rather than probe too deeply and run the risk of finding out what was under the stones. A more charitable explanation was that Watkins found it hard to accept that Liberals, especially those to whom he had given his loyalty, did not share his own high standards. It also seems that Watkins disliked the process of raising funds for the party, particularly from business and business people. One senior party official who worked closely with him recalled that Watkins loathed fund-raising and had once sent back a cheque enclosing a rare and unsolicited donation from the company
127:, by 1973 Watkins was being described in the press as one of the party's most powerful men. Devotedly loyal to Jeremy Thorpe, Watkins stayed unswervingly Liberal and took on other responsibilities in the party. In 1969 he was chairman of the party's finance and administration board before being elected treasurer of the party, in which capacity he served from 1972 to 1977. He was vice-president of the Liberal Party from 1977 until the merger with the
139:
By most accounts, Watkins was an effective treasurer, applying rigorous discipline to the party's expenditure and accounting. The problem
Watkins had was that he was never made fully aware of all the income to the party and in particular to certain special funds arranged by Jeremy Thorpe, the details
156:
for many years, having first joined as an undergraduate. He was elected a vice-chairman of the Club not long before his death. He served on the executive of the London
Liberal Party, being elected president in 1987. He also took on roles in
38:
Philip
Watkins was born in Bristol, one of a pair of twin boys. He was orphaned in childhood and he and his twin, Bob, and their brother David were looked after by an uncle and aunt. He read
497:
507:
100:
84:
26:
politician. He was for many years treasurer of the
Liberal Party. During the 1970s, he had to endure both the spotlight of the media during the
124:
63:
465:
112:
108:
96:
92:
88:
47:
502:
215:
128:
43:
162:
158:
153:
115:. He kept the Liberals in second place on each occasion but never really got close to winning the seat.
492:
487:
455:
23:
80:
181:
on 1 June 1995. He was unmarried and had been cared for during his illness by his brothers.
447:
361:
174:
219:
178:
50:
in 1951. After leaving university
Watkins went into accountancy, running his own firm.
30:
affair and an investigation into the finances of the party under Thorpe's leadership.
481:
469:
27:
144:
with a statement that the
Liberal Party did not accept contributions from business.
141:
104:
59:
39:
22:(5 November 1930 – 1 June 1995) was an English accountant and
165:. He was a founder member of the Liberal Friends of Israel.
161:, the Liberal Parliamentary Candidates Association and the
58:
Watkins was a lifelong and committed
Christian, a devout
216:"Here you can find the Treasurers of the Club from 1913"
83:as a Liberal between 1959 and 1974. He contested
325:Lewis Chester, Magnus Linklater and David May,
123:However, despite his inability to get into the
377:Valerie Silbiger in Liberal News, 23 June 1995
258:Valerie Silbiger in Liberal News, 23 June 1995
422:Christina Baron in Liberal News, 23 June 1995
351:Christina Baron in Liberal News, 23 June 1995
340:Rinkagate: The Rise and Fall of Jeremy Thorpe
196:Christina Baron in Liberal News, 23 June 1995
16:English accountant and politician (1930–1995)
8:
46:and was both treasurer and president of the
498:Liberal Party (UK) parliamentary candidates
436:
413:Joyce Aram in Liberal News, 23 June 1995
386:Joyce Aram in Liberal News, 23 June 1995
189:
173:Philip Watkins died aged 64 years at
7:
329:; Fontana Paperbacks, 1979 pp114-115
99:. Then he switched his attention to
508:Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford
338:Simon Freeman and Barrie Penrose,
287:British Political Facts, 1900–1994
14:
368:; Book Guild Publishing, 2007 p70
285:David Butler and Gareth Butler,
316:The Times, 13 September 1978 p4
307:The Times, 19 September 1978 p2
48:Oxford University Liberal Club
1:
327:Jeremy Thorpe: A Secret Life
267:The Times, 6 August 1973 p12
34:Family, education and career
524:
395:The Times, 18 July 1968 p2
276:The Times, 18 July 1968 p2
152:Watkins was member of the
462:
452:
444:
439:
431:The Guardian, 9 June 1995
404:The Guardian, 9 June 1995
298:The Guardian, 9 June 1995
249:The Guardian, 9 June 1995
240:The Guardian, 9 June 1995
205:The Guardian, 9 June 1995
44:Brasenose College, Oxford
503:Politicians from Bristol
440:Party political offices
366:Campaigning Face to Face
163:Electoral Reform Society
342:; Bloomsbury, 1996 p160
75:Parliamentary candidate
289:; Macmillan, 1994 p153
159:Liberal International
154:National Liberal Club
20:Philip George Watkins
62:and a member of the
79:Watkins fought six
148:Other appointments
476:
475:
463:Succeeded by
454:Treasurer of the
81:general elections
515:
445:Preceded by
437:
432:
429:
423:
420:
414:
411:
405:
402:
396:
393:
387:
384:
378:
375:
369:
358:
352:
349:
343:
336:
330:
323:
317:
314:
308:
305:
299:
296:
290:
283:
277:
274:
268:
265:
259:
256:
250:
247:
241:
238:
232:
231:
229:
227:
218:. Archived from
212:
206:
203:
197:
194:
125:House of Commons
107:' old seat from
523:
522:
518:
517:
516:
514:
513:
512:
478:
477:
472:
468:
459:
450:
448:Frank Medlicott
435:
430:
426:
421:
417:
412:
408:
403:
399:
394:
390:
385:
381:
376:
372:
359:
355:
350:
346:
337:
333:
324:
320:
315:
311:
306:
302:
297:
293:
284:
280:
275:
271:
266:
262:
257:
253:
248:
244:
239:
235:
225:
223:
222:on 17 July 2011
214:
213:
209:
204:
200:
195:
191:
187:
175:Trinity Hospice
171:
150:
137:
121:
103:which had been
87:in Somerset in
77:
72:
56:
36:
17:
12:
11:
5:
521:
519:
511:
510:
505:
500:
495:
490:
480:
479:
474:
473:
464:
461:
451:
446:
442:
441:
434:
433:
424:
415:
406:
397:
388:
379:
370:
353:
344:
331:
318:
309:
300:
291:
278:
269:
260:
251:
242:
233:
207:
198:
188:
186:
183:
179:Clapham Common
170:
167:
149:
146:
136:
133:
120:
119:Party official
117:
76:
73:
71:
68:
55:
52:
35:
32:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
520:
509:
506:
504:
501:
499:
496:
494:
491:
489:
486:
485:
483:
471:
470:Monroe Palmer
467:
458:
457:
456:Liberal Party
449:
443:
438:
428:
425:
419:
416:
410:
407:
401:
398:
392:
389:
383:
380:
374:
371:
367:
363:
357:
354:
348:
345:
341:
335:
332:
328:
322:
319:
313:
310:
304:
301:
295:
292:
288:
282:
279:
273:
270:
264:
261:
255:
252:
246:
243:
237:
234:
221:
217:
211:
208:
202:
199:
193:
190:
184:
182:
180:
176:
168:
166:
164:
160:
155:
147:
145:
143:
134:
132:
130:
126:
118:
116:
114:
110:
106:
102:
98:
94:
90:
86:
82:
74:
69:
67:
65:
61:
53:
51:
49:
45:
41:
33:
31:
29:
28:Jeremy Thorpe
25:
24:Liberal Party
21:
460:1972 – 1977
453:
427:
418:
409:
400:
391:
382:
373:
365:
356:
347:
339:
334:
326:
321:
312:
303:
294:
286:
281:
272:
263:
254:
245:
236:
224:. Retrieved
220:the original
210:
201:
192:
172:
151:
138:
122:
101:North Dorset
78:
57:
37:
19:
18:
493:1995 deaths
488:1930 births
105:Frank Byers
482:Categories
466:Rhys Lloyd
362:Hugh Jones
226:9 November
185:References
85:Bridgwater
135:Treasurer
131:in 1988.
142:Cadburys
70:Politics
60:Anglican
54:Religion
95:, and
40:Greats
169:Death
64:Synod
360:Sir
228:2023
113:1950
109:1945
97:1966
93:1964
89:1959
364:,
129:SDP
42:at
484::
177:,
111:–
91:,
66:.
230:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.