Ernest Armstrong (British politician)

Ernest Armstrong (12 January 1915 – 8 July 1996) was a British Labour Party politician.

Life

Armstrong was educated at Wolsingham Grammar School{{Fact|date=October 2024}} and City of Leeds Teacher Training College, and ultimately became a headmaster. He served as a councillor on Sunderland Borough Council and chaired its education committee.

Defeated by the Conservative incumbent in Sunderland South in the 1955 and 1959 General Elections, Armstrong was Member of Parliament (MP) for North West Durham from 1964 until his retirement in 1987.{{Cite web |title=Mr Ernest Armstrong (Hansard) |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-ernest-armstrong/index.html |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=api.parliament.uk}} His daughter, Hilary Armstrong, was his successor.

Armstrong served as a parliamentary private secretary (PPS) from 1965, and a Labour whip, and junior minister for Education and Science (1974–1975) and the Environment (1975–1979).

Armstrong was a Methodist local preacher and served as vice-president of the Methodist Conference in 1974.{{cite web |last1=Lenton |first1=John H |title=Armstrong, Ernest, MP |url=https://www.dmbi.online/index.php?do=app.entry&id=73 |website=A Dictionary of Methodism in Britain and Ireland |access-date=11 June 2021}}

After Labour lost the 1979 general election, he served as a Deputy Speaker.

After his retirement, Armstrong acted as political adviser to the BBC's production of the political drama House of Cards.