It was with great sadness that JRRT learned of the death on 30 October 2020 of our friend and colleague David Shutt, Lord Shutt of Greetland OBE.
David joined the board of JRRT, then known as the Joseph Rowntree Social Services Trust, in 1975. He gave great service to the Trust as one of our longest-standing and most influential directors, overseeing our finances and helping to guide our political direction throughout his tenure. He served as Chair from 2007 to 2010. Throughout his service, his firm Quaker beliefs and Liberal principles helped keep the Trust moving along the lines set out for us in 1904 by our founder, Joseph Rowntree. David played a key role in the Power Inquiry (a joint project with the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust) and kept the Trust focussed on the purity of elections, including voter registration and party funding reform; causes that remain central to the work of JRRT’s grantees today.
In 2000, David was appointed as a working peer, and served as Spokesman for the Liberal Democrats on International Development and then Northern Ireland, as well as Liberal Democrat Deputy Whip in the Lords, and then Chief Whip. When the Coalition Government was created in May 2010, David was appointed to a ministerial position as the Government Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords.
David resigned from the Trust’s board in 2010 when he went into government, but remained an active, valued and vocal advocate of JRRT as a member of the company. His commitment, kindness and humour were much valued and will be greatly missed.
JRRT sponsors the annual David & Goliath Award at the SMK National Campaigner Awards in memory of David.