# Des Wilson

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For other people named Des Wilson, see [Des Wilson (disambiguation)](/source/Des_Wilson_(disambiguation)).

**Des Wilson** (born 5 March 1941)[1] is a New Zealand-born British campaigner, political activist, businessman, sports administrator, author and [poker](/source/Texas_Holdem) player. He was one of the founders of the British homelessness charity [Shelter](/source/Shelter_(charity)) and was for a while an activist in, and President of, the British [Liberal Party](/source/Liberal_Party_(UK)).

## Background

From a working-class family in New Zealand, Wilson attended [Waitaki Boys' High School](/source/Waitaki_Boys'_High_School), leaving at 15 to become a reporter on the local newspaper. After periods working for the *[Otago Daily Times](/source/Otago_Daily_Times)* and the *[Evening Star](/source/Evening_Star_(Dunedin))* in [Dunedin](/source/Dunedin), and the *Melbourne Star*[citation needed] in [Melbourne, Australia](/source/Melbourne,_Australia), Wilson moved to the United Kingdom in 1960 at the age of 19.

Over the next few years he took a range of jobs before becoming a journalist.[2] He became the founding director of the housing charity [Shelter](/source/Shelter_(charity)) in 1966,[3] and then became a columnist for *[The Observer](/source/The_Observer)* newspaper. He also spent two years as director of public affairs for the [Royal Shakespeare Company](/source/Royal_Shakespeare_Company).[4] He edited the magazine *Social Work Today* for the [British Association of Social Workers](/source/British_Association_of_Social_Workers). He then returned to campaigning, running [Friends of the Earth](/source/Friends_of_the_Earth) and the [Campaign for Freedom of Information](/source/Campaign_for_Freedom_of_Information) and CLEAR, the [Campaign for Lead Free Air](/source/Campaign_for_Lead_Free_Air). In December 1968, Wilson was [Michael Parkinson](/source/Michael_Parkinson)'s 'castaway' on [BBC Radio 4](/source/BBC_Radio_4)'s *[Desert Island Discs](/source/Desert_Island_Discs)*.[5]

In many ways an anti-establishment radical, he joined the [Liberal Party](/source/Liberal_Party_(UK)) in order to stand in the [1973 Hove by-election](/source/1973_Hove_by-election). Although unsuccessful, he stayed involved in the Liberal Party and in 1986 he became its President, a position which allowed him to act as its Campaign Director in the [1987 General Election](/source/1987_United_Kingdom_general_election). He later wrote a book, *The Battle For Power*, about the strained relationship between the Liberals and the [Social Democratic Party](/source/Social_Democratic_Party_(UK)) (SDP) during that campaign, the last general election fought as the [SDP–Liberal Alliance](/source/SDP%E2%80%93Liberal_Alliance). He was an enthusiastic supporter of the merger between the two parties in 1988 and became Campaign Manager for the new party the [Liberal Democrats](/source/Liberal_Democrats_(UK)) under [Paddy Ashdown](/source/Paddy_Ashdown) in the [1992 General Election](/source/1992_United_Kingdom_general_election).[6]

Somewhat disillusioned with party politics after that campaign, Wilson then moved on to become Director of Corporate and Public Affairs for [BAA plc](/source/BAA_plc). He became chairman of the [England and Wales Cricket Board](/source/England_and_Wales_Cricket_Board)'s corporate affairs and marketing committee in 2003,[7] but resigned in 2004 over the controversy related to England touring Zimbabwe.[8]

## Bibliography

- Wilson, Des (1983). *The Lead Scandal*. Ashgate. ISBN 0-435-83946-2.
- Wilson, Des (1984). *Secrets File: The Case for Freedom of Information in Britain Today*. Heinemann Educ. ISBN 0-435-83939-X.
- Wilson, Des (1984). *The Environmental Crisis: A Handbook for All Friends of the Earth*. Ashgate. ISBN 0-435-83944-6.
- Wilson, Des & Andrews, Leighton (1994). *Campaigning: The A to Z of Public Advocacy*. Thorogood. ISBN 1-85418-036-3.
- Wilson, Des (2006). *Swimming with the Devilfish... Under the Surface of Professional Poker.*. Macmillan. ISBN 1-4050-8952-0.
- Wilson, Des (2007). *Ghosts at the Table: The amazing story of Poker... the world's most popular game.*. Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 9781845962081.
- *Memoirs of a Minor Public Figure*. Hardcover ed. Quartet Books. 3 March 2011. ISBN 978-0704372054.

## References

1. "Birthdays", *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*, 2014, p. 39

1. [prelims2.qxd](http://www.palgrave.com/pdfs/033392939X.pdf)

1. Smith, Andreas Whittam (2 September 1996). ["When she needed Shelter, you were there"](https://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/when-she-needed-shelter-you-were-there-1361476.html). *[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)*. Retrieved 18 August 2010.

1. ["Pan Macmillan biography"](https://web.archive.org/web/20061016040925/http://www.panmacmillan.com/Authors%20Illustrators/displayPage.asp?PageTitle=Individual%20Contributor&ContributorID=72047&RLE=Author). Archived from [the original](http://www.panmacmillan.com/Authors%20Illustrators/displayPage.asp?PageTitle=Individual%20Contributor&ContributorID=72047&RLE=Author) on 16 October 2006. Retrieved 12 June 2006.

1. Presenter: [Roy Plomley](/source/Roy_Plomley) (9 December 1968). ["Des Wilson"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009y1gv). [Desert Island Discs](/source/Desert_Island_Discs). [BBC Radio 4](/source/BBC_Radio_4). Retrieved 23 September 2016.

1. Holden, Anthony (11 June 2006). ["Straight-up guys"](https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2006/jun/11/society). *The Observer*. Retrieved 11 August 2008.

1. Stern, John (February 2004). ["Des Wilson – Power broker"](http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdencricketer/content/story/137729.html). *ESPNcrickinfo*. ESPN Sports Media Ltd. Retrieved 22 January 2015.

1. ["Tour row claims ECB scalp"](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/3665463.stm). *[BBC Sport](/source/BBC_Sport)*. 28 April 2004. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20040607185918/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/3665463.stm) June 7, 2004 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 22 January 2015.

## Sources

- [BBC article, Shelter in 1969](https://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/11/newsid_3037000/3037650.stm)

## External links

- [Official website](http://www.deswilson.com/)
- [Poker](https://www.theguardian.com/g2/story/0,,2205454,00.html): *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)* 5 November 2007
- [Poker](https://www.theguardian.com/g2/story/0,,2191115,00.html): *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)* 15 October 2007
- [\[1\]](https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2006/jun/11/society)
- [\[2\]](https://www.theguardian.com/g2/story/0,,1803982,00.html)

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