Horace Cutler

Sir Horace Walter Cutler (28 July 1912 – 2 March 1997) was a British Conservative politician who served as leader of the Greater London Council from 1977 to 1981. He was noted for his showmanship and flair for publicity, and some of his right-wing economic views were seen as forerunners of Thatcherism.

Early life Cutler was born in Tottenham, one of seven children born to a wealthy family. He went to Harrow County School for Boys and Hereford Cathedral School, later joining his father's building business, which he helped lead after his father's death in 1934.

Cutler was the last Conservative leader of the GLC, and the last elected leader of the party in London-wide government until Boris Johnson in 2008.

Loss of power In the 1981 GLC elections, Cutler made a great deal of the fact that if Labour won, its local leader, Andrew McIntosh, was likely to be replaced by the more left-wing Ken Livingstone. He concentrated on attacking Livingstone during the campaign, saying that he wished to establish a Marxist power-base in London. Nevertheless, Labour won, and McIntosh was duly voted out in favour of Livingstone. Cutler gave up the Conservative Leadership in 1982. The Conservatives added a pledge to abolish the GLC in their next election manifesto. Cutler was not informed of this before it was published; he viewed this as a profound betrayal by Thatcher, and a permanent rift formed between the two. After the GLC was abolished in 1986, he left politics.

Personal life In 1934, Cutler married Betty Martin; they had one son and divorced in 1954. In 1957, he married Christine Muthesius, with whom he had four children.

In retirement, Cutler lived in Ibiza for many years, but returned to England at the end of his life, dying at a care home in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, on 2 March 1997, aged 84.