McAlpine to succeed Goldsmith

London - Lord McAlpine is to succeed Sir James Goldsmith as leader of the Referendum Movement, it was confirmed yesterday

London - Lord McAlpine is to succeed Sir James Goldsmith as leader of the Referendum Movement, it was confirmed yesterday. Lord McAlpine, the former Tory treasurer and deputy chairman, sensationally defected to Sir James's Referendum Party in 1996 and was chairman of both the Referendum Party and the Referendum Movement into which it evolved after the general election.

A spokesman said that following Sir James's death from cancer in Spain on Friday night, Lord McApline would now assume the leadership of the Movement as well.

  • Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date

  • Sign up for push alerts to get the best breaking news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone

  • Listen to In The News podcast daily for a deep dive on the stories that matter