David Alton
The Lord Alton of Liverpool | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2023 | |
| Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights | |
| In office 4 December 2024 – 9 September 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Joanna Cherry |
| Succeeded by | Alex Sobel |
| Liberal Chief Whip | |
| In office 1985 – 11 June 1987 | |
| Leader | David Steel |
| Preceded by | Alan Beith |
| Succeeded by | Jim Wallace |
| Member of the House of Lords | |
| Life peerage 12 June 1997 | |
| Member of Parliament | |
| In office 29 March 1979 – 8 April 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Arthur Irvine |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Constituency | Liverpool Edge Hill (1979–1983) Liverpool Mossley Hill (1979–1997) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | David Patrick Paul Alton 15 March 1951 London, England |
| Party | None (Crossbench) |
Other political affiliations |
|
| Spouse | Elizabeth Bell |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Christ's College of Education, Liverpool (now Liverpool Hope University) |
David Patrick Paul Alton, Baron Alton of Liverpool, KCSG, KCMCO (born 15 March 1951) is a British-Irish politician. A former Member of Parliament for the Liberal Party, and later the Liberal Democrats, he has sat as a Crossbench member of the House of Lords since 1997, when he was made a life peer.
In December 2024, Alton was elected chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights in the UK Parliament. He is a visiting professor of Liverpool Hope University, an ambassador fellow of Liverpool John Moores University, and a former president of the Catholic Union of Great Britain.
He is known for his human rights work, and serves as chair, patron or trustee of several charities and voluntary organisations, including as co-founder of the children's charity, Jubilee Action (now, Chance for Childhood).