Patrick Cosgrave
Encyclopedia
Patrick John Francis Cosgrave (28 September 1941 – 16 September 2001) was an Anglophile
Irish
journalist and writer, and a staunch supporter of the British Conservative Party
.
in Dublin Castle
. Cosgrave rebelled against the severe Roman Catholic piety of his mother and his teachers at St. Vincent's C.B.S.
in Glasnevin
. He acquired a love of British history aged 14, while reading as a convalescent from rheumatic fever
. He read works by Rudyard Kipling
, Winston Churchill
, and Lawrence of Arabia.
At University College Dublin
(UCD), he was influenced by Desmond Williams, professor of history. He embraced the epithet "West Brit"; at a debate, when an opponent accused him of being "to the Right of Douglas-Home
", he retorted that he was "to the Right of Lord Salisbury
". He claimed that his grandfather, a warden in Mountjoy Prison
, had beaten up Kevin Barry
, a Republican
rebel executed in 1920. He partnered Anthony Clare
to win the Irish Times debate
and the Observer Mace debate, and was elected auditor of the Literary and Historical Society in spite of his unpopular pro-British views.
At Cambridge University he switched from "Paddy" to "Patrick", and earned a doctorate in history from Peterhouse. His supervisor was Herbert Butterfield
, whom he later described as "the greatest influence on my life I can define". He was among the Peterhouse alumni nicknamed "the reactionary chic" by The New Statesman
.
from 1969, where he became a Zionist
. He became political editor of The Spectator
in 1971, where his numerous, often scathing, articles about Ted Heath's leadership were influential in effecting the change to Margaret Thatcher
, and earned him the nickname "The Mekon
".
When Thatcher first saw him speaking on television, she reportedly dismissed him as a "typical upper-class public school twit", to his subsequent delight. In 1975, he became her advisor while she was Leader of the Opposition. He seemed on the path to a safe seat
in Parliament
and ultimately a cabinet
post. However, Thatcher dropped him after winning power in the 1979 general election
, by which time his heavy drinking was impairing his reliability. Private Eye
suggested Thatcher dropped him because he had vomited on her in a taxi, though the story is disputed.
Subsequently he was briefly editor-in-chief of Tiny Rowland
's Lonrho publications. He had first attracted Rowland's attention in 1973 after criticising in The Spectator Ted Heath's calling Lonrho "the unacceptable face of capitalism". After this, earning a precarious living as a freelance journalist and by writing books, mainly political biographies. Among other publications, he wrote for The Times
, The Daily Telegraph
, The Independent
, The Irish Times
, The Irish Press
, the Literary Review
, Encounter
, the New Law Journal
, and Le Point
.
.
reprinted in
Martin Seymour-Smith
derided the book, but Lowell agreed with Cosgrave's criticism of "Mr Edwards and the Spider", and dedicated a rewritten version to him.
His 1978 biography of Margaret Thatcher
was faulted for hero-worship; George Gale
called it "not much above a hagiography
". His biography of Enoch Powell
, whom he also admired, was made with access to Powell and his correspondence, and was the work of which he was most proud. He completed only the first volume of a planned two-volume study of Winston Churchill
during World War II
.
He published three mystery novels featuring the daring Colonel Allen Cheyney.
and sometimes attended services of the Church of England
, while remaining agnostic
. In contrast to his public image as a vigorous polemicist, he was considered kind and courteous in private.
He married three times and divorced twice. His first marriage in 1965 was to Ruth Dudley Edwards, a fellow student at UCD and, later, Cambridge. He married Norma Green, mother of his daughter Rebecca, in 1974; and Shirley Ward, his widow, in 1981; she was secretary of the European Democrats
at the European Parliament
.
He had financial problems from the late 1970s and when Green left him in 1980, Rebecca was made a ward of court. In 1981 the Inland Revenue
filed a tax demand for over £10,000 and he was declared bankrupt
. His debt of £18,700 was discharged
in 1985.
He died of heart failure. His poor health was exacerbated by heavy drinking and smoking.
Anglophilia
An Anglophile is a person who is fond of English culture or, more broadly, British culture. Its antonym is Anglophobe.-Definition:The word comes from Latin Anglus "English" via French, and is ultimately derived from Old English Englisc "English" + Ancient Greek φίλος - philos, "friend"...
Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
journalist and writer, and a staunch supporter of the British Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
.
Early life and education
Patrick Cosgrave was the only child of an improvident builder, who died from cancer when Patrick was ten, leaving his mother impoverished. She took work as a cleaner in the Chapel RoyalChapel Royal (Dublin Castle)
The Chapel Royal in Dublin Castle was the official Church of Ireland chapel of the Household of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1814 until the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922...
in Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle off Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland, was until 1922 the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland, and is now a major Irish government complex. Most of it dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland...
. Cosgrave rebelled against the severe Roman Catholic piety of his mother and his teachers at St. Vincent's C.B.S.
St. Vincent's C.B.S.
St Vincent's C.B.S secondary school, is a secondary school located in the district of Glasnevin, County Dublin, Ireland. The school contains roughly 300 students between the ages of 12 and 18. The school has around 30 teachers....
in Glasnevin
Glasnevin
Glasnevin is a largely residential neighbourhood of Dublin, Ireland.-Geography:A mainly residential neighbourhood, it is located on the Northside of the city of Dublin . It was originally established on the northern bank of the River Tolka...
. He acquired a love of British history aged 14, while reading as a convalescent from rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that occurs following a Streptococcus pyogenes infection, such as strep throat or scarlet fever. Believed to be caused by antibody cross-reactivity that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain, the illness typically develops two to three weeks after...
. He read works by Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
, Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, and Lawrence of Arabia.
At University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
(UCD), he was influenced by Desmond Williams, professor of history. He embraced the epithet "West Brit"; at a debate, when an opponent accused him of being "to the Right of Douglas-Home
Alec Douglas-Home
Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel, KT, PC , known as The Earl of Home from 1951 to 1963 and as Sir Alec Douglas-Home from 1963 to 1974, was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1963 to October 1964.He is the last...
", he retorted that he was "to the Right of Lord Salisbury
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, KG, GCVO, PC , styled Lord Robert Cecil before 1865 and Viscount Cranborne from June 1865 until April 1868, was a British Conservative statesman and thrice Prime Minister, serving for a total of over 13 years...
". He claimed that his grandfather, a warden in Mountjoy Prison
Mountjoy Prison
Mountjoy Prison , founded as Mountjoy Gaol, nicknamed The Joy, is a medium security prison located in Phibsboro in the centre of Dublin, Ireland. It has the largest prison population in Ireland.The current prison governor is Mr...
, had beaten up Kevin Barry
Kevin Barry
Kevin Gerard Barry was the first Irish republican to be executed by the British since the leaders of the Easter Rising. Barry was sentenced to death for his part in an IRA operation which resulted in the deaths of three British soldiers.Barry's death is considered a watershed moment in the Irish...
, a Republican
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
rebel executed in 1920. He partnered Anthony Clare
Anthony Clare
Anthony Ward Clare was an Irish psychiatrist well known in the UK and Ireland as a presenter of radio and TV programmes.-Career:...
to win the Irish Times debate
Irish Times National Debating Championship
The Irish Times National Debating Championship is a debating competition for students in higher education in Ireland. It has been run since 1960, sponsored by The Irish Times...
and the Observer Mace debate, and was elected auditor of the Literary and Historical Society in spite of his unpopular pro-British views.
At Cambridge University he switched from "Paddy" to "Patrick", and earned a doctorate in history from Peterhouse. His supervisor was Herbert Butterfield
Herbert Butterfield
Sir Herbert Butterfield was a British historian and philosopher of history who is remembered chiefly for two books—a short volume early in his career entitled The Whig Interpretation of History and his Origins of Modern Science...
, whom he later described as "the greatest influence on my life I can define". He was among the Peterhouse alumni nicknamed "the reactionary chic" by The New Statesman
The New Statesman
The New Statesman is an award-winning British sitcom of the late 1980s and early 1990s satirising the Conservative government of the time...
.
Career
Having freelanced for Radio Telefís Éireann while at UCD, he was appointed their London correspondent in 1968, before working at the Conservative Research DepartmentConservative Research Department
The Conservative Research Department is part of the central organisation of the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom. It operates alongside other departments of Conservative Campaign Headquarters at 30 Millbank, London SW1....
from 1969, where he became a Zionist
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
. He became political editor of The Spectator
The Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
in 1971, where his numerous, often scathing, articles about Ted Heath's leadership were influential in effecting the change to Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
, and earned him the nickname "The Mekon
The Mekon
The Mekon is the arch-enemy of the British comic book hero Dan Dare, first appearing in 1950 in the Eagle comic strip Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future and created by Frank Hampson. Apart from Dan Dare himself, he is the only character to appear in every one of the numerous versions of the comic strip...
".
When Thatcher first saw him speaking on television, she reportedly dismissed him as a "typical upper-class public school twit", to his subsequent delight. In 1975, he became her advisor while she was Leader of the Opposition. He seemed on the path to a safe seat
Safe seat
A safe seat is a seat in a legislative body which is regarded as fully secured, either by a certain political party, the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both...
in Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
and ultimately a cabinet
Cabinet of the United Kingdom
The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers....
post. However, Thatcher dropped him after winning power in the 1979 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
, by which time his heavy drinking was impairing his reliability. Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
suggested Thatcher dropped him because he had vomited on her in a taxi, though the story is disputed.
Subsequently he was briefly editor-in-chief of Tiny Rowland
Tiny Rowland
Roland "Tiny" Rowland was a British businessman and chairman of the Lonrho conglomerate from 1962 to 1994...
's Lonrho publications. He had first attracted Rowland's attention in 1973 after criticising in The Spectator Ted Heath's calling Lonrho "the unacceptable face of capitalism". After this, earning a precarious living as a freelance journalist and by writing books, mainly political biographies. Among other publications, he wrote for The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
, The Irish Press
The Irish Press
The Irish Press was an Irish national daily newspaper published by Irish Press plc between 5 September 1931 and 25 May 1995.-Foundation:...
, the Literary Review
Literary Review
Literary Review is a British literary magazine founded in 1979 by Anne Smith, then head of the Department of English at Edinburgh University. Its offices are currently on Lexington Street in Soho, London, and it has a circulation of 44,750. Britain's principal literary monthly, the magazine was...
, Encounter
Encounter (magazine)
Encounter was a literary magazine, founded in 1953 by poet Stephen Spender and early neoconservative author Irving Kristol. The magazine ceased publication in 1991...
, the New Law Journal
New Law Journal
New Law Journal is a weekly legal magazine for legal professionals, first published in 1822. It provides information on case law, legislation and changes in practice...
, and Le Point
Le Point
Le Point is a French weekly news magazine. It was founded in 1972 by a group of journalists who had, one year earlier, left the editorial team of L'Express, which was then owned by Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber, a député of the Parti Radical...
.
Books
Cosgrave's first book was a review of the poetry of Robert LowellRobert Lowell
Robert Traill Spence Lowell IV was an American poet, considered the founder of the confessional poetry movement. He was appointed the sixth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress where he served from 1947 until 1948...
.
reprinted in
Martin Seymour-Smith
Martin Seymour-Smith
Martin Roger Seymour-Smith was a British poet, literary critic, biographer and astrologer.Seymour-Smith was born in London and educated at Oxford University where he was editor of Isis...
derided the book, but Lowell agreed with Cosgrave's criticism of "Mr Edwards and the Spider", and dedicated a rewritten version to him.
His 1978 biography of Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
was faulted for hero-worship; George Gale
George Gale (journalist)
George Gale was a British journalist who was editor of the British political magazine The Spectator from 1970 to 1973. He was educated at the independent Royal Grammar School, Newcastle and Peterhouse, Cambridge where he graduated with a double-first in History.In 1951 he joined Manchester...
called it "not much above a hagiography
Hagiography
Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
". His biography of Enoch Powell
Enoch Powell
John Enoch Powell, MBE was a British politician, classical scholar, poet, writer, and soldier. He served as a Conservative Party MP and Minister of Health . He attained most prominence in 1968, when he made the controversial Rivers of Blood speech in opposition to mass immigration from...
, whom he also admired, was made with access to Powell and his correspondence, and was the work of which he was most proud. He completed only the first volume of a planned two-volume study of Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
He published three mystery novels featuring the daring Colonel Allen Cheyney.
Personal life
He obtained a British passportBritish passport
British passports may be issued to people holding any of the various forms of British nationality, and are used as evidence of the bearer's nationality and immigration status within the United Kingdom or the issuing state/territory.-Issuing:...
and sometimes attended services of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, while remaining agnostic
Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
. In contrast to his public image as a vigorous polemicist, he was considered kind and courteous in private.
He married three times and divorced twice. His first marriage in 1965 was to Ruth Dudley Edwards, a fellow student at UCD and, later, Cambridge. He married Norma Green, mother of his daughter Rebecca, in 1974; and Shirley Ward, his widow, in 1981; she was secretary of the European Democrats
European Democrats
The European Democrats was a loose association of conservative political parties in Europe. It is a political group in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe...
at the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
.
He had financial problems from the late 1970s and when Green left him in 1980, Rebecca was made a ward of court. In 1981 the Inland Revenue
Inland Revenue
The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation tax, petroleum revenue tax and stamp duty...
filed a tax demand for over £10,000 and he was declared bankrupt
Bankruptcy in the United Kingdom
Bankruptcy in the United Kingdom does not have a singular law. There is one system for England and Wales, one for Northern Ireland and one for Scotland.Across the United Kingdom, bankruptcy refers only to insolvency of individuals and partnerships...
. His debt of £18,700 was discharged
Bankruptcy discharge
A discharge in United States bankruptcy law, when referring to a debtor's discharge, is a statutory injunction against the commencement or continuation of an action to collect, recover or offset a debt as a personal liability of the debtor...
in 1985.
He died of heart failure. His poor health was exacerbated by heavy drinking and smoking.
Other
(letter to the editor)- Master's thesis (NUINational University of IrelandThe National University of Ireland , , is a federal university system of constituent universities, previously called constituent colleges, and recognised colleges set up under the Irish Universities Act, 1908, and significantly amended by the Universities Act, 1997.The constituent universities are...
, 1965): Peter Walsh and the Irish Remonstrance, 1660–1665 - Doctoral thesis (Cambridge, 1970): Sir Edward Grey and British foreign policy in the Balkans, 1914-16Balkans Campaign (World War I)The Balkans Campaign of World War I was fought between Central Powers Bulgaria, Austria-Hungary, and Germany on one side and the Allies Serbia, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, Montenegro on the other side.-Overview:The prime cause of World War I being the hostility between Serbia and...
: a study in war diplomacy. - Dictionary of National BiographyDictionary of National BiographyThe Dictionary of National Biography is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published from 1885...
: biographies of Julian AmeryJulian Amery, Baron Amery of LustleighHarold Julian Amery, Baron Amery of Lustleigh, PC was a British politician of the Conservative Party, who served as a Member of Parliament for 39 of the 42 years between 1950 and 1992. He was appointed to the Privy Council in 1960. He was created a life peer upon his retirement from the House of...
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, David Gilroy BevanDavid Gilroy BevanAndrew David Gilroy Bevan, commonly known as David Gilroy Bevan, was a British Conservative politician....
, Geoffrey FinsbergGeoffrey FinsbergGeoffrey Finsberg, Baron Finsberg, MBE, JP was a British Conservative politician.Finsberg was educated at the City of London School and was a 'Bevin Boy' 1945-47. From a young age he was active in the Conservative Party and was founder chairman of Mansfield Young Conservatives 1946-47...
, Nigel FisherNigel FisherSir Nigel Thomas Loveridge Fisher MC was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom.Fisher was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge. He was in the Welsh Guards of the British Army during World War II, serving as a major in north west Europe. He was awarded the...
, Humphrey AtkinsHumphrey AtkinsHumphrey Edward Gregory Atkins, Baron Colnbrook KCMG PC was a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher from 1979-82....
, Julian AmeryJulian Amery, Baron Amery of LustleighHarold Julian Amery, Baron Amery of Lustleigh, PC was a British politician of the Conservative Party, who served as a Member of Parliament for 39 of the 42 years between 1950 and 1992. He was appointed to the Privy Council in 1960. He was created a life peer upon his retirement from the House of...
, Lord Fraser of Kilmorack, John MorrisonJohn Morrison, 1st Baron MargadaleMajor John Granville Morrison, 1st Baron Margadale, TD, DL was a British Conservative Party politician.He was appointed High Sheriff of Wiltshire for 1938 and was Member of Parliament for Salisbury from 1942 until 1965....
, Harold WatkinsonHarold Watkinson, 1st Viscount WatkinsonHarold Arthur Watkinson, 1st Viscount Watkinson CH, PC was a British businessman and Conservative politician. He was Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation between 1955 and 1959 and a cabinet member as Minister of Defence between 1959 and 1962, when he was sacked in the Night of the Long Knives...
, Alec Douglas-HomeAlec Douglas-HomeAlexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel, KT, PC , known as The Earl of Home from 1951 to 1963 and as Sir Alec Douglas-Home from 1963 to 1974, was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1963 to October 1964.He is the last...
, Peter MorrisonPeter MorrisonSir Peter Hugh Morrison PC was a British Conservative politician, MP for Chester from 1974 to 1992, and Parliamentary Private Secretary to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.-Education:...
, Geoffrey DickensGeoffrey DickensGeoffrey Kenneth Dickens was a British Conservative politician. He was MP for Huddersfield West from 1979 until the seat was abolished in 1983. He was then elected for Littleborough and Saddleworth and held the seat until his death in 1995.- External links :...
, Felicity Yonge, Charles IrvingCharles IrvingSir Charles Graham Irving was a British Conservative Member of Parliament for Cheltenham.Irving's political career started in 1947 when he was elected to Cheltenham Borough Council, the following year he was elected to Gloucestershire County Council. He was Mayor of Cheltenham 1958-1960 and again...
, Nicholas FairbairnNicholas FairbairnSir Nicholas Hardwick Fairbairn, QC was a British politician.He was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Kinross and Western Perthshire, elected in 1974 and 1979, and Perth and Kinross, elected 1983, 1987, and 1992. He was Solicitor General for Scotland from 1979 to 1982...
, John Vaughan-MorganJohn Vaughan-Morgan, Baron ReigateJohn Kenyon Vaughan-Morgan, Baron Reigate , known as Sir John Vaughan-Morgan, Bt, between 1960 and 1970, was a British Conservative politician. He was Member of Parliament for Reigate from 1950 until his retirement in 1970. In 1957, he was Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health...
, Keith JosephKeith JosephKeith St John Joseph, Baron Joseph, Bt, CH, PC , was a British barrister and politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Cabinet under three Prime Ministers , and is widely regarded to have been the "power behind the throne" in the creation of what came to be known as...
, Denys BullardDenys BullardDenys Gradwell Bullard was a British farmer and politician. Although he was an entertaining speaker, his political career was a precarious one as he was only elected in marginal constituencies.-Farming background:...
, John BlackburnJohn Blackburn (author)John Fenwick Blackburn was a British novelist who wrote thrillers, horror novels, and The Flame and the Wind , an unusual historical novel set in Roman times, in which a nephew of Pontius Pilate tries to discover the facts about the crucifixion of Jesus.His horror novels are often structured as...
, Arthur TileyArthur TileyArthur Tiley was a British Conservative and National Liberal politician. Upon the re-creation of the Bradford West constituency in 1955, Tiley was elected as its Member of Parliament. He held the seat until his defeat at the 1966 general election by Labour's Norman Haseldine.- External links :...
, Joan Vickers, John TilneyJohn TilneySir John Dudley Robert Tarleton Tilney, TD was the great grandson of the founder of RJ Tilney & Co.John Tilney was educated at Eton College. He was persuaded by John Brocklebank, the co-head of RJ Tilney & Co to begin with the firm in October 1928 before he had finished his degree course at...
, Walter CleggWalter CleggSir Walter Clegg was a British Conservative politician.Clegg was educated at Bury Grammar School, Arnold School, Blackpool, and Manchester University Law School. He worked as a solicitor. In 1955 he was elected as a Lancashire County Councillor, serving until 1961.Clegg contested Ince in 1959 and...
, Arthur Vere Harvey, Robin TurtonRobin Turton, Baron TranmireRobert Hugh Turton, Baron Tranmire KBE, MC, PC, JP, DL was a British Conservative Party politician....
, Angus MaudeAngus MaudeAngus Edmund Upton Maude, Baron Maude of Stratford-upon-Avon PC , was a Conservative Party politician and British cabinet member from 1979 until 1981. He was the father of Conservative MP Francis Maude....
, Aidan CrawleyAidan CrawleyAidan Merivale Crawley, MBE was a British journalist, television executive and editor, and politician...
, Peter MillsPeter Mills (UK politician)Sir Peter McLay Mills was a British Conservative Party politician. He served as a Member of Parliament for Torrington from 1964 to 1974, West Devon from 1974 to 1983 and Torridge and West Devon from 1983 to 1987...
, John Langford-HoltJohn Langford-HoltSir John Anthony Langford-Holt was a British Conservative Member of Parliament for Shrewsbury from 1945 to 1983. Unlike most other members of Parliament, Sir John made it clear that he would never seek ministerial office and would refuse it he were offered such a post.He was born in Studdale,...
, Norvela ForsterNorvela ForsterNorvela Felicia Forster was a United Kingdom businesswoman, exporter and politician.-Education:Born in Gillingham, Kent, Forster attended South Wilts Grammar School for Girls, Salisbury, and Bedford College, University of London where she was President of the Union Society and obtained a Bachelor...
, Robert AdleyRobert AdleyRobert James Adley was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom and railway enthusiast.Adley was educated at Uppingham School and would become a company director. In the 1970s Adley was part-time Marketing Director for Holiday Inn...
, Russell Pipe, Michael McNair-WilsonMichael McNair-WilsonSir Robert Michael Conal McNair-Wilson was a Conservative politician and a Member of Parliament .In 1969 he stood as the Conservative candidate in the Walthamstow East by-election, defeating the Labour Party...
, Nicholas RidleyNicholas Ridley, Baron Ridley of LiddesdaleNicholas Ridley, Baron Ridley of Liddesdale, PC was a British Conservative Party politician and government minister.-Personal life:...
, Judith ChaplinJudith ChaplinSybil Judith Chaplin OBE, known as Judith Chaplin, was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom....
Oliver PooleOliver Poole, 1st Baron PooleOliver Brian Sanderson Poole, 1st Baron Poole CBE, TD, PC , was a British Conservative politician, soldier and businessman.Poole was the eldest son of Donald Louis Poole, and was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford...
, Charles Mott-RadclyffeCharles Mott-RadclyffeSir Charles Edward Mott-Radclyffe was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was educated at Eton College and Balliol College, Oxford and then joined the Diplomatic corps...
, Diana NeaveDiana Neave, Baroness Airey of AbingdonDiana Josceline Barbara Neave, Baroness Airey of Abingdon , born Diana Josceline Barbara Giffard. was a British life peer....
, Peter Legh, 4th Baron NewtonPeter Legh, 4th Baron NewtonPeter Richard Legh, 4th Baron Newton , was a British Conservative politician who held junior ministerial positions during the 1950s and 1960s....
, Sir John ArbuthnotSir John Arbuthnot, 1st BaronetMajor Sir John Sinclair Wemyss Arbuthnot, 1st Baronet, MBE, TD was a British Conservative politician....
, Terence ClarkeTerence ClarkeBrigadier Terence Hugh Clarke, CBE was a British army officer and politician.-Army career:Clarke was from an army family and was born in Ascot. He went to Temple Grove School and Haileybury, followed by the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. At the age of 20 he had a commission into the...
, Godman IrvineGodman IrvineSir Bryant Godman Irvine was a Canadian-born British Conservative politician.Irvine was born to William Henry and Ada Mary Irvine and raised in Toronto. He was educated at Upper Canada College in Toronto and then moved to Britain to attend St Paul's School and Magdalen College, Oxford, where he...
, Michael Hicks Beach, 2nd Earl St AldwynMichael Hicks Beach, 2nd Earl St AldwynMichael John Hicks Beach, 2nd Earl St Aldwyn PC, GBE TD was a British Conservative politician.St Aldwyn was the only son of Michael Hicks Beach, Viscount Quenington, who was killed in action in 1916, and the grandson of Michael Hicks Beach, 1st Earl St Aldwyn. His mother was Marjorie, who also...
, Derek Walker-Smith, Shelagh Roberts, William Rees-DaviesWilliam Rees-DaviesWilliam Rupert Rees-Davies was a British Conservative politician.Rees-Davies was the son of Sir William Rees-Davies, Chief Justice of Hong Kong. He was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he gained a cricket blue. He was a barrister, called to the bar by Inner Temple in...
, Arthur JonesArthur Jones (politician)Arthur Jones was a British Conservative Party politician.Bedford-born, Jones was educated at Bedford Modern School and became an estate agent, company director and farmer in north Bedfordshire. He became a councillor on Bedford Borough Council in 1949 and on Bedfordshire County Council in 1956,...
, Cyril BlackCyril BlackSir Cyril Wilson Black was a British Conservative politician. He was Member of Parliament for Wimbledon from 1950 to his retirement at the 1970 general election.-Birth and education:...
, Hugh MolsonHugh Molson, Baron MolsonHugh Molson, Baron Molson PC was a British Conservative politician.Born in Chelmsford, Essex, the only surviving son of Major John Elsdale Molson, Member of Parliament for Gainsborough from 1918–23, and Mary Leeson, he was educated at the Royal Naval College, Osborne and Dartmouth, at Lancing,...
, Richard HoltRichard HoltRichard Holt was British Conservative Member of Parliament for Langbaurgh from 1983 until he died suddenly in his sleep, aged 60 in 1991. His successor in the resulting by-election was Labour's Ashok Kumar...
, Godfrey NicholsonGodfrey NicholsonSir Godfrey Nicholson, 1st Baronet was a British Conservative Party Member of Parliament .A member of the family which founded London-based gin distillers J&W Nicholson & Co, Nicholson was a younger son of Richard Francis Harrison and a grandson of politician, William Nicholson...
, William Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'IsleWilliam Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'IsleWilliam Philip Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'Isle and 6th Baron De L'Isle and Dudley VC KG GCMG GCVO KStJ PC , was the 15th Governor-General of Australia and the final non-Australian to hold the office...
, John Stradling ThomasJohn Stradling ThomasSir John Stradling Thomas was a Welsh Conservative Party politician.Thomas was educated at Rugby School and the University of London. He served as a councillor on Carmarthen Borough Council 1961-64. He was a farmer, company director and broadcaster.Thomas contested Aberavon in 1964 and...
, Francis PearsonFrancis PearsonSir Francis Fenwick Pearson, 1st Baronet, MBE, JP was a British colonial administrator, farmer and politician.-Colonial service:...
, Donald Kaberry, Lord Marshall of Leeds, Elizabeth Douglas-HomeElizabeth Douglas-Home, Baroness Home of the HirselElizabeth Hester Douglas-Home, Baroness Home of the Hirsel was the wife of the British Prime Minister, Sir Alec Douglas-Home....
, Peter Agnew, Ian GowIan GowIan Reginald Edward Gow TD was a British Conservative politician and solicitor. While serving as Member of Parliament for Eastbourne, he was assassinated by the Provisional Irish Republican Army who exploded a bomb under his car outside his home in East Sussex.-Life:Ian Gow was born at 3 Upper...
, Raymond Mawby, Margaret Shepherd.
- The Independent