Richard Needham
Encyclopedia
Richard Francis Needham, 6th Earl of Kilmorey, Kt
, PC
(born 29 January 1942) usually known as Sir Richard Needham is a former Conservative Party
politician in the United Kingdom
. Prior to 1977 he used the courtesy title
of Viscount Newry and Morne.
seat of Pontefract and Castleford
in 1974
At the 1979 general election
, Needham was returned as Member of Parliament
for Chippenham
in Wiltshire
. He was one of the "Wiltshire Wets", Conservative MPs from the county who expressed concern at the perceived loss of jobs resulting from the "monetarist" policies of Margaret Thatcher. His constituency was abolished for the 1983 general election
, when he was returned to the House of Commons
for the new North Wiltshire
constituency. He held the seat until he retired from Parliament
at the 1997 general election
.
1985-1992 and Minister of State for Trade 1992-1995, instrumental in transforming Northern Ireland's economic base and the UK's export strategy under Michael Heseltine
.
Needham was the longest serving British government Northern Ireland minister. In his book Battling for Peace (1999), he recalls attending a service at Westminster Abbey
in 1991:
. He has written two books: Honourable Member and Battling for Peace: Northern Ireland's Longest-Serving British Minister (1999); an account of his years in Northern Ireland and his contribution to peace.
Needham holds the title Earl of Kilmorey
, in the Peerage of Ireland
, but generally chooses not to use this.
The Needham estate, known as Mourne Park, is near Kilkeel
in County Down
in Northern Ireland but the title and estate were separated when the fifth Earl inherited the title but opted to live in England
. It is now owned by other family members. He maintains close links with Northern Ireland. The Mourne Park estate was put up for sale by Needham's cousins in 2008 for £10 million.
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
, PC
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(born 29 January 1942) usually known as Sir Richard Needham is a former 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...
politician in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Prior to 1977 he used the courtesy title
Courtesy title
A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer. These styles are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the relatives do not themselves hold substantive titles...
of Viscount Newry and Morne.
Political career
He was an unsuccessful candidate for the safe LabourLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
seat of Pontefract and Castleford
Pontefract and Castleford (UK Parliament constituency)
Pontefract and Castleford was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until the 2010 general election. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
in 1974
At 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...
, Needham was returned as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Chippenham
Chippenham (UK Parliament constituency)
Chippenham is a parliamentary constituency, abolished in 1983 but recreated in 2010, and represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
. He was one of the "Wiltshire Wets", Conservative MPs from the county who expressed concern at the perceived loss of jobs resulting from the "monetarist" policies of Margaret Thatcher. His constituency was abolished for the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
, when he was returned to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
for the new North Wiltshire
North Wiltshire (UK Parliament constituency)
North Wiltshire is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Until 1983, it was known as Chippenham.- Boundaries :As the name suggests, the constituency covers most of north Wiltshire...
constituency. He held the seat until he retired from 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...
at the 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
.
In Government
He served as a minister for Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
1985-1992 and Minister of State for Trade 1992-1995, instrumental in transforming Northern Ireland's economic base and the UK's export strategy under Michael Heseltine
Michael Heseltine
Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, Baron Heseltine, CH, PC is a British businessman, Conservative politician and patron of the Tory Reform Group. He was a Member of Parliament from 1966 to 2001 and was a prominent figure in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major...
.
Needham was the longest serving British government Northern Ireland minister. In his book Battling for Peace (1999), he recalls attending a service at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
in 1991:
The former chairman of the county councilWiltshireWiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
and high sheriffHigh Sheriff of WiltshireThis is a list of High Sheriffs of Wiltshire.Until the 14th century the shrievalty was held ex officio by the castellans of Old Sarum.-To 1400:*1066: Edric*1067-1070: Philippe de Buckland*1085: Aiulphus the Sheriff*1070–1105: Edward of Salisbury...
for the year, Nigel AndersonNigel AndersonNigel James Moffatt Anderson, MC, DL, FRGS was an Australian-born English soldier, landowner, and Conservative politician in Wiltshire...
, was a redoubtable old soldier who had a profound dislike of Mrs ThatcherMargaret ThatcherMargaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
and kept muttering "Well done, keep it up" in a loud whisper at every opportunity when there was a lull in the service.
Life after politics
Needham now works for DysonDyson (appliances)
Dyson Ltd is a British technology company, founded in 1992 by Sir James Dyson, which designs and manufactures vacuum cleaners, hand driers, bladeless fans and heaters. It sells machines in over 50 countries and employs 3,100 people worldwide. The company prides itself on engineering products which...
. He has written two books: Honourable Member and Battling for Peace: Northern Ireland's Longest-Serving British Minister (1999); an account of his years in Northern Ireland and his contribution to peace.
Personal life
In 1965, he married Sigrid Thiessen-Gairtner, they have three children:- Robert Francis John Needham, Viscount Newry and Mourne (b. 1966)
- Hon. Andrew Francis Needham (b. 1969)
- Lady Christina Clare Needham (b. 1977)
Needham holds the title Earl of Kilmorey
Earl of Kilmorey
Earl of Kilmorey is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1822 for Francis Needham, 12th Viscount Kilmorey, a General in the British Army and former Member of Parliament for Newry. He was made Viscount Newry and Mourne, in the County of Down, at the same time, also in the Peerage of...
, in the Peerage of Ireland
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
, but generally chooses not to use this.
The Needham estate, known as Mourne Park, is near Kilkeel
Kilkeel
Kilkeel is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the main fishing port on the Down coast, and its harbour houses one of the largest fishing fleets in Ireland. It had a population of 6,338 people according to the 2001 Census...
in County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
in Northern Ireland but the title and estate were separated when the fifth Earl inherited the title but opted to live in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is now owned by other family members. He maintains close links with Northern Ireland. The Mourne Park estate was put up for sale by Needham's cousins in 2008 for £10 million.