Sir Richard Charles Scrimgeour Shepherd (6 December 1942 – 19 February 2022) was a British politician who was Member of Parliament for Aldridge-Brownhills from 1979 to 2015. A Eurosceptic, Shepherd was one of the Maastricht Rebels that had the whip withdrawn over opposition to Prime Minister John Major's legislation on the European Union. Shepherd was also a libertarian Conservative,[1] and had a three line whip imposed against him by Margaret Thatcher when he introduced an amendment to loosen the Official Secrets Act 1911.
Sir
Richard Shepherd
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At Silver Street Methodist Church in Brownhills, 2007
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Member of Parliament for Aldridge-Brownhills | |
In office 3 May 1979 – 30 March 2015 | |
Preceded by | Geoff Edge |
Succeeded by | Wendy Morton |
Personal details | |
Born | Richard Charles Scrimgeour Shepherd (1942-12-06)6 December 1942 Aberdeen, Scotland |
Died | 19 February 2022(2022-02-19) (aged 79) |
Nationality | British |
Political party | Conservative |
Alma mater | London School of Economics (BSc) Johns Hopkins University (MS) |
Profession | Underwriter |
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Shepherd was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, to parents who worked in the commercial aviation industry.[2] The family moved to London to be closer to Heathrow Airport, and Shepherd was educated at Isleworth Grammar School (now Isleworth and Syon School).[2][3] He then went to the London School of Economics where he received a BSc in Economics and where he studied with and became a friend of Robert Kilroy-Silk. He subsequently attended the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International StudiesatJohns Hopkins University in the United States from which he graduated with an MSc which was also in Economics.[3]
In the 1970s, Shepherd established the retail food businesses Partridges[4]ofSloane Street and Shepherd Foods in London, operating both enterprises with his family.[3] He was then an underwriteratLloyd's of London from 1974 to 1994.[2]
Shepherd contested the open Conservative candidacy in Heston and Isleworthin1970, but was not selected.[2] He was chosen as the Conservative candidate for Nottingham East at the February 1974 general election, where he was defeated by the Labour Party candidate Jack Dunnett.[2] During the 1970s he was also an assistant to Teddy Taylor.[3]
Shepherd was elected Member of Parliament for Aldridge-Brownhills in 1979. The Spectator variously cited him as 'Backbencher of the Year' in 1987, 'Troublemaker of the Year' in 1989, and 'Parliamentarian of the Year' in 1995.[2] He was rated as one of the ten most effective sitting MPs in 1989.[2] In 2010, ConservativeHome listed him as one of the most rebellious Tory MPs.[5]
One of the most significant events in Shepherd's parliamentary career came in 1988 when he introduced his Protection of Official Information Bill,[6] which was to replace parts of the Official Secrets Act 1911, with intent to provide limited protection to some whistleblowers. The government introduced a three line whip which called on its MPs to vote against the bill, even though it was introduced by a member of their own party.[2] This brought considerable debate at the time both in parliament and in the media. The bill was defeated. However Shepherd successfully introduced similar provisions into law in 1998.[3]
Shepherd was one of the Maastricht Rebels, and is known to have had libertarian leanings.[3] He developed close ties with fellow Maastricht rebels Nicholas Budgen and Christopher Gill, and gave the eulogy at Budgen's funeral.[2]
Shepherd was a strong advocate of Parliament's power to hold the government to account.[7] Shepherd stood to be Speaker of the House of Commons in 2000, and won 136 votes: the third-closest to defeating Michael Martin of eleven opponents. When Martin was forced to resign, in 2009, he stood for the position again. An outsider, at 14/1,[7] he won only 15 votes, and was eliminated on the first ballot.[8]
He voted against the Cameron–Clegg coalition government in 2013 on the issue of British military intervention in the Syrian civil war.[9]
Shepherd was knighted in the 2013 New Year Honours for public service.[10] He retired from Parliament at the 2015 general election.[11]
Shepherd never married. He died on 19 February 2022 at the age of 79.[2][3]
Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
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Preceded by | Member of Parliament for Aldridge-Brownhills 1979–2015 |
Succeeded by |