John Wilkinson (British politician)

John Arbuthnot Du Cane Wilkinson (23 September 1940 – 1 March 2014) was a British Conservative politician. He was educated at Eton College and Churchill College, Cambridge.[1]

John Wilkinson
Member of Parliament
for Ruislip-Northwood
In office
3 May 1979 – 11 April 2005
Preceded byPetre Crowder
Succeeded byNick Hurd
Member of Parliament
for Bradford West
In office
18 June 1970 – 8 February 1974
Preceded byNorman Haseldine
Succeeded byEdward Lyons
Personal details
Born
John Arbuthnot Du Cane Wilkinson

23 September 1940
Windsor, Berkshire, England
Died1 March 2014(2014-03-01) (aged 73)
Isle of Man
NationalityBritish
Political partyConservative
Spouse(s)
    Paula Adey
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1987, divorced)​
      M. Cecilia Cienfuegos
      ​
      ​
      (m. 1987)​
      Children2
      EducationEton College
      Alma materChurchill College, Cambridge
      Military service
      Allegiance United Kingdom
      Branch/service Royal Air Force
      Years of servicebefore 1970

      Electoral history

      He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bradford West from 1970 until February 1974, when he was defeated by the Labour candidate Edward Lyons. He failed to regain the seat against Lyons in the following general election that same year.

      In the 1979 general election he was elected as MP for Ruislip-Northwood, succeeding Petre Crowder, where he was re-elected in the successive general elections in 1983, 1987, 1992, 1997 and 2001.

      Wilkinson did not stand in the May 2005 general election, and the new member for Ruislip-Northwood is another Conservative, Nick Hurd. By the time of his retirement, Wilkinson was one of the longest-serving Conservative MPs.[2]

      Parliamentary career

      Wilkinson remained on the backbenches for most of his parliamentary career, apart from two brief periods as a Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS): to the Minister of State for Industry from 1979 to 1980 and to the Secretary of State for Defence from 1981 to 1982.[3]

      A former member of the Royal Air Force (RAF), he spoke frequently in debates on defence and from 1979 to 1990 he was a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of The Western European Union (WEU). He also served as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

      Wilkinson was one of the Maastricht rebels, from whom the Conservative whip was withdrawn when they voted against legislation to ratify the Maastricht Treaty on European Union. Wilkinson and the other rebels continued to oppose the European policy of Conservative Prime Minister John Major for much of the 1992–97 parliament.

      Wilkinson was portrayed by Jasper Jacob in the 2002 BBC production of Ian Curteis's controversial The Falklands Play.

      References
      1. Drewett, Zoe (13 March 2014). "Former Ruislip and Northwood MP John Wilkinson has died at the age of 73". Get West London. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
      2. BBC News, Find Your MP: John Wilkinson
      3. Guardian Unlimited Politics – Aristotle
      Parliament of the United Kingdom
      Preceded by
      Norman Haseldine      		 Member of Parliament for Bradford West
      1970 – Feb. 1974      		 Succeeded by
      Edward Lyons
      Preceded by
      Petre Crowder      		 Member of Parliament for Ruislip-Northwood
      1979–2005      		 Succeeded by
      Nick Hurd
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