Adam Butler (British politician)
Encyclopedia
Sir Adam Courtauld Butler, DL
(11 October 1931 – 9 January 2008) was a British
Conservative Party
politician, serving as an MP for 17 years and holding several junior ministerial offices.
Butler was born at Halstead
, the second of four children of Rab Butler
and his wife, Sydney, only child of Samuel Courtauld
. He was educated at Maidwell Hall prep school in Northampton and Eton College
. After National Service
from 1949 to 1951 as a second lieutenant in the King's Royal Rifle Corps
, he read history and economics at Pembroke College, Cambridge
from 1951 to 1954 (where his grandfather, Sir Montagu Butler, had been Master). After graduating, he joined the Canadian Army for as a captain to serve as aide-de-camp
to the Governor-General of Canada, Vincent Massey
, for one year. His mother died of cancer in 1954, while he was in Canada. He returned to England in 1955, and he joined the family company, Courtaulds
, working as a director of various subsidiaries.
Butler became Member of Parliament
for Bosworth
in 1970, surprisingly defeating the sitting Labour Party
MP, Woodrow Wyatt
. He was first Conservative MP to represent the seat since the 1920s, and barely retained his seat at the two general elections in 1974. He served as Parliamentary Private Secretary
to Joseph Godber
, who was Minister of State
in the Foreign Office and then at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
. He became a whip
in 1974. After Margaret Thatcher
became Conservative leader in 1975, Butler became one of her two Parliamentary Private Secretaries, along with John Stanley
. After the Conservative victory at the 1979 general election
, he served as Minister of State for Industry at the Department of Industry until 1981, and then as minister for economic development in Northern Ireland until 1984, where he called in the receivers at the De Lorean motorcar company, and finally as minister for defence procurement until 1985. He was sworn of the Privy Council
in 1984, and knighted in 1986.
He retired from Parliament at the 1987 general election
, returning to Courtaulds. He was also a member of the Court of the Goldsmiths' Company and later chairman of the British Hallmarking Council from 1998 to 2004; chairman of the Samuel Courtauld Trustees, associated with the Courtauld Institute of Art
, from 1989 to 2005; and chairman of the Airey Neave Trust from 1989 to 1999.
He lived at his 200 acre (0.809372 km²) farm at Lighthorne
in Warwickshire
. He became a Deputy Lieutenant
of Warwickshire in 1993, and served as Vice Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire from 1998 to 2005. He enjoyed field sports, and was chairman of the Warwickshire Hunt for 23 years. He also was member of the Countryside Animal Welfare Group, and campaigned to end the RSPCA's support for a hunting ban as a member of its council.
He married Felicity Molesworth-St Aubin in 1955. He died at Lighthorne, survived by his wife and their two sons and daughter.
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(11 October 1931 – 9 January 2008) was a British
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...
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, serving as an MP for 17 years and holding several junior ministerial offices.
Butler was born at Halstead
Halstead
Halstead is a town and civil parish located in Braintree District of Essex, England, near Colchester and Sudbury. It has a population of 11,053. The town is situated in the Colne Valley, and originally developed on the hill to the north of the river...
, the second of four children of Rab Butler
Rab Butler
Richard Austen Butler, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden, KG CH DL PC , who invariably signed his name R. A. Butler and was familiarly known as Rab, was a British Conservative politician...
and his wife, Sydney, only child of Samuel Courtauld
Samuel Courtauld (art collector)
Samuel Courtauld son of Sydney Courtauld and Sarah Lucy Sharpe was an English industrialist who is best remembered as an art collector...
. He was educated at Maidwell Hall prep school in Northampton and Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
. After National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
from 1949 to 1951 as a second lieutenant in the King's Royal Rifle Corps
King's Royal Rifle Corps
The King's Royal Rifle Corps was a British Army infantry regiment, originally raised in colonial North America as the Royal Americans, and recruited from American colonists. Later ranked as the 60th Regiment of Foot, the regiment served for more than 200 years throughout the British Empire...
, he read history and economics at Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...
from 1951 to 1954 (where his grandfather, Sir Montagu Butler, had been Master). After graduating, he joined the Canadian Army for as a captain to serve as aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the Governor-General of Canada, Vincent Massey
Vincent Massey
Charles Vincent Massey was a Canadian lawyer and diplomat who served as Governor General of Canada, the 18th since Canadian Confederation....
, for one year. His mother died of cancer in 1954, while he was in Canada. He returned to England in 1955, and he joined the family company, Courtaulds
Courtaulds
Courtaulds was a United Kingdom-based manufacturer of fabric, clothing, artificial fibres, and chemicals.-Foundation:The Company was founded by George Courtauld and his cousin Peter Taylor in 1794 as a silk, crepe and textile business at Pebmarsh in north Essex trading as George Courtauld & Co...
, working as a director of various subsidiaries.
Butler became 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 Bosworth
Bosworth (UK Parliament constituency)
Bosworth is a county constituency 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.-Boundaries:...
in 1970, surprisingly defeating the sitting Labour Party
Labour 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...
MP, Woodrow Wyatt
Woodrow Wyatt
Woodrow Lyle Wyatt, Baron Wyatt of Weeford , was a British politician, published author, journalist and broadcaster, close to the Queen Mother, Margaret Thatcher and Rupert Murdoch...
. He was first Conservative MP to represent the seat since the 1920s, and barely retained his seat at the two general elections in 1974. He served as Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to Joseph Godber
Joseph Godber
Joseph Bradshaw Godber, Baron Godber of Willington PC was a British Conservative Party politician and cabinet minister.-Background:...
, who was Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
in the Foreign Office and then at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was a United Kingdom government department created by the Board of Agriculture Act 1889 and at that time called the Board of Agriculture, and then from 1903 the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, and from 1919 the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries...
. He became a whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
in 1974. After Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
became Conservative leader in 1975, Butler became one of her two Parliamentary Private Secretaries, along with John Stanley
John Stanley (politician)
Sir John Paul Stanley PC is a British Conservative Party politician, and the Member of Parliament for Tonbridge and Malling.-Education:...
. After the Conservative victory 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...
, he served as Minister of State for Industry at the Department of Industry until 1981, and then as minister for economic development in Northern Ireland until 1984, where he called in the receivers at the De Lorean motorcar company, and finally as minister for defence procurement until 1985. He was sworn of the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
in 1984, and knighted in 1986.
He retired from Parliament at the 1987 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
, returning to Courtaulds. He was also a member of the Court of the Goldsmiths' Company and later chairman of the British Hallmarking Council from 1998 to 2004; chairman of the Samuel Courtauld Trustees, associated with the Courtauld Institute of Art
Courtauld Institute of Art
The Courtauld Institute of Art is a self-governing college of the University of London specialising in the study of the history of art. The Courtauld is one of the premier centres for the teaching of art history in the world; it was the only History of Art department in the UK to be awarded a top...
, from 1989 to 2005; and chairman of the Airey Neave Trust from 1989 to 1999.
He lived at his 200 acre (0.809372 km²) farm at Lighthorne
Lighthorne
Lighthorne is a village in Warwickshire, England. It is about south of Leamington Spa.Lighthorne is a small village in a valley and is near Moreton Morrell, Kineton and Wellesbourne....
in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
. He became a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Warwickshire in 1993, and served as Vice Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire from 1998 to 2005. He enjoyed field sports, and was chairman of the Warwickshire Hunt for 23 years. He also was member of the Countryside Animal Welfare Group, and campaigned to end the RSPCA's support for a hunting ban as a member of its council.
He married Felicity Molesworth-St Aubin in 1955. He died at Lighthorne, survived by his wife and their two sons and daughter.