Nicholas Winterton
Encyclopedia
Sir Nicholas Raymond Winterton (born 31 March 1938) is a retired British
Conservative Party
politician. He was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Macclesfield
from 1971 until he retired from the House of Commons at the 2010 general election.
His wife, Ann Winterton
, also served as a Member of Parliament alongside him, representing the neighbouring Congleton
constituency.
, Staffordshire
and was educated at Bilton Grange
, a prep school in Rugby, then Rugby School
. He undertook his National Service
from 1957–59 and was commissioned into the 14th/20th King's Hussars
serving in Germany
before leaving to work as a trainee sales executive with Shell-Mex and BP
. In 1960, he became a Sales and General Manager of a construction machinery company, a job he retained until he was elected to Parliament
. He served as a member of the West Midlands Conservative
Council from 1967 to 1971 and was a Warwickshire
County Councillor representing a coal mining and industrial division in North Warwickshire from 1967–72. In 1969 he contested a by-election
in Newcastle-under-Lyme
but was unsuccessful; he stood again for the same seat at the 1970 general election
but again was unsuccessful.
in September 1971. He is considered a right-wing Tory, opposing the reduction of the age of consent for same-sex sexual relations to 16, the ban on fox hunting and supporting Section 28
and the reintroduction of capital punishment. For some years he was a member of the Conservative Monday Club
and on 26 January 1981, he was the Guest-of-Honour at the Club's Africa Group Dinner at St Stephen's Club
, Westminster, where Harold Soref
was in the chair. He is also a signatory to the Freedom Association's Better Off Out
campaign, opposing Britain's membership of the European Union
. He wears a small badge in the design of the pound sterling
symbol to signify his opposition to any plans for the Euro
being adopted as Britain's national currency
. He has never been promoted to a ministerial or shadow role.
He served as a member of the Social Services Select Committee between 1979 and 1990 and was then chairman of the Health Select Committee
(1990–92). Winterton is currently the senior member of the Speaker's Panel of Chairmen. He is also currently a member of the Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons
and a vice-chairman of the 1922 Committee
. Winterton was one of the few MPs to ask a question at Tony Blair
's last Prime Minister's Questions
: he demanded a referendum on the EU Reform Treaty to the groans, roars, and chuckles of the House. He was knighted
by Queen Elizabeth II
in June 2002 for services to Parliament.
and he concluded that they misused their MPs' expenses to pay rent for a flat that they had already bought outright. Once the mortgage had been fully repaid, the Wintertons transferred the ownership of the flat into a family trust. Since 2002 they had paid the rent to their trust for living in the flat from their MPs' expenditure. The Committee accepted that the Wintertons had "at no stage attempted to conceal their arrangements". Winterton has said of his expenses
"I try to tackle matters of expenses in a responsible way, I don't spend any more money than is absolutely necessary". This is at odds with his party's leader, David Cameron
, who branded them as "indefensible". On 25 May 2009 it was announced that both the Wintertons would stand down as MPs at the next general election.
Winterton came in for criticism when he was accused of slapping Labour MP Natascha Engel
's bottom. When asked if the accusation was true, Winterton replied: "I'm quite a normal person. Will I slap a colleague on the back, Will I slap a colleague in friendship? The answer is – it is certainly possible."
On 18 February 2010 during a BBC Radio 5 Live
interview he defended MPs travelling first class by saying that people who travelled in standard class on trains were a "totally different type of people." Commenting to a BBC reporter, a Conservative spokesman stated that these remarks "...do not in any way represent the views of [...] the Conservative Party."
. For 30 years he has been a patron of the Macclesfield & District Sheep Dog Trials Association. He also helps local organisations such as Age Concern
and Macmillan Cancer Care and is an honorary member of the Macclesfield & District Lions Club. He is a supporter of Macclesfield Town F.C.
and Macclesfield R.U.F.C.
Winterton is also actively involved with local Scouting and Guiding. He is a vice president of Cheshire Scout County and Macclesfield and Congleton District Scout Council. He is an ambassador for Guiding by Girlguiding UK
. In recognition of his contribution to Scouting he has been awarded the Medal of Merit for Outstanding Services to the Scout Movement.
For 26 years he was on The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
Scheme National Advisory Committee. He is an honorary Vice-President of the Royal College of Midwives
and a freeman of the City of London
. He is also a Past Upper Bailiff and Member of Court of the Worshipful Company of Weavers
. As a result of many years supporting St John Ambulance Winterton is a Serving Brother of the Venerable Order of Saint John
. He is Patron/Chairman of the Zimbabwe-Rhodesia Relief Fund, a registered charity.
in 1960 in Sutton Coldfield
. In the 1983 general election
she became the Member of Parliament for Congleton
, adjacent to Sir Nicholas' Macclesfield constituency. They have two sons, one daughter and eight grandchildren.
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. He was the 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,...
(MP) for Macclesfield
Macclesfield (UK Parliament constituency)
Macclesfield 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 :...
from 1971 until he retired from the House of Commons at the 2010 general election.
His wife, Ann Winterton
Ann Winterton
Jane Ann, Lady Winterton is a British Conservative Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Congleton from 1983 to 2010...
, also served as a Member of Parliament alongside him, representing the neighbouring Congleton
Congleton (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 1990s:- Notes and references :...
constituency.
Early life
Winterton was born in RugeleyRugeley
Rugeley is a historic market town in the county of Staffordshire, England. It lies on the northern edge of Cannock Chase, and is situated roughly midway between the towns of Stafford, Cannock, Lichfield and Uttoxeter...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
and was educated at Bilton Grange
Bilton Grange
Bilton Grange is a preparatory school located in Dunchurch, near Rugby, Warwickshire. The present headmaster is Mr. JP Kirk, the eighth in total....
, a prep school in Rugby, then Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
. He undertook his 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 1957–59 and was commissioned into the 14th/20th King's Hussars
14th/20th King's Hussars
The 14th/20th King's Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1922 to 1992.- History :Originally styled the 14th/20th Hussars, the regiment was created in 1922 by the amalgamation of the 14th King's Hussars and the 20th Hussars, as part of the reductions in the Army...
serving in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
before leaving to work as a trainee sales executive with Shell-Mex and BP
Shell-Mex and BP
Shell-Mex and BP Ltd was a British joint marketing venture between Shell and British Petroleum. It was formed in 1932 when both companies decided to merge their United Kingdom marketing operations, partly in response to the difficult economic conditions of the times.The parent organisations...
. In 1960, he became a Sales and General Manager of a construction machinery company, a job he retained until he was elected to Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
. He served as a member of the West Midlands Conservative
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...
Council from 1967 to 1971 and was a 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...
County Councillor representing a coal mining and industrial division in North Warwickshire from 1967–72. In 1969 he contested a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme (UK Parliament constituency)
Newcastle-under-Lyme is a borough 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.- History :...
but was unsuccessful; he stood again for the same seat at the 1970 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1970
The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their...
but again was unsuccessful.
Member of Parliament
Winterton was elected to the House of Commons at the third attempt, winning a by-election in MacclesfieldMacclesfield (UK Parliament constituency)
Macclesfield 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 September 1971. He is considered a right-wing Tory, opposing the reduction of the age of consent for same-sex sexual relations to 16, the ban on fox hunting and supporting Section 28
Section 28
Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 caused the controversial addition of Section 2A to the Local Government Act 1986 , enacted on 24 May 1988 and repealed on 21 June 2000 in Scotland, and on 18 November 2003 in the rest of Great Britain by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003...
and the reintroduction of capital punishment. For some years he was a member of the Conservative Monday Club
Conservative Monday Club
The Conservative Monday Club is a British pressure group "on the right-wing" of the Conservative Party.-Overview:...
and on 26 January 1981, he was the Guest-of-Honour at the Club's Africa Group Dinner at St Stephen's Club
St Stephen's Club
St Stephen's Club is a private member's club in Westminster, founded in 1870.St Stephen's was originally on the corner of Bridge Street and the Embankment, in London SW1, which the government building Portcullis House now occupies....
, Westminster, where Harold Soref
Harold Soref
Harold Benjamin Soref was twice a Conservative parliamentary candidate before being elected Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom for Ormskirk, Lancashire, in the 1970 General Election. He subsequently lost that seat to Labour in February 1974...
was in the chair. He is also a signatory to the Freedom Association's Better Off Out
Better Off Out
Better Off Out is the name of a non-party campaign run by The Freedom Association to call for the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union...
campaign, opposing Britain's membership of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. He wears a small badge in the design of the pound sterling
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
symbol to signify his opposition to any plans for the Euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
being adopted as Britain's national currency
Currency
In economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...
. He has never been promoted to a ministerial or shadow role.
He served as a member of the Social Services Select Committee between 1979 and 1990 and was then chairman of the Health Select Committee
Health Select Committee
The Health Select Committee is one of the Select Committees of the British House of Commons. It oversees the operations of the Department of Health and its associated bodies.-Membership:...
(1990–92). Winterton is currently the senior member of the Speaker's Panel of Chairmen. He is also currently a member of the Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons
Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons
The Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons was a temporary select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was created early in the 1997, 2001, and 2005 Parliaments...
and a vice-chairman of the 1922 Committee
1922 Committee
In British politics, the 1922 Committee is a committee of Conservative Members of Parliament. Voting membership is limited to backbench MPs although frontbench Conservative MPs have an open invitation to attend meetings. While the party was in opposition, frontbench MPs other than the party leader...
. Winterton was one of the few MPs to ask a question at Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
's last Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime minister's questions is a constitutional convention in the United Kingdom that takes place every Wednesday during which the prime minister spends half an hour answering questions from members of parliament...
: he demanded a referendum on the EU Reform Treaty to the groans, roars, and chuckles of the House. He was knighted
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...
by Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
in June 2002 for services to Parliament.
Controversies
The Wintertons have been investigated by the Parliamentary Standards CommissionerParliamentary Commissioner for Standards
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is an officer of the British House of Commons.He or she is appointed by a Resolution of the House of Commons and works a four-day week.- Tasks :...
and he concluded that they misused their MPs' expenses to pay rent for a flat that they had already bought outright. Once the mortgage had been fully repaid, the Wintertons transferred the ownership of the flat into a family trust. Since 2002 they had paid the rent to their trust for living in the flat from their MPs' expenditure. The Committee accepted that the Wintertons had "at no stage attempted to conceal their arrangements". Winterton has said of his expenses
"I try to tackle matters of expenses in a responsible way, I don't spend any more money than is absolutely necessary". This is at odds with his party's leader, David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
, who branded them as "indefensible". On 25 May 2009 it was announced that both the Wintertons would stand down as MPs at the next general election.
Winterton came in for criticism when he was accused of slapping Labour MP Natascha Engel
Natascha Engel
Natascha Engel is a German-British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for North East Derbyshire since 2005. She has extensive involvement in the trade union movement, and has close connections to Gordon Brown....
's bottom. When asked if the accusation was true, Winterton replied: "I'm quite a normal person. Will I slap a colleague on the back, Will I slap a colleague in friendship? The answer is – it is certainly possible."
On 18 February 2010 during a BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
interview he defended MPs travelling first class by saying that people who travelled in standard class on trains were a "totally different type of people." Commenting to a BBC reporter, a Conservative spokesman stated that these remarks "...do not in any way represent the views of [...] the Conservative Party."
Affiliations
Sir Nicholas Winterton has been involved in a wide range of organisations and interests. Local charities he supports include the Macclesfield Access Group, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Riding for the Disabled, Macclesfield Handicapped Social Club and the Rossendale Trust. He is a vice president of the East Cheshire Hospice and a patron of the local branch of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to ChildrenNSPCC
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children is a United Kingdom charity campaigning and working in child protection.-History:...
. For 30 years he has been a patron of the Macclesfield & District Sheep Dog Trials Association. He also helps local organisations such as Age Concern
Age Concern
Age Concern was the banner title used by a number of charitable organisations specifically concerned with the needs and interests of all older people based chiefly in the four countries of the United Kingdom....
and Macmillan Cancer Care and is an honorary member of the Macclesfield & District Lions Club. He is a supporter of Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...
and Macclesfield R.U.F.C.
Winterton is also actively involved with local Scouting and Guiding. He is a vice president of Cheshire Scout County and Macclesfield and Congleton District Scout Council. He is an ambassador for Guiding by Girlguiding UK
Girlguiding UK
Girlguiding UK is the national Guiding organisation of the United Kingdom. Guiding began in the UK in 1910 after Robert Baden-Powell asked his sister Agnes to start a group especially for girls that would be run along similar lines to Scouting for Boys. The Guide Association was a founder member of...
. In recognition of his contribution to Scouting he has been awarded the Medal of Merit for Outstanding Services to the Scout Movement.
For 26 years he was on The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award , is a programme of activities that can be undertaken by anyone aged 14 to 24, regardless of personal ability....
Scheme National Advisory Committee. He is an honorary Vice-President of the Royal College of Midwives
Royal College of Midwives
The Royal College of Midwives is a British midwives organisation which has existed under its present name since 1947.-History:The Matrons' Aid Society, renamed the Midwives' Institute in 1881, was founded by Louisa Hubbard and Zepharina Veitch to raise the training and status of midwives...
and a freeman of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. He is also a Past Upper Bailiff and Member of Court of the Worshipful Company of Weavers
Worshipful Company of Weavers
The Worshipful Company of Weavers is the most ancient of the Livery Companies in the City of London. It existed in the year 1130, and was perhaps formed earlier. The Company received a Royal Charter in 1180. At present, the Company retains a connection to textiles through its contributions to the...
. As a result of many years supporting St John Ambulance Winterton is a Serving Brother of the Venerable Order of Saint John
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
. He is Patron/Chairman of the Zimbabwe-Rhodesia Relief Fund, a registered charity.
Personal life
Winterton married Ann HodgsonAnn Winterton
Jane Ann, Lady Winterton is a British Conservative Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Congleton from 1983 to 2010...
in 1960 in Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield is a suburb of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Sutton is located about from central Birmingham but has borders with Erdington and Kingstanding. Sutton is in the northeast of Birmingham, with a population of 105,000 recorded in the 2001 census...
. In 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...
she became the Member of Parliament for Congleton
Congleton (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 1990s:- Notes and references :...
, adjacent to Sir Nicholas' Macclesfield constituency. They have two sons, one daughter and eight grandchildren.