Michael Spicer

Sir William Michael Hardy Spicer (born 22 January 1943) is the British Member of Parliament for West Worcestershire. He is a Conservative backbencher, and chairman of the 1922 committee.

Early life

He was born in Bath, to Lt. Col. (later Brigadier) L. Hardy Spicer and Muriel, daughter of Wallis G. Carter of Bath ^[1]. Spicer was educated at Vienna, Gaunts House Preparatory School, Wellington College and has a degree in economics from Emmanuel College, Cambridge. After graduation, he worked as a financial journalist for the Daily Mail, the Sunday Times and The Statist. From 1968-70, he was Director of Conservative Systems Research Centre. From 1970-80, he was Managing Director of Economic Models Ltd.

Parliamentary career

At the 1966 general election, he challenged Manny Shinwell in the safe Labour Easington constituency as the youngest Parliamentary candidate in the country against the oldest. He stood in Easington again at the 1970 general election before being elected at the February 1974 general election for South Worcestershire. He represented South Worcestershire until 1997 when boundary changes abolished the constituency and he moved to the West Worcestershire seat which he has represented since.

After the 1979 general election, which swept the Conservatives to power, he became Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Department of Trade. He was later made a Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party. He became a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Transport in 1984, serving until 1987, with specific responsibility for Aviation. In 1987, he moved to the Department of Energy, again as a Parliament Under Secretary, this time with responsibility for Electricity and Coal. In January 1990, he was promoted to become a Minister of State at the Department of Environment, however, after the ousting of Margaret Thatcher in November 1990, he left the government payroll.

On leaving the government he became Chairman of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee in the House of Commons. He was knighted in 1996. After the 1997 general election, he became a member of the Treasury Select Committee.

As an MP since 1997

After the 2001 general election he was elected Chairman of the 1922 committee, a position he has served in since.

As chairman of the 1922 committee, he has the distinction of having presided over more leadership elections than any of his predecessors as Iain Duncan Smith, Michael Howard and David Cameron have all been elected in his tenure.

His majority declined in 1997, in keeping with the general trend across the country, but it almost doubled 4 years later at the 2001 General Election. However, unlike most Conservative MPs he failed to increase his majority in 2005; instead it was more than halved and he now holds one of the Conservative's most marginal seats against the Liberal Democrats.

Spicer has since announced that he will not contest the Worcestershire West seat at the next general election and would retire as an MP.

In the 2009 leaked list of Parliamentarians' expenses it included £7,000 for gardening including hedge trimming what was described a ‘helipad’.

Personal life

He married Patricia Ann Hunter on 7 April 1967, and they have a son and two daughters. He has been president of the Association of Electricity Producers.

Author

He is an author and has had a number of books published.

References

1. ^ Forthcoming Marriages, The Times, September 10, 1940

External links

• Sir Michael Spicer MP official site
• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Sir Michael Spicer MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Michael Spicer MP
• Ministerial Posts
• BBC Politics page

News items

• Elected Chairman of 1922 committee in 2001

Offices held