Richard Francis Needham, 6th Earl of Kilmorey, Kt, PC (born 29 January 1942) usually known as Sir Richard Needham is a former Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. Prior to 1977 he used the courtesy title of Viscount Newry and Mourne.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for the safe Labour seat of Pontefract and Castleford in 1974
At the 1979 general election, Needham was returned as Member of Parliament for Chippenham in Wiltshire. That constituency was abolished for the 1983 general election, when he was returned to the House of Commons for the new North Wiltshire constituency. He held the seat until he retired from Parliament at the 1997 general election.
He served as a minister for Northern Ireland 1985-1992 and Minister of State for Trade 1992-1995, instrumental in transforming Northern Ireland's economic base and the UK's export strategy under Michael Heseltine.
Needham now works for Dyson. He has written two books: Honourable Member and Battling for Peace: Northern Ireland’s Longest-Serving British Minister (1999); an account of his years in Northern Ireland and his contribution to peace.
The Needham estate, known as Mourne Park, is near Kilkeel in County Down in Northern Ireland but the title and estate were separated when the fifth Earl inherited the title but opted to live in England. It is now owned by other family members. He maintains close links with Northern Ireland. The Mourne Park estate was put up for sale by Needham's cousins in 2008 for £10 million
In 1965, he married Sigrid Thiessen-Gairtner, they have three children:
- Robert Needham, Viscount Newry and Mourne (b. 1966)
- Hon. Andrew Needham (b. 1969)
- Lady Christina Needham (b. 1977)
Needham holds the title Earl of Kilmorey, in the Peerage of Ireland, but generally chooses not to use this.
Needham was the longest serving British government Northern Ireland minister. In his book Battling for Peace (1999), he recalls attending a service at Westminster Abbey in 1991:
The former chairman of the county council and high sheriff for the year, Nigel Anderson, was a redoubtable old soldier who had a profound dislike of Mrs Thatcher and kept muttering "Well done, keep it up" in a loud whisper at every opportunity when there was a lull in the service.[1]
References
- ^ Richard Needham, Battling for Peace: Northern Ireland's Longest-Serving British Minister (Blackstaff Press, 1999) p. 214
External links
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Daniel Awdry |
Member of Parliament for Chippenham 1979 – 1983 |
Constituency abolished |
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for North Wiltshire 1983 – 1997 |
Succeeded by James Gray |
| Peerage of Ireland | ||
| Preceded by Patrick Needham |
Earl of Kilmorey 1977 – present |
Incumbent |
 |
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