Anthony Kershaw

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Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Public Building and Works
In office
24 June 1970 – 15 October 1970
Prime MinisterEdward Heath
Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition
In office
1967–?
LeaderEdward Heath
Member of Parliament
for Stroud
In office
26 May 1955 – 18 May 1987
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byRoger Knapman
Personal details
Born
John Anthony Kershaw

(1915-12-14)14 December 1915
Deputy Lieutenant
Military service
Allegiance United Kingdom
Branch/service British Army
Years of service1940–1958
RankLieutenant colonel

Sir John Anthony Kershaw MC (14 December 1915 – 29 April 2008) was a British Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for 32 years, from 1955 to 1987. He served as a junior minister in the 1970s. He was also a barrister, World War II cavalry officer, amateur rugby player and company director.

Early life and education

Kershaw was born in

called to the Bar at Inner Temple
in 1939.

He married Barbara Edith Crookenden—daughter of solicitor Harry Crookenden—in 1939. They had two daughters and two sons named Carolyn, Harry, Cecilia and George.

War service

At the beginning of

staff officer (GSO3) with 26th Armoured Brigade (which comprised his own regiment amongst others) and had command of the brigade command tank. The brigade commander, Brigadier Charles Dunphie, was commanding from a scout car whose radio broke down. Kershaw, despite heavy machine gun and artillery fire, repeatedly ran from his tank, to the scout car, and back, to take the brigadier's orders, which he then relayed over the tank's radio. The following day, a German counterattack was believed to be imminent. Kershaw volunteered to man his tank, which had been disabled, to bring additional fire to bear on the advancing forces; despite its vulnerability to artillery fire as it was in full view on a road.[3][4][5]

Promoted temporary

lieutenant-colonel on 6 April 1955,[10] and commanded the regiment until he again transferred to the TA reserve of officers on 7 April 1958.[11]

Political career

Kershaw returned to the bar after the war. He also served as a member of the London County Council from 1946 to 1949, and as a councillor on the Westminster City Council from 1947 to 1948. He played rugby union for Harlequins.

Kershaw contested

Foreign and Commonwealth Office (1970–1973), and finally Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Defence with responsibility for the Royal Air Force (June 1973 – January 1974), replacing Lord Lambton
who resigned after a sex scandal.

He was unwaveringly loyal to Heath's successor, Margaret Thatcher, but his political views (he supported abortion but opposed hanging; he also supported the European Union and electoral reform) barred him from further ministerial office.[12] He served as chairman of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select committee from 1979 to 1987, and again on the 1922 Committee executive from 1983 to 1987. He was knighted in the 1981 New Year Honours, "[f]or political and public service".[13][14]

In 1984, he was forwarded information received by Tam Dalyell relating to the sinking of the General Belgrano in the Falklands War, which showed that the full facts had not been released to the public. Kershaw sent the information to the Ministry of Defence, which identified the leak as originating with Clive Ponting, who was tried (but acquitted) for an offence under section 2 of the Official Secrets Act 1911.[15]

Kershaw joined the National Committee for Electoral Reform in 1976, and served as a vice-chairman of the British Council from 1974 to 1987. He also continued his legal work, and was an adviser to British American Tobacco and the Association of British Marine Tools. Having kept wicket at Eton, he later played for the House of Commons cricket team.

He became

Lord Lieutenant
from 1990 to 1993.

Personal life

He hunted with the

Beaufort Hunt and the Berkeley Hunt, and also enjoyed shooting, stalking and gardening. He died in Didmarton
in Gloucestershire. He was survived by his wife and their four children.

References

  1. ^ "No. 34877". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 June 1940. p. 3766.
  2. ^ "No. 36180". The London Gazette. 21 September 1943. p. 4216.
  3. ^ "Sir Anthony Kershaw—Long-serving Conservative MP who was a junior minister in Ted Heath's Government and whose passion was hunting". The Times. London. 5 May 2008. Archived from the original on 17 May 2008. Retrieved 6 June 2008.
  4. ^ "Sir Anthony Kershaw—Influential and popular Conservative backbencher who also won an MC in North Africa". The Daily Telegraph. 30 April 2008. Archived from the original on 4 May 2008. Retrieved 2 May 2008.
  5. ^ "Recommendations for Honours and Awards (Army)—Image details—Kershaw, John Anthony" (Fee required to view full details of original recommendation). Documents Online. The National Archives. Retrieved 6 June 2008.
  6. ^ "No. 38396". The London Gazette. 3 September 1948. p. 4855.
  7. ^ "No. 38775". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 December 1949. p. 5773.
  8. ^ "No. 39345". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 September 1951. p. 5100.
  9. ^ "No. 40202". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 June 1954. p. 3520.
  10. ^ "No. 40476". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 May 1955. p. 2782.
  11. ^ "No. 41389". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 May 1958. p. 3168.
  12. ^ Roth, Andrew (2 May 2008). "Obituary—Sir Anthony Kershaw—Long-serving centrist Tory MP, he was also a barrister". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 May 2008. Retrieved 6 June 2008.
  13. ^ "No. 48467". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1980. pp. 1–2.
  14. ^ "No. 48609". The London Gazette. 12 May 1981. p. 6655.
  15. ^ Dalyell, Tam (2 May 2008). "Sir Anthony Kershaw: Supremely loyal Conservative MP". The Independent. Archived from the original on 3 May 2008. Retrieved 6 June 2008.
  16. ^ "No. 51790". The London Gazette. 23 June 1989. p. 6655.

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
New constituency Member of Parliament
for Stroud
1955–1987 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by
 Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition
1967–? 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Public Building and Works

1970 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

1970–1973 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence

1973–1974 		Succeeded by
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