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{{Short description|British politician}}
{{short description|British politician (1942–2022)}}
{{other people}}
{{other people}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2022}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = Sir
| honorific-prefix = Sir
| name = Richard Shepherd
| name = Richard Shepherd
| honorific-suffix =
| honorific-suffix =
| image = RichardShepherdMP.jpg
| image = RichardShepherdMP.jpg
| caption = At Silver Street Methodist Church in [[Brownhills]], 2007
| caption = At Silver Street Methodist Church in [[Brownhills]], 2007
| office = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] <br /> for [[Aldridge-Brownhills (UK Parliament constituency)|Aldridge-Brownhills]]
| office = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] <br /> for [[Aldridge-Brownhills (UK Parliament constituency)|Aldridge-Brownhills]]
| parliament =
| parliament =
| term_start = 3 May 1979
| term_start = 3 May 1979
| term_end = 30 March 2015
| term_end = 30 March 2015
| predecessor = [[Geoff Edge]]
| predecessor = [[Geoff Edge]]
| successor = [[Wendy Morton]]
| successor = [[Wendy Morton]]
| birth_name = Richard Charles Scrimgeour Shepherd
| birth_name = Richard Charles Scrimgeour Shepherd
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1942|12|06}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1942|12|06}}
| birth_place = [[Aberdeen]], Scotland
| birth_place = [[Aberdeen]], Scotland
| death_date = {{death date|2022|02|19|df=yes}} or<br/>{{death date and age|2022|02|21|1942|12|06|df=yes}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|02|19|1942|12|06|df=yes}}
| death_place =
| death_place =
| nationality = British
| nationality = British
| spouse =
| spouse =
| party = [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
| party = [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
| relations =
| relations =
| children =
| children =
| residence =
| residence =
| alma_mater = [[London School of Economics]] (BSc),<br /> [[Johns Hopkins University]] (MSc)
| alma_mater = [[London School of Economics]] ([[BSc]])<br />[[Johns Hopkins University]] ([[M. S.|MS]])
| occupation =
| occupation =
| profession = Underwriter
| profession = Underwriter
| religion =
| religion =
| signature =
| signature =
| website =
| website =
| footnotes =
| footnotes =
}}
}}


⚫
'''Sir Richard Charles Scrimgeour Shepherd''' (6 December 1942 – 19 February 2022) was a British politician who was [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Aldridge-Brownhills (UK Parliament constituency)|Aldridge-Brownhills]] from 1979 to 2015. A [[Eurosceptic]], Shepherd was one of the [[Maastricht Rebels]] that had the [[whip (politics)|whip]] withdrawn over opposition to Prime Minister [[John Major]]'s legislation on the [[European Union]]. Shepherd was also a libertarian [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Time to stand up and be counted? |newspaper=[[BBC News]] |date=1 December 1998 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1998/10/98/office_life/224584.stm }}</ref> and had a [[three line whip]] imposed against him by [[Margaret Thatcher]] when he introduced an amendment to loosen the [[Official Secrets Act 1911]].
⚫
'''Sir Richard Charles Scrimgeour Shepherd''' (6 December 1942 – 19<ref name = Telegraph>{{cite news |title=Sir Richard Shepherd, Tory MP and committed Eurosceptic who rebelled over the Maastricht Treaty – obituary |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2022/02/22/sir-richard-shepherd-tory-mp-committed-eurosceptic-rebelled/ |access-date=23 February 2022 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=22 February 2022|url-access = subscription}}</ref> or 21<ref name = Bates>{{cite news|url = https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/feb/22/sir-richard-shepherd-obituary|title = Sir Richard Shepherd obituary|last = Bates|first = Stephen|date = 22 February 2022|accessdate = 22 February 2022|work = [[The Guardian]]}}</ref> February 2022) was a [[Conservative Party (UK)|British Conservative]] politician who was [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Aldridge-Brownhills (UK Parliament constituency)|Aldridge-Brownhills]] from 1979 to 2015.

⚫
A [[Euroscepticism|Eurosceptic]], Shepherd was one of the [[Maastricht Rebels]] that had the [[whip (politics)|whip]] withdrawn over opposition to [[John Major]]'s legislation on the [[European Union]]. Shepherd was also a [[libertarianism|libertarian]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Time to stand up and be counted? |newspaper=[[BBC News]] |date=1 December 1998 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1998/10/98/office_life/224584.stm }}</ref> and had a [[three line whip]] imposed against him by [[Margaret Thatcher]] when he introduced an amendment loosening the [[Official Secrets Act 1911]].


== Early life ==
== Early life ==
Shepherd was born in [[Aberdeen]], [[Scotland]], to parents who worked in the commercial aviation industry.<ref name = Telegraph/> The family moved to London to be closer to [[Heathrow Airport]], and Shepherd was educated at Isleworth Grammar School (now [[Isleworth and Syon School]]).<ref name = Telegraph/><ref name = Bates/> He then went to the [[London School of Economics]] where he received a [[Bachelor of Science|BSc]] in Economics and where he studied with and became a friend of [[Robert Kilroy-Silk]]. He subsequently attended the [[Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies]] at [[Johns Hopkins University]] in the United States from which he graduated with an [[Master of Science|MSc]] also in Economics.<ref name = Bates/>
Shepherd was born in [[Aberdeen]], [[Scotland]], to parents who worked in the commercial aviation industry.<ref name = Telegraph/> The family moved to London to be closer to [[Heathrow Airport]], and Shepherd was educated at Isleworth Grammar School (now [[Isleworth and Syon School]]).<ref name = Telegraph/><ref name = Bates/> He then went to the [[London School of Economics]] where he received a [[Bachelor of Science|BSc]] in Economics and where he studied with and became a friend of [[Robert Kilroy-Silk]]. He subsequently attended the [[Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies]] at [[Johns Hopkins University]] in the United States from which he graduated with an [[Master of Science|MSc]] which was also in Economics.<ref name = Bates/>


Shepherd was a director of the retail food businesses Partridges<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.partridges.co.uk |title=Partridges |publisher=Partridges |date=15 December 1975 |accessdate=30 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506063520/https://www.partridges.co.uk/ |archive-date=6 May 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> of [[Sloane Street]] and Shepherd Foods in London, both of which were run by his family.<ref name = Bates/> He was then an [[underwriter]] at [[Lloyd's of London]] from 1974 to 1994.<ref name = Telegraph/>
In the 1970s, Shepherd established the retail food businesses Partridges<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.partridges.co.uk/about-us |title=Partridges {{!}} About us |publisher=Partridges |access-date=24 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518010002/https://www.partridges.co.uk/about-us |archive-date=18 May 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref> of [[Sloane Street]] and Shepherd Foods in London, operating both enterprises with his family.<ref name = Bates/> He was then an [[underwriter]] at [[Lloyd's of London]] from 1974 to 1994.<ref name = Telegraph/>


== Parliamentary career ==
== Parliamentary career ==
Shepherd contested the open Conservative candidacy in [[Heston and Isleworth (UK Parliament constituency)|Heston and Isleworth]] in [[1970 United Kingdom general election|1970]], but was not selected.<ref name = Telegraph/> He was chosen as the Conservative candidate for [[Nottingham East (UK Parliament constituency)|Nottingham East]] at the [[February 1974 United Kingdom general election|February 1974 general election]], where he was defeated by the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] candidate [[Jack Dunnett]].<ref name = Telegraph/> During the 1970s he was also an assistant to [[Teddy Taylor]].<ref name = Bates/>
Shepherd contested the open Conservative candidacy in [[Heston and Isleworth (UK Parliament constituency)|Heston and Isleworth]] in [[1970 United Kingdom general election|1970]], but was not selected.<ref name = Telegraph/> He was chosen as the Conservative candidate for [[Nottingham East (UK Parliament constituency)|Nottingham East]] at the [[February 1974 United Kingdom general election|February 1974 general election]], where he was defeated by the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] candidate [[Jack Dunnett]].<ref name = Telegraph/> During the 1970s he was also an assistant to [[Teddy Taylor]].<ref name = Bates/>


Shepherd was elected Member of Parliament for Aldridge-Brownhills in [[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]. ''[[The Spectator]]'' variously cited him as '[[Backbencher]] of the Year' in 1987, 'Troublemaker of the Year' in 1989, and 'Parliamentarian of the Year' in 1995.<ref name = Telegraph/> In 1989, he was identified by a [[Mori]] poll of his fellow MPs to be one of the ten most effective MPs currently sitting in Parliament.<ref name = Telegraph/>
Shepherd was elected Member of Parliament for Aldridge-Brownhills in [[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]. ''[[The Spectator]]'' variously cited him as '[[Backbencher]] of the Year' in 1987, 'Troublemaker of the Year' in 1989, and 'Parliamentarian of the Year' in 1995.<ref name = Telegraph/> He was rated as one of the ten most effective sitting MPs in 1989.<ref name = Telegraph/> In 2010, [[ConservativeHome]] listed him as one of the most rebellious Tory MPs.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Isaby |first1=Jonathan |url=http://conservativehome.blogs.com/parliament/2010/12/the-latest-league-table-of-tory-backbench-rebellion.html |title=Philip Hollobone continues to top the league table of backbench rebels Tory MPs |publisher=Conservativehome.blogs.com |date=15 December 2010 |accessdate=22 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130307230411/http://conservativehome.blogs.com/parliament/2010/12/the-latest-league-table-of-tory-backbench-rebellion.html |archive-date=7 March 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>


One of the most significant events in Shepherd's career came in 1988 when he introduced his Protection of Official Information Bill,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cfoi.org.uk/whistle.html |title=Whistleblowing |publisher=Cfoi.org.uk |accessdate=30 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410112653/http://www.cfoi.org.uk/whistle.html |archive-date=10 April 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> which was to replace parts of the [[Official Secrets Act 1911]], with intent to provide limited protection to some [[whistleblowers]]. The government introduced a [[three line whip]] which called on its MPs to vote against the bill, even though it was introduced by a member of their own party.<ref name = Telegraph/> This brought considerable debate at the time both in parliament and in the media. The bill was defeated. However Shepherd successfully introduced similar provisions into law in 1998.<ref name = Bates/>
One of the most significant events in Shepherd's parliamentary career came in 1988 when he introduced his Protection of Official Information Bill,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cfoi.org.uk/whistle.html |title=Whistleblowing |publisher=Cfoi.org.uk |accessdate=30 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410112653/http://www.cfoi.org.uk/whistle.html |archive-date=10 April 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> which was to replace parts of the [[Official Secrets Act 1911]], with intent to provide limited protection to some [[whistleblowers]]. The government introduced a [[three line whip]] which called on its MPs to vote against the bill, even though it was introduced by a member of their own party.<ref name = Telegraph/> This brought considerable debate at the time both in parliament and in the media. The bill was defeated. However Shepherd successfully introduced [[Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998|similar provisions into law in 1998]].<ref name = Bates/>


Shepherd was one of the [[Maastricht Rebels]], and is known to have had [[Libertarianism|libertarian]] leanings.<ref name = Bates/> He had close links to fellow Maastricht rebels [[Nicholas Budgen]] and [[Christopher Gill]], even giving the eulogy at Budgen's funeral at [[Lichfield Cathedral]].
Shepherd was one of the [[Maastricht Rebels]], and is known to have had [[Libertarianism|libertarian]] leanings.<ref name = Bates/> He developed close ties with fellow Maastricht rebels [[Nicholas Budgen]] and [[Christopher Gill]], and gave the eulogy at Budgen's funeral.<ref name = Telegraph/>


Shepherd was a strong advocate of Parliament's power to hold the government to account.<ref name="Who will be the next Speaker">{{cite news |title=Who will be the next Speaker? |first=Andrew |last=Sparrow |author2=Owen, Paul |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=19 May 2009 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/may/18/who-will-be-the-next-speaker |access-date=16 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306184726/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/may/18/who-will-be-the-next-speaker |archive-date=6 March 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> Shepherd stood to be [[Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)|Speaker of the House of Commons]] [[2000 Speaker of the British House of Commons election|in 2000]], and won 136 votes: the third-closest to defeating [[Michael Martin, Baron Martin of Springburn|Michael Martin]] of eleven opponents. When Martin was forced to resign, in 2009, he [[2009 Speaker of the British House of Commons election|stood for the position again]]. An outsider, at 14/1,<ref name="Who will be the next Speaker" /> he won only 15 votes, and was eliminated on the first ballot.<ref>{{cite news |title=Speaker election: candidate pitches and reaction |first=Rosa |last=Prince |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=22 June 2009 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/5603508/Speaker-election-candidate-pitches-and-reaction.html |access-date=2 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203015837/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/5603508/Speaker-election-candidate-pitches-and-reaction.html |archive-date=3 December 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Shepherd was a strong advocate of Parliament's power to hold the government to account.<ref name="Who will be the next Speaker">{{cite news |title=Who will be the next Speaker? |first=Andrew |last=Sparrow |author2=Owen, Paul |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=19 May 2009 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/may/18/who-will-be-the-next-speaker |access-date=16 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306184726/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/may/18/who-will-be-the-next-speaker |archive-date=6 March 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> Shepherd stood to be [[Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)|Speaker of the House of Commons]] [[2000 Speaker of the British House of Commons election|in 2000]], and won 136 votes: the third-closest to defeating [[Michael Martin, Baron Martin of Springburn|Michael Martin]] of eleven opponents. When Martin was forced to resign, in 2009, he [[2009 Speaker of the British House of Commons election|stood for the position again]]. An outsider, at 14/1,<ref name="Who will be the next Speaker" /> he won only 15 votes, and was eliminated on the first ballot.<ref>{{cite news |title=Speaker election: candidate pitches and reaction |first=Rosa |last=Prince |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=22 June 2009 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/5603508/Speaker-election-candidate-pitches-and-reaction.html |access-date=2 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203015837/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/5603508/Speaker-election-candidate-pitches-and-reaction.html |archive-date=3 December 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


He voted against the [[Cameron–Clegg coalition]] government in 2013 on the issue of [[Operation Shader#Airstrikes in Syria|British military intervention]] in the [[Syrian civil war]].<ref>"[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/sep/03/tory-mps-syria-vote-assad-hospitality Nine Tory MPs who did not back Syria strike received Assad's hospitality] ''The Guardian'' September 2013</ref>
He voted against the [[Cameron–Clegg coalition]] government in 2013 on the issue of [[Operation Shader#Airstrikes in Syria|British military intervention]] in the [[Syrian civil war]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mason |first1=Rowena |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/sep/03/tory-mps-syria-vote-assad-hospitality |title=Nine Tory MPs who did not back Syria strike received Assad's hospitality |access-date=24 February 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=3 September 2013 |language=en}}</ref>


Shepherd was rated as one of the Conservatives' most rebellious MPs.<ref>{{cite web |author=in Rebellions |url=http://conservativehome.blogs.com/parliament/2010/12/the-latest-league-table-of-tory-backbench-rebellion.html |title=Philip Hollobone continues to top the league table of backbench rebels Tory MPs |publisher=Conservativehome.blogs.com |date=15 December 2010 |accessdate=22 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130307230411/http://conservativehome.blogs.com/parliament/2010/12/the-latest-league-table-of-tory-backbench-rebellion.html |archive-date=7 March 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> He retired from Parliament at the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Walsall Advertiser|title=MP for Aldridge-Brownhills, Sir Richard Shepherd, to step down at next election after 35 years' service|url=http://www.walsalladvertiser.co.uk/MP-Aldridge-Brownhills-Sir-Richard-Shepherd-step/story-23454690-detail/story.html|access-date=25 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110234220/http://www.walsalladvertiser.co.uk/MP-Aldridge-Brownhills-Sir-Richard-Shepherd-step/story-23454690-detail/story.html|archive-date=10 November 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Shepherd was [[Knight Bachelor|knighted]] in the [[2013 New Year Honours]] for public service.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=60367 |date=29 December 2012 |page=1 |supp=y }}</ref> He retired from Parliament at the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]].<ref>{{cite web|work=Walsall Advertiser|title=MP for Aldridge-Brownhills, Sir Richard Shepherd, to step down at next election after 35 years' service|url=http://www.walsalladvertiser.co.uk/MP-Aldridge-Brownhills-Sir-Richard-Shepherd-step/story-23454690-detail/story.html|access-date=25 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110234220/http://www.walsalladvertiser.co.uk/MP-Aldridge-Brownhills-Sir-Richard-Shepherd-step/story-23454690-detail/story.html|archive-date=10 November 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>


==Personal life and death==
==Personal life and death==
⚫
Shepherd never married. He died on 19 February 2022 at the age of 79.<ref name = Telegraph>{{cite news |title=Sir Richard Shepherd, Tory MP and committed Eurosceptic who rebelled over the Maastricht Treaty – obituary |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2022/02/22/sir-richard-shepherd-tory-mp-committed-eurosceptic-rebelled/ |access-date=23 February 2022 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=22 February 2022|url-access = subscription}}</ref><ref name = Bates>{{cite news|url = https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/feb/22/sir-richard-shepherd-obituary|title = Sir Richard Shepherd obituary|last = Bates|first = Stephen|date = 22 February 2022|accessdate = 22 February 2022|work = [[The Guardian]]}}</ref>
Shepherd never married. He died in February 2022, at the age of 79. ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' gives his date of death as 19 February,<ref name = Telegraph /> whereas ''[[The Guardian]]'' says he died on 21 February.<ref name = Bates/>

==Honours==
Shepherd was [[Knight Bachelor|knighted]] in the [[2013 New Year Honours]] for public service.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=60367 |date=29 December 2012 |page=1 |supp=y }}</ref>


==References==
==References==
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[[Category:Politicians from Aberdeen]]
[[Category:Politicians awarded knighthoods]]
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[[Category:British Eurosceptics]]

Latest revision as of 19:58, 6 March 2024

For other people named Richard Shepherd, see Richard Shepherd (disambiguation).

Sir
Richard Shepherd
At Silver Street Methodist Church in Brownhills, 2007
Member of Parliament
for Aldridge-Brownhills
In office
3 May 1979 – 30 March 2015
Preceded byGeoff Edge
Succeeded byWendy Morton
Personal details
Born
Richard Charles Scrimgeour Shepherd

(1942-12-06)6 December 1942
Aberdeen, Scotland
Died19 February 2022(2022-02-19) (aged 79)
NationalityBritish
Political partyConservative
Alma materLondon School of Economics (BSc)
Johns Hopkins University (MS)
ProfessionUnderwriter

Sir Richard Charles Scrimgeour Shepherd (6 December 1942 – 19 February 2022) was a British politician who was Member of Parliament for Aldridge-Brownhills from 1979 to 2015. A Eurosceptic, Shepherd was one of the Maastricht Rebels that had the whip withdrawn over opposition to Prime Minister John Major's legislation on the European Union. Shepherd was also a libertarian Conservative,[1] and had a three line whip imposed against him by Margaret Thatcher when he introduced an amendment to loosen the Official Secrets Act 1911.

Early life

[edit]

Shepherd was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, to parents who worked in the commercial aviation industry.[2] The family moved to London to be closer to Heathrow Airport, and Shepherd was educated at Isleworth Grammar School (now Isleworth and Syon School).[2][3] He then went to the London School of Economics where he received a BSc in Economics and where he studied with and became a friend of Robert Kilroy-Silk. He subsequently attended the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in the United States from which he graduated with an MSc which was also in Economics.[3]

In the 1970s, Shepherd established the retail food businesses Partridges[4] of Sloane Street and Shepherd Foods in London, operating both enterprises with his family.[3] He was then an underwriter at Lloyd's of London from 1974 to 1994.[2]

Parliamentary career

[edit]

Shepherd contested the open Conservative candidacy in Heston and Isleworth in 1970, but was not selected.[2] He was chosen as the Conservative candidate for Nottingham East at the February 1974 general election, where he was defeated by the Labour Party candidate Jack Dunnett.[2] During the 1970s he was also an assistant to Teddy Taylor.[3]

Shepherd was elected Member of Parliament for Aldridge-Brownhills in 1979. The Spectator variously cited him as 'Backbencher of the Year' in 1987, 'Troublemaker of the Year' in 1989, and 'Parliamentarian of the Year' in 1995.[2] He was rated as one of the ten most effective sitting MPs in 1989.[2] In 2010, ConservativeHome listed him as one of the most rebellious Tory MPs.[5]

One of the most significant events in Shepherd's parliamentary career came in 1988 when he introduced his Protection of Official Information Bill,[6] which was to replace parts of the Official Secrets Act 1911, with intent to provide limited protection to some whistleblowers. The government introduced a three line whip which called on its MPs to vote against the bill, even though it was introduced by a member of their own party.[2] This brought considerable debate at the time both in parliament and in the media. The bill was defeated. However Shepherd successfully introduced similar provisions into law in 1998.[3]

Shepherd was one of the Maastricht Rebels, and is known to have had libertarian leanings.[3] He developed close ties with fellow Maastricht rebels Nicholas Budgen and Christopher Gill, and gave the eulogy at Budgen's funeral.[2]

Shepherd was a strong advocate of Parliament's power to hold the government to account.[7] Shepherd stood to be Speaker of the House of Commons in 2000, and won 136 votes: the third-closest to defeating Michael Martin of eleven opponents. When Martin was forced to resign, in 2009, he stood for the position again. An outsider, at 14/1,[7] he won only 15 votes, and was eliminated on the first ballot.[8]

He voted against the Cameron–Clegg coalition government in 2013 on the issue of British military intervention in the Syrian civil war.[9]

Shepherd was knighted in the 2013 New Year Honours for public service.[10] He retired from Parliament at the 2015 general election.[11]

Personal life and death

[edit]

Shepherd never married. He died on 19 February 2022 at the age of 79.[2][3]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Time to stand up and be counted?". BBC News. 1 December 1998.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Sir Richard Shepherd, Tory MP and committed Eurosceptic who rebelled over the Maastricht Treaty – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 22 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Bates, Stephen (22 February 2022). "Sir Richard Shepherd obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  4. ^ "Partridges | About us". Partridges. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  5. ^ Isaby, Jonathan (15 December 2010). "Philip Hollobone continues to top the league table of backbench rebels Tory MPs". Conservativehome.blogs.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  6. ^ "Whistleblowing". Cfoi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 10 April 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  7. ^ a b Sparrow, Andrew; Owen, Paul (19 May 2009). "Who will be the next Speaker?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  8. ^ Prince, Rosa (22 June 2009). "Speaker election: candidate pitches and reaction". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 3 December 2010. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  9. ^ Mason, Rowena (3 September 2013). "Nine Tory MPs who did not back Syria strike received Assad's hospitality". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  10. ^ "No. 60367". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 2012. p. 1.
  11. ^ "MP for Aldridge-Brownhills, Sir Richard Shepherd, to step down at next election after 35 years' service". Walsall Advertiser. Archived from the original on 10 November 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
[edit]
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Aldridge-Brownhills
1979–2015 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Shepherd&oldid=1212231483"