The Lord Tranmire | |
|---|---|
 Turton in 1949 | |
| Father of the House of Commons | |
| In office 19 February 1965 – 8 February 1974 | |
| Preceded by | Rab Butler |
| Succeeded by | George Strauss |
| Member of Parliament for Thirsk and Malton | |
| In office 30 May 1929 – 8 February 1974 | |
| Preceded by | Edmund Turton |
| Succeeded by | John Spence |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Hugh Turton (1903-08-08)8 August 1903 |
| Died | 17 January 1994(1994-01-17) (aged 90) |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Alma mater | Eton College, Balliol College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
Robert Hugh Turton, Baron Tranmire,KBE, MC, PC, JP, DL (8 August 1903 – 17 January 1994) was a BritishConservative Party politician.
The son of Major R B Turton of Kildale Hall,Kildale,North Riding of Yorkshire, Turton was educated atEton College and atBalliol College, Oxford. He wascalled to the Bar by theInner Temple in 1926.
Turton joined the 4th Battalion of theGreen Howards at the outbreak ofWorld War II and served asDeputy Assistant Adjutant-General of the50th (Northumbrian) Division. He was awarded theMilitary Cross in 1942.[1]
At the1929 general election, Turton was electedMember of Parliament (MP) forThirsk and Malton, a seat which he held continuously until his retirement from theHouse of Commons at theFebruary 1974 general election. Turton wasFather of the House from 1965 to 1974. He attributed his election as an MP at the unusually young age of 25 to the death of his predecessor and kinsmanSir Edmund Turton, 1st Baronet three weeks before polling day and the local Conservative association not wanting to waste its "Vote For Turton" posters.[2]
Turton held ministerial office asParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Insurance from 1951 to 1953,Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance from 1953 to 1954, and as JointParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs from October 1954 to December 1955. From December 1955 to January 1957 Turton served inSir Anthony Eden's Ministry asMinister of Health, a post then outside of the Cabinet but of Cabinet rank, and was appointed aPrivy Counsellor in 1955.
In Parliament, Turton was Chairman of the Select Committee on Procedure from 1970 to 1974. He was opposed to British membership of theEEC.[3]
Turton was appointed aKnight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the1971 Birthday Honours[4] and on 9 May 1974, he was created aLife Peer asBaron Tranmire, ofUpsall in theNorth Riding of Yorkshire.[5]
He was appointed asJustice of the Peace in 1936 and aDeputy Lieutenant for the North Riding of Yorkshire in 1962.
Turton was cousin twice removed ofPeter Bottomley, who becameFather of the House after the2019 general election.[6]
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| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forThirsk & Malton 1929 –Feb. 1974 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Father of the House 1965 – 1974 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Minister of Health 1955 – 1957 | Succeeded by |
