The Lord Boswell of Aynho | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2019 | |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food | |
| In office 5 July 1995 – 1 May 1997 | |
| Prime Minister | John Major |
| Preceded by | The Earl Howe |
| Succeeded by | The Lord Donoughue |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education | |
| In office 19 December 1992 – 6 July 1995 | |
| Prime Minister | John Major |
| Preceded by | Nigel Forman |
| Succeeded by | Robin Squire |
| Lord Commissioner of the Treasury | |
| In office 14 April 1992 – 11 December 1992 | |
| Prime Minister | John Major |
| Preceded by | Sydney Chapman |
| Succeeded by | Timothy Kirkhope |
| Member of theHouse of Lords Lord Temporal | |
| In office 8 July 2010 – 24 July 2025 | |
| Member of Parliament forDaventry | |
| In office 11 June 1987 – 12 April 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Reg Prentice |
| Succeeded by | Chris Heaton-Harris |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1942-12-02)2 December 1942 Brentwood, Essex, England |
| Died | 30 August 2025(2025-08-30) (aged 82) |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Helen Delahay Rees |
| Children | 3, includingVictoria Prentis |
| Education | Marlborough College |
| Alma mater | New College, Oxford |
| Profession | Farmer and politician |
Timothy Eric Boswell, Baron Boswell of AynhoDL (2 December 1942 – 30 August 2025) was a British politician who was theConservativeMP forDaventry from1987 until he stood down at the2010 general election, after which he was appointed to theHouse of Lords as alife peer.[1][2][3]
The son of a farmer, Tim Boswell was educated atMarlborough College andNew College, Oxford, where he obtained a degree inClassics and a diploma inagriculturaleconomics.[3]
Boswell was married to Helen Delahay Boswell, née Rees, for 50 years until her death in 2019.[3][4][5] They had three daughters together including the formerConservativeMember of ParliamentVictoria Prentis.
Boswell died on 30 August 2025, at the age of 82.[6][7]
Boswell joined theConservative Research Department in 1966, becoming head of the economics section in 1974. He stood forParliament at theFebruary 1974 general election inRugby but lost by 6,154 votes toLabour'sWilliam Price.
He was elected as the Treasurer of the Daventry Conservative Association in 1976 and subsequently its Chairman from 1979 to 1983. He became a political advisor to theMinister of Agriculture, Fisheries and FoodMichael Jopling for two years from 1984.
Boswell was chosen to contest theDaventry constituency after the sitting Conservative MPReg Prentice announced his retirement. He was elected as the Conservative MP for Daventry at the1987 general election with a majority of 19,690 and held thesafe seat comfortably until his retirement from theHouse of Commons.
Tim Boswell'sWestminster career began unsurprisingly as a Member of theAgricultureSelect committee in 1987. He became theParliamentary Private Secretary to theFinancial Secretary to the TreasuryPeter Lilley in 1989. Tim Boswell enteredJohn Major's government in 1990 as anAssistant Government Whip, following the1992 general election he was promoted within the Whip's Office and became a Lord Commissioner to the Treasury.
In December 1992, Tim Boswell was appointedParliamentary Under Secretary of State at theDepartment of Education and moved in the same position at theMinistry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food until the Major government fell at the1997 general election.
In opposition Boswell was a spokesman on theTreasury in the immediate aftermath of the 1997 election defeat and became a spokesman onTrade and Industry underWilliam Hague, before speaking onEducation and Employment in 1999 until after the2001 general election. He became the spokesman forWork and Pensions under the leadership ofIain Duncan Smith, moving briefly to speak onConstitutional Affairs in 2003 underMichael Howard and back to Work and Pensions in 2004, where he remained following the2005 general election.
On 31 March 2006, Boswell announced his intention not to contest the subsequent general election, provided it did not take place unexpectedly soon. The Daventry seat was split in two at the2010 general election, with the northern portion becoming part of a new Daventry constituency and the southern part becoming part of aSouth Northamptonshire constituency.
In May 2009, he was listed byThe Telegraph as one of the "Saints" (MPs who spent less money) in theexpenses scandal.[8]
After his retirement from the House of Commons the seat remained Conservative underChris Heaton-Harris.
Boswell was raised to theHouse of Lords as a ConservativeLife peer being createdBaron Boswell of Aynho, ofAynho in the County ofNorthamptonshire on 8 July 2010.[1] In May 2012, he resigned the Conservative whip after being made Principal Deputy Chairman of Committees in the House. He also became Chairman of theEuropean Union Committee.[9][10] He retired from the Lords on 24 July 2025.[11]
On 10 March 2016, Boswell was elected aFellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London (FSA).[12] He was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Northamptonshire in 2010.[13]
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| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forDaventry 1987–2010 | Succeeded by |
