Richard Simmonds

Richard James Simmonds, CBE (born 2 August 1944) is a retired English Conservative Party politician. He was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Midlands West from 1979 to 1984 and then for Wight and Hampshire East from 1984 to 1994.

Biography

Richard J. Simmonds was born on 2 August 1944 in Maidenhead, Berkshire.

He was elected to the Parliament in 1979 for the Conservative Party, and started his service on 17 July 1979. During his first term, he joined the Committee on Development and Cooperation on 20 July of the same year, and at the time the Parliament adjourned, was serving on the Committees on Youth, Culture, Education, Information and Sport and on Agriculture until the Parliament adjourned on 23 July 1984.{{Cite web|url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/1387/RICHARD+J._SIMMONDS/history/1|title=1st parliamentary term | Richard J. SIMMONDS | MEPs | European Parliament|website=www.europarl.europa.eu}}

He was re-elected in 1984, again for the Conservative Party, and served until 24 July 1989. He served as a member of both the Committees on Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and on Budgetary Control; and also participated in diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.{{Cite web|url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/1387/RICHARD+J._SIMMONDS/history/2|title=2nd parliamentary term | Richard J. SIMMONDS | MEPs | European Parliament|website=www.europarl.europa.eu}}

He was re-elected in 1989, again for the Conservative Party, and served until 18 July 1994. He served as a member of the committees on Budgets; on External Economic Relations; on Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development; and on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection; and participated in diplomatic relations with South America.{{Cite web|url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/1387/RICHARD+J._SIMMONDS/history/3|title=3rd parliamentary term | Richard J. SIMMONDS | MEPs | European Parliament|website=www.europarl.europa.eu}} He was also the Chief Whip for the Conservative Party's European Parliament group.{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/tories-mistakenly-call-for-test-ban-1497356.html|title=Tories mistakenly call for test ban|date=March 13, 1993|website=The Independent}} During the vote on the 1995 enlargement of the European Union, Simmonds took a plane to Strasbourg to join the other Conservative MEPs in their vote. Simmonds did not stand in 1994 due to being physically incapacitated by a stroke.{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12673732.paralysed-euro-mp-to-be-flown-out-for-enlargement-vote/|title=Paralysed Euro-MP to be flown out for enlargement vote|website=HeraldScotland}} He was also chairman of the Countryside Commission.

In 2018, Simmonds, by then a European Commission consultant, informed the Maidenhead Advertiser of his concern regarding the need of a post-Brexit United Kingdom for regulations to be in pace with other European Union members.{{Cite web|url=https://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/gallery/wraysbury/128664/climate-change-and-cyber-security-a-bigger-concern-than-brexit-says-farmer-and-councillor.html|title=Climate change and cyber security a bigger concern than Brexit, says farmer and councillor - Photo 1 of 1 - Maidenhead Advertiser}}

Family

His sister is the cartoonist Posy Simmonds.

Electoral history

class="wikitable" \|+European Parliament elections{{Cite web\|url=http://www.election.demon.co.uk/epe2.html\|title=United Kingdom European Parliamentary Election results 1979-99: England\|website=www.election.demon.co.uk}}
Date of election ! Constituency ! colspan="2" \|Party ! Votes ! % ! Result
1979 European election \|Midlands West \| style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}" \| \|Conservative Party \|69,916 \|47.3 \|Elected
1984 European election \|Wight and Hampshire East \| style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}" \| \|Conservative Party \|96,666 \|51.7 \|Elected
1989 European election \|Wight and Hampshire East \| style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}" \| \|Conservative Party \|90,658 \|44.9 \|Elected

class="wikitable"

|+European Parliament elections{{Cite web|url=http://www.election.demon.co.uk/epe2.html|title=United Kingdom European Parliamentary Election results 1979-99: England|website=www.election.demon.co.uk}}

Date of election

! Constituency

! colspan="2" |Party

! Votes

! %

! Result

1979 European election

|Midlands West

| style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

|Conservative Party

|69,916

|47.3