Trevor Skeet

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Trevor Skeet

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| office1 = Member of Parliament for North Bedfordshire

| term1 = 1983–1997

| office2 = Member of Parliament for Bedford

| term2 = 1970–1983

| office3 = Member of Parliament for Willesden East

| term3 = 1959–1964

| party = Conservative Party

| birth_date = {{birth date|1918|01|28|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Auckland, New Zealand

| death_date = {{death date and age|2004|08|14|1918|01|28|df=yes}}

| death_place =

| education = King's College, Auckland
University of Auckland

| spouse = {{marriage|Elizabeth Gilling|1958|1973|end=d.}}
{{marriage|Valerie Benson|1985}}

| children = 2

| module =

{{Infobox military person

| embed = yes

| rank =

| branch = New Zealand Army
New Zealand Navy

| branch_label = Service

| battles = World War II

| battles_label = Wars

}}}}

Sir Trevor Herbert Harry Skeet (28 January 1918 – 14 August 2004) was a New Zealand-born lawyer and a British Conservative Party politician.

Early life

Skeet was born in Auckland, New Zealand and was educated at King's College, Auckland and the University of Auckland. He served with the New Zealand Army and Navy during World War II. He was a barrister and solicitor at the Supreme Court of New Zealand and was called to the English Bar in 1947 by Inner Temple. He was a member of the Council of the Royal Empire Society.

Political career

Skeet first stood for Parliament in Stoke Newington and Hackney North in 1951 and Llanelli in 1955. He was elected Member of Parliament for Willesden East in 1959, losing the seat in 1964. He was then MP for Bedford 1970-83 and North Bedfordshire 1983–97. Ahead of the 1992 election, he survived a deselection attempt by his constituency party. In the 1992-1997 Parliament, Skeet rebelled frequently against John Major's ailing government, on issues such as the Maastricht Treaty; Skeet was a staunch Eurosceptic.https://www.academia.edu/10809077/Rebels_and_rebellions_Conservative_MPs_in_the_1992_Parliament,p.88. Retrieved 26 March 2019; https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1469555/Sir-Trevor-Skeet.html. Retrieved 26 March 2019 Indeed, Skeet was one of only eight Conservative MPs who voted against Major's government more than 50 times.{{cite journal |url=https://www.academia.edu/10809077 |title=Rebels and rebellions: Conservative MPS in the 1992 Parliament |journal=The British Journal of Politics and International Relations |year= 1999|volume= 1|issue= 1|pages= 84–105|access-date=26 March 2019|last1= Cowley|first1= Philip|last2= Norton|first2= Philip|doi= 10.1111/1467-856X.00005|s2cid= 145515253}}

Personal life

Skeet was first married to Elizabeth Gilling from 1958 to her death in 1973, and had two sons with her. He then married Valerie Benson in 1985 (later Lady Valerie Skeet),{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/sir-trevor-skeet-550300.html|website=The Independent|date=18 August 2004|accessdate=12 March 2024|title=Sir Trevor Skeet}} with whom he resided in Milton Ernest, Bedfordshire until his death. He was knighted in 1986.

References

{{cite book |author= Lambert, Max |title= Who's Who in New Zealand |year=1991|edition= 12th |publisher= Reed, Auckland |page= 583 |isbn= 0-7900-01306 }}

External links

[http://politics.guardian.co.uk/politicsobituaries/comment/0,,1286032,00.html Guardian obituary]
{{Hansard-contribs | mr-trevor-skeet | Trevor Skeet }}

{{succession box

| title = Member of Parliament for Willesden East

| years = 1959–1964

| before = Maurice Orbach

| after = Reg Freeson

}}

{{s-ttl

| title = Member of Parliament for Bedford

| years = 1970–1983

}}

{{s-ttl

| title = Member of Parliament for North Bedfordshire