Adam Butler (politician)
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The Right Honourable Sir Adam Butler DL |
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| Member of the British Parliament for Bosworth |
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In office 1970–1987 |
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| Preceded by | Woodrow Wyatt |
| Succeeded by | David Tredinnick |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 October 1931 Halstead, Essex, England |
| Died | 9 January 2008 (aged 76) Lighthorne, Warwickshire, England |
| Citizenship | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Felicity Molesworth-St Aubin |
| Relations |
Rab Butler (father) Montagu Butler (grandfather) |
| Alma mater | Pembroke College, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Soldier, businessman |
Sir Adam Courtauld Butler PC, DL (11 October 1931 – 9 January 2008) was a British Conservative Party politician, serving as an MP for 17 years and holding several junior ministerial offices.
Butler was born at Halstead, the second of four children of Rab Butler and his wife, Sydney, only child of Samuel Courtauld. He was educated at Maidwell Hall prep school in Northamptonshire and Eton College.
After National Service from 1949 to 1951 as a second lieutenant in the King's Royal Rifle Corps, he read history and economics at Pembroke College, Cambridge from 1951 to 1954 (where his grandfather, Sir Montagu Butler, had been Master). After graduating, he joined the Canadian Army for as a captain to serve as aide-de-camp to the Governor-General of Canada, Vincent Massey, for one year. His mother died of cancer in 1954, while he was in Canada. He returned to England in 1955, and he joined the family company, Courtaulds, working as a director of various subsidiaries.
Butler became Member of Parliament for Bosworth in 1970, surprisingly defeating the sitting Labour Party MP, Woodrow Wyatt. He was first Conservative MP to represent the seat since the 1920s, and barely retained his seat at the two general elections in 1974. He served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Joseph Godber, who was Minister of State in the Foreign Office and then at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. He became a whip in 1974. After Margaret Thatcher became Conservative leader in 1975, Butler became one of her two Parliamentary Private Secretaries, along with John Stanley. After the Conservative victory at the 1979 general election, he served as Minister of State for Industry at the Department of Industry until 1981, and then as minister for economic development in Northern Ireland until 1984, where he called in the receivers at the De Lorean motorcar company, and finally as minister for defence procurement until 1985. He was sworn of the Privy Council in 1984, and knighted in 1986.
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