Geoffrey Dickens
| Geoffrey Dickens | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Littleborough and Saddleworth |
|
|
In office 9 June 1983 – 17 May 1995 |
|
| Preceded by | New constituency |
| Succeeded by | Chris Davies |
| Member of Parliament for Huddersfield West |
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In office 3 May 1979 – 9 June 1983 |
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| Preceded by | Kenneth Lomas |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Geoffrey Kenneth Dickens 26 August 1931 London, England |
| Died | 17 May 1995 (aged 63) |
| Spouse(s) | Norma Boothby (m. 1956) |
| Children | Two sons |
Geoffrey Kenneth Dickens (26 August 1931 – 17 May 1995) was a British Conservative politician. He was MP for Huddersfield West from 1979 until the seat was abolished in 1983. He was then elected for Littleborough and Saddleworth and held the seat until his death in 1995.
Dickens was born in London and fostered until he was eight years old. He never had contact with his mother afterwards. He was educated at schools at East Lane in Wembley and at Acton Technical College. He suffered polio when he was 13, for which he had to spend two years in hospital.
During his youth Dickens became a heavyweight boxer, sparring with Don Cockell and Henry Cooper. He had 60 bouts, of which he lost 20. He worked as an Aviation Design Draughtsman at BSP Industries in Borehamwood, Herts, for whom he represented as a talented goalkeeper and became a member of St Albans Rural District Council from 1967-74, and was its chairman in 1970–71. He also was a member of Hertfordshire County Council in 1970–1975.
In 1972 Dickens was awarded the Royal Humane Society's Testimonial on Vellum after he saved two boys and a man from drowning in the sea off Majorca.
A Conservative politician, Dickens fought unsuccessfully for Middlesbrough in February 1974 and for Ealing North in October 1974. He won Huddersfield West in 1979 but this seat was abolished after boundary reviews. He was selected as the Conservative candidate for Littleborough and Saddleworth, which he won in 1983. Described as "Falstaffian" and "the original 'rent-a-quote' man", over his time in parliament he campaigned for causes as diverse as the return of hanging and the banning of teddy bears. He indicated in a 1987 BBC Heart of the Matter documentary that consideration should be given to re-criminalising homosexuality, and opposed the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (LGCM) and ordination of gay priests. He once held a press conference announcing an affair without, apparently, warning his wife.
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