John Wheeler (British politician)

Sir John Daniel Wheeler, DL, JP, KStJ (born 1 May 1940) is a British Conservative politician who served as Security Minister in Northern Ireland.

Wheeler was elected for the marginal constituency of Paddington at the 1979 general election, winning the seat with a majority of just 106 after two recounts. He was put on the Home Affairs Select Committee as soon as it was established. At the 1983 general election he was elected for the new constituency of Westminster North, a seat based largely on Paddington but also taking in the abolished St Marylebone constituency.

After 1987, Wheeler was made Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee. He was hoping and expecting to continue this role after 1992 but found that the Conservative whips had made a rule that no member may serve on a Select Committee for more than three terms. It was suggested in the press that this rule was designed to get rid of Nicholas Winterton who had been a troublesome chair of the Health Select Committee, and that Wheeler was regarded as 'collateral damage'.

Friendly with John Major because of entering Parliament together and being ideologically close, Wheeler was subsequently appointed to the government, serving as Security Minister at the Northern Ireland Office; he was also made a member of the Privy Council. He was knighted in the New Year's Honours list of 1993.

In 1995, boundary changes were announced that would expand his constituency to the west, taking in Labour-voting areas of north Kensington and tilting the seat towards Labour. Wheeler decided that he did not wish to contest such unfavourable territory and sought selection elsewhere.

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