Fergus Montgomery

Sir
Fergus Montgomery
Member of Parliament
for Altrincham and Sale
In office
10 October 1974  1 May 1997
Preceded by Anthony Barber
Succeeded by Graham Brady
Member of Parliament
for Brierley Hill
In office
29 April 1967  28 February 1974
Preceded by John Ellis Talbot
Succeeded by Constituency abolished
Member of Parliament
for Newcastle upon Tyne East
In office
8 October 1959  15 October 1964
Preceded by Arthur Blenkinsop
Succeeded by Geoffrey Rhodes
Personal details
Born (1927-11-25)25 November 1927
South Shields, United Kingdom
Died 19 March 2013(2013-03-19) (aged 85)
Spain
Political party Conservative
Spouse(s) Joyce

Sir William Fergus Montgomery (25 November 1927 – 19 March 2013)[1] was a British Conservative member of Parliament for three separate periods, each time representing a different constituency.

Early life

Born in South Shields, Montgomery was educated at Jarrow Grammar School and Bede College at the University of Durham, and became a teacher in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1950. From 1950 until 1958 he was a councillor serving on Hebburn urban district council. From 1957 to 1958, he was National Chairman of the Young Conservatives, having served as vice-chairman from 1954 to 1957.[2]

Parliamentary career

Having contested the safe Labour seat of Consett in 1955, he was first elected to Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne East at the 1959 general election with a majority of just 98. He is the only Conservative to have ever represented Newcastle East. He narrowly lost the seat in 1964 to his new Labour opponent. He returned to Parliament in a 1967 by-election for Brierley Hill.

Boundary changes which took effect from the February 1974 general election abolished the Brierley Hill constituency. Having unsuccessfully sought selection for South West Staffordshire Montgomery was selected for the new Dudley West constituency which partially replaced it. However, he was unsuccessful, losing the election to Colin Phipps of the Labour Party.

His absence from Parliament was short-lived. Later in 1974, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer Anthony Barber was made a life peer, and Montgomery was selected to contest Barber's Altrincham and Sale constituency in the general election of October 1974. He won the election, and then held the seat until he retired at the 1997 election.[3]

He served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Margaret Thatcher, during her tenure as Secretary of State for Education, and then as Leader of the Opposition.[4]

Family

He married Joyce Riddle, a teacher, cricketer [5] and Conservative local councillor; they had no children. Lady Montgomery served as Deputy Lieutenant and High Sheriff of Greater Manchester.[6]

Sources

References

  1. Sale and Altrincham Messenger Warm tribute to former Altrincham and Sale West MP Sir Fergus Montgomery accessed 19 March 2013
  2. "Sir Fergus Montgomery obituary". Independent. London. 20 March 2013.
  3. "Fergus Montgomery". London: Guardian politics.
  4. "Sir Fergus Montgomery obituary". Daily Telegraph. London. 19 March 2013.
  5. "Joyce Riddle". Cricket Archive.
  6. "Lady Joyce Montgomery DL".
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Arthur Blenkinsop
Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne East
19591964
Succeeded by
Geoffrey Rhodes
Preceded by
John Ellis Talbot
Member of Parliament for Brierley Hill
1967Feb. 1974
Constituency abolished
Preceded by
Anthony Barber
Member of Parliament for Altrincham and Sale
Oct. 19741997
Succeeded by
Graham Brady
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