David Knox (politician): Difference between revisions

| office = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] <br>for [[Staffordshire Moorlands (UK Parliament constituency)|Staffordshire Moorlands]]<br>{{nobold|([[Leek (UK Parliament constituency)|Leek]] 1970–1983)}}

| termstarttermend = [[1983 United Kingdom general= election|98 JuneApril 1983]]1997

| birth_date = 30{{birth Maydate 1933and (age 88)|1933|05|30|df=y}}

| birth_place = [[Dumfriesshire]], [[Scotland]]

| predecessor = <i>[[Harold ConstituencyDavies, createdBaron </i>Davies of Leek|Harold Davies]]

| predecessor2successor = [[Harold Davies, Baron Davies of Leek|HaroldCharlotte DaviesAtkins]]

Knox first sought election for [[Birmingham Stechford (UK Parliament constituency)|Birmingham Stechford]] at the [[1964 United Kingdom general election|1964]] and [[1966 United Kingdom general election|1966]] elections, but was beaten by the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|Cabinet Minister]] [[Roy Jenkins]] on each occasion. In 1967, he was the Conservative candidate in [[1967 Nuneaton by-election|a by-election]] at [[Nuneaton (UK Parliament constituency)|Nuneaton]] caused by the resignation of [[Frank Cousins (British politician)|Frank Cousins]], but he was defeated by [[Les Huckfield]].

Knox, once in Parliament, joined what was to become the [[Macleod Group]] led by [[Nicholas Scott]] that was considered to be for Conservative MPs that were pro-European and progressive on social issues and he was noted as strongly supporting Britain's entry to the [[European Economic Community|EEC]]. Knox protested against a decision to allow the [[Palestine Liberation Organization]] to open an office in London. He supported the [[Capital punishment in the United Kingdom#Abolition|abolition of capital punishment]]. In 1973, Knox was appointed [[Parliamentary Private Secretary]] to [[Ian Gilmour]], then [[Minister of State for Defence]].

Knox was appointed one of three vice-chairmen of the Conservative Party under the chairman [[William Whitelaw, 1st Viscount Whitelaw|Willie Whitelaw]] in 1974. He also became President of the Macleod Group, and in that position issued a statement in January 1975 supporting [[Edward Heath]] as Conservative leader. His open support for Heath probably led to his dismissal as vice-chairman in March by new leader [[Margaret Thatcher]]. In September 1975, after the Macleod Group merged with two other 'left-wing' Tory groups in June to form the [[Tory Reform Group]], Knox became its vice-president with [[Nicholas Scott]]. Knox also became chairmen of the [[Parliamentary Group for World Government]]. In December, he voted against the return of [[capital punishment]], unlike his new leader, who voted for its return.