Greg Knight
Encyclopedia
Gregory Knight is a British politician and author. He is Conservative
Member of Parliament
for East Yorkshire
.
, Leicestershire
, he was educated at Alderman Newton’s Grammar School Leicester
and the College of Law Guildford, qualifying as a solicitor
in 1973.
from 1983 until the 1997 election, when he lost his seat. He returned to the House of Commons
in 2001 after successfully contesting the East Yorkshire
seat.
He had been deputy Chief Whip
under John Major
between 1993 and 1996 and was Minister of State
for Industry at the Department of Trade and Industry from 1996 until the Conservative defeat at the 1997 election.
He served under Michael Howard
as a shadow minister for Environment and Transport until 2005. In the 2005–10 Parliament he was Chairman of the House of Commons
Procedure Committee
and on four other House of Commons select committees: the Liaison Committee
, Administration Committee
, the Committee on Modernisation of the House
and the Standards and Privileges Committee. He was re-elected unopposed to the chair of the Procedure Committee in 2010.
As a backbencher he succeeded in amending the UK's licensing law by doubling UK ‘drinking up time’ on licensed premises from ten to twenty minutes.
He is in favour of bringing back capital punishment
and spoke out against the Apartheid government of South Africa
during the 1980s.
Knight is against unnecessary government regulation. He is a Eurosceptic
and is against Britain joining the euro.
An avid motorist, he is critical of initiatives seen as 'anti-car', such as congestion charging, pedestrianisation schemes, speed humps and some ‘park and ride’ proposals. He is Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Historic Vehicles Group.
He was made a Privy Councillor in 1995, entitling him to the style "Right Honourable".
In 2011 he successfully piloted the Estates of Deceased Persons, a Private Member’s Bill through Parliament and which has now become law. The Estates of Deceased Persons Act attracted unanimous support from both Houses of Parliament and the Law Commission. The Estates of Deceased Persons Act makes the distribution of estates fairer.
In October 2011 he was shortlisted as the ‘Industry Champion of the Year’ by the International Historic Motoring Awards, for his work in supporting the historic and classic car movement.
He plays the drums and is a founder member of MP4
—the world's only parliamentary rock group. The others are fellow MPs Kevin Brennan
and Peter Wishart
and former MP Ian Cawsey
. He has backed several other artists on the drums in live shows including George McCrae
“Rock your Baby” and Fergal Sharkey “A Good Heart”. Welsh chart-topping singer Duffy has described him as ‘a great drummer’.
He has written six books, mostly on the subject of political quips and insults.
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for East Yorkshire
East Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)
East Yorkshire is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
.
Education and professional life
Born in BlabyBlaby (district)
Blaby is a local government district in Leicestershire, England.The district is named after the village of Blaby. It covers the civil parish of Blaby and 23 others. Among these are Cosby, Countesthorpe, Enderby, Huncote, Narborough , Sapcote, Stoney Stanton, and Wigston Parva...
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, he was educated at Alderman Newton’s Grammar School Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
and the College of Law Guildford, qualifying as a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
in 1973.
Political career
He was MP for Derby NorthDerby North
Derby North is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
from 1983 until the 1997 election, when he lost his seat. He returned to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
in 2001 after successfully contesting the East Yorkshire
East Yorkshire
East Yorkshire could be:*East Yorkshire Motor Services*An alternative name for the East Riding of Yorkshire*East Yorkshire , a former district of Humberside*East Yorkshire...
seat.
He had been deputy Chief Whip
Chief Whip
The Chief Whip is a political office in some legislatures assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system that ensures that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires.-The Whips Office:...
under John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
between 1993 and 1996 and was Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
for Industry at the Department of Trade and Industry from 1996 until the Conservative defeat at the 1997 election.
He served under Michael Howard
Michael Howard
Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne, CH, QC, PC is a British politician, who served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005...
as a shadow minister for Environment and Transport until 2005. In the 2005–10 Parliament he was Chairman of the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
Procedure Committee
Procedure Committee
The Procedure Committee is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The remit of the committee is to consider the practice and procedure of the House in the conduct of public business.-Membership:...
and on four other House of Commons select committees: the Liaison Committee
Liaison Committee
The Liaison Committee is a topical committee of the British House of Commons, the lower house of the United Kingdom Parliament. The committee consists of the Chairmen of the 32 Commons Select Committees and the chairman of the Joint Committee on Human Rights....
, Administration Committee
Administration Committee
The Administration Committee is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It has a remit "to consider the services provided for and by the House of Commons"...
, the Committee on Modernisation of the House
Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons
The Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons was a temporary select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was created early in the 1997, 2001, and 2005 Parliaments...
and the Standards and Privileges Committee. He was re-elected unopposed to the chair of the Procedure Committee in 2010.
As a backbencher he succeeded in amending the UK's licensing law by doubling UK ‘drinking up time’ on licensed premises from ten to twenty minutes.
He is in favour of bringing back capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
and spoke out against the Apartheid government of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
during the 1980s.
Knight is against unnecessary government regulation. He is a Eurosceptic
EuroSceptic
EuroSceptic is the second album of British singer Jack Lucien. It was released in October 2009.Due to being an album influenced by Europop, it features songs with parts in different languages...
and is against Britain joining the euro.
An avid motorist, he is critical of initiatives seen as 'anti-car', such as congestion charging, pedestrianisation schemes, speed humps and some ‘park and ride’ proposals. He is Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Historic Vehicles Group.
He was made a Privy Councillor in 1995, entitling him to the style "Right Honourable".
In 2011 he successfully piloted the Estates of Deceased Persons, a Private Member’s Bill through Parliament and which has now become law. The Estates of Deceased Persons Act attracted unanimous support from both Houses of Parliament and the Law Commission. The Estates of Deceased Persons Act makes the distribution of estates fairer.
In October 2011 he was shortlisted as the ‘Industry Champion of the Year’ by the International Historic Motoring Awards, for his work in supporting the historic and classic car movement.
Personal life
He is a classic car enthusiast and owns a number of classic cars.He plays the drums and is a founder member of MP4
MP4 (band)
MP4 is a rock band made up of four British Members of Parliament.-Members:It was founded as MP3 in 2004 by Pete Wishart on keyboards, Ian Cawsey on bass guitar and vocals, and Greg Knight on drums...
—the world's only parliamentary rock group. The others are fellow MPs Kevin Brennan
Kevin Brennan (politician)
Kevin Denis Brennan is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Cardiff West since 2001, and was a Minister of State at both the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Children, Schools and Families before the 2010 general election...
and Peter Wishart
Peter Wishart
Peter "Pete" Wishart is the Scottish National Party Member of Parliament for Perth and North Perthshire. He was the SNP Chief Whip at Westminster from 2001–2007 and is currently the party's Westminster Spokesperson for the Constitution, Home Affairs, Culture, Media and Sport and International...
and former MP Ian Cawsey
Ian Cawsey
Ian Arthur Cawsey is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Brigg and Goole from 1997 until his defeat at the 2010 general election.-Early life:...
. He has backed several other artists on the drums in live shows including George McCrae
George McCrae
George McCrae is an American soul and disco singer, most famous for his 1974 hit "Rock Your Baby".-Early life and career:...
“Rock your Baby” and Fergal Sharkey “A Good Heart”. Welsh chart-topping singer Duffy has described him as ‘a great drummer’.
He has written six books, mostly on the subject of political quips and insults.
Publications
- Westminster Words (1988), published by Buchan and Enright
- Honourable Insults (1990), published by Robson Books
- Parliamentary Sauce (1993), published by Robson Books
- Right Honourable Insults (1998), published by Chrysalis Books
- Naughty Graffiti (2005), published by Anova Books
- Dishonourable Insults (2011), published by The Robson Press (ISBN 9781849541619)