John Butterfill
Encyclopedia
Sir John Valentine Butterfill FRICS (born 14 February 1941) is a British
politician
. He was the Conservative
Member of Parliament
(MP) for Bournemouth West from 1983
until he stood down at the 2010 general election.
and the College of Estate Management in London. In 1962 he began his career as a valuer with Jones Laing Wootton, before becoming a senior executive with the Hammerson
Group in 1964. He was a director at the Audley Properties Group (now the Bovis Homes Group
) from 1969 until he became the Managing Director of the St Paul's Securities Group. He became a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
in 1974. He was elected as the Chairman of the Guildford
Conservative Association from 1976-1982. In 1977 he became a senior partner in Curchod & Co Chartered Surveyors
, where he remained until 1992. He was Director of ISLEF Building and Construction Ltd from 1985–91, and of the Pavilion Services Group from 1992-4.
South East Inner at the European Parliament
ary election but was defeated comfortably by Labour's
Richard Balfe. He was selected to contest the Croydon North West by-election
in 1981 which was caused by the death of Conservative MP Robert Taylor
. It came as a great surprise when Bill Pitt won the seat for the Liberal Party
, on a 24% swing and with a majority of 3,254. He was subsequently chosen to contest the south coast seat of Bournemouth West on the retirement of the veteran MP John Eden
. Butterfill won the seat at the 1983 General Election
with a majority of 13,331, and has remained the MP there since.
Butterfill has remained a backbencher
for the entirety of his parliamentary career, he was however the Parliamentary Private Secretary
PPS to the Secretary of State for Energy Cecil Parkinson
in 1988, he remained Parkinson's PPS when he became the Secretary of State for Transport
in 1989. His job ended when Parkinson resigned from the Cabinet
at the election of John Major
to succeed Margaret Thatcher
in 1990.
Butterfill has served on many select committees during his more than 20 year Westminster
career. He has been responsible for introducing many Acts of Parliament
including the Registered Homes (Amendment) Act 1991; the Insolvency
(Amendment) Act 1994; and the Policy Holders Protection Act 1997. He has recently been noted for campaigning for an increase in parliamentary pay and been quoted in the press as saying that "there are a lot of unhappy bunnies" in relation to MP's remuneration."
In 1995, he entered a bill to place the UK in the Central European Time
. It was opposed by many Scottish MPs.
He introduced the Financial Mutuals Arrangements Bill which was renamed and became the Building Societies (Funding) and Mutual Societies (Transfers) Act 2007
.
On 17 March 2008, Butterfill announced that he will stand down at the 2010 general election.
, Surrey
, 80 miles from his constituency. At the time, he designated a small flat in his Bournemouth constituency, bought for £56,000, as his “main home.” Said by Butterfill to have been bought as a wreck, he submitted regular claims under the second home allowance for the cost of running the Woking house, which had a swimming pool and extensive grounds. This included £17,000 on servants’ quarters alone, contributing up to £1,778 a month towards the mortgage interest, and was also reimbursed for council tax
bills for the “staff annex”, where his housekeeper
and odd job man lived.
When Butterfill sold the Woking property for £1.2 million in 2005, he informed HM Revenue & Customs that it was his “primary residence”, meaning he was exempt from capital gains tax as advised by the fees office. In conversation with the Telegraph before publication of the story, Butterfill confirmed that he used part of the proceeds from the sale to pay for a £880,000 London town house, now worth an estimated £1 million.
Butterfill has paid £17,000 in decretionary repayments to the government related to his staff annex. He proved that he made no profit on the sale of his Woking property in contrary to initial claims by the Telegraph. He has also agreed to refund £3,000 for the claims he made related to repairs on the Bournemouth flat.
Butterfill is one of the 98 MPs who voted to keep their expense details secret.
. Butterfill is alleged to have told an undercover reporter that he would lobby
to benefit the fictitious company and use his political connections for a payment of £35000 a year. Butterfill was also seen on the programme saying he had been one of the four people who persuaded David Cameron to stand for leader of the Conservative party and that it was likely that he (Butterfill) would be made a peer
and go to the House of Lords
. The following day the leader of the Conservative Party, David Cameron said, "I can tell you that is not going to happen."
in 2003 for 'services to Parliament'. He is also a businessman and is a director and advisor to many companies, and is council member of the PDSA
. His constituency includes the centre of Bournemouth
. He speaks Spanish
, Danish
and French
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He was the Conservative
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,...
(MP) for Bournemouth West from 1983
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
until he stood down at the 2010 general election.
Early life
Born in Surrey, Butterfill was educated at Caterham SchoolCaterham School
Caterham School is an independent coeducational day and boarding school in Caterham, Surrey and a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.-History:...
and the College of Estate Management in London. In 1962 he began his career as a valuer with Jones Laing Wootton, before becoming a senior executive with the Hammerson
Hammerson
Hammerson plc is a major British property development and investment company. The firm switched to Real Estate Investment Trust status when REITs were introduced in the United Kingdom in January 2007. It is traded on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index...
Group in 1964. He was a director at the Audley Properties Group (now the Bovis Homes Group
Bovis Homes Group
Bovis Homes Group plc is a second tier national British housebuilding company based in New Ash Green, Kent. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
) from 1969 until he became the Managing Director of the St Paul's Securities Group. He became a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors is an independent, representative professional body which regulates property professionals and surveyors in the United Kingdom and other sovereign nations....
in 1974. He was elected as the Chairman of the Guildford
Guildford (UK Parliament constituency)
Guildford is a county constituency in Surrey which returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system....
Conservative Association from 1976-1982. In 1977 he became a senior partner in Curchod & Co Chartered Surveyors
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
, where he remained until 1992. He was Director of ISLEF Building and Construction Ltd from 1985–91, and of the Pavilion Services Group from 1992-4.
Parliamentary career
In 1979 Butterfill unsuccessfully contested LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
South East Inner at the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
ary election but was defeated comfortably by Labour's
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Richard Balfe. He was selected to contest the Croydon North West by-election
Croydon North West by-election, 1981
The Croydon North West by-election took place on 22 October 1981. It was caused by the death of Conservative Member of Parliament Robert Taylor on 18 June 1981.The Conservative Party selected John Butterfill, then vice-chairman of Guildford Conservative Association...
in 1981 which was caused by the death of Conservative MP Robert Taylor
Robert Taylor (UK politician)
Robert George Taylor was Conservative Member of Parliament for Croydon North West, South London from 1970 until his death in 1981, which triggered the Croydon North West by-election in which the Tories lost the seat to Liberal MP Bill Pitt.- External links :...
. It came as a great surprise when Bill Pitt won the seat for the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, on a 24% swing and with a majority of 3,254. He was subsequently chosen to contest the south coast seat of Bournemouth West on the retirement of the veteran MP John Eden
John Eden, Baron Eden of Winton
John Benedict Eden, Baron Eden of Winton, Bt, PC is a British Conservative politician.-Background:Eden was educated at Eton College and St Paul's School, United States. He served as a Lieutenant with the Rifle Brigade, 2nd Gurkha Rifles and the Gilgit Scouts during the Second World War...
. Butterfill won the seat at the 1983 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
with a majority of 13,331, and has remained the MP there since.
Butterfill has remained a backbencher
Backbencher
In Westminster parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislator who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition...
for the entirety of his parliamentary career, he was however the Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
PPS to the Secretary of State for Energy Cecil Parkinson
Cecil Parkinson
Cecil Parkinson, Baron Parkinson, PC , is a British Conservative politician and former Cabinet Minister.-Early life:...
in 1988, he remained Parkinson's PPS when he became the Secretary of State for Transport
Secretary of State for Transport
The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...
in 1989. His job ended when Parkinson resigned from the Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
at the election of 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...
to succeed Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
in 1990.
Butterfill has served on many select committees during his more than 20 year Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
career. He has been responsible for introducing many Acts of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
including the Registered Homes (Amendment) Act 1991; the Insolvency
Insolvency
Insolvency means the inability to pay one's debts as they fall due. Usually used to refer to a business, insolvency refers to the inability of a company to pay off its debts.Business insolvency is defined in two different ways:...
(Amendment) Act 1994; and the Policy Holders Protection Act 1997. He has recently been noted for campaigning for an increase in parliamentary pay and been quoted in the press as saying that "there are a lot of unhappy bunnies" in relation to MP's remuneration."
In 1995, he entered a bill to place the UK in the Central European Time
Central European Time
Central European Time , used in most parts of the European Union, is a standard time that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time . The time offset from UTC can be written as +01:00...
. It was opposed by many Scottish MPs.
He introduced the Financial Mutuals Arrangements Bill which was renamed and became the Building Societies (Funding) and Mutual Societies (Transfers) Act 2007
Building Societies (Funding) and Mutual Societies (Transfers) Act 2007
The Building Societies and Mutual Societies Act 2007 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
.
On 17 March 2008, Butterfill announced that he will stand down at the 2010 general election.
Expenses
In May 2009, as part of the Daily Telegraph's publication of details, the newspaper revealed that for five years, Butterfill owned a six-bedroom country house in WokingWoking
Woking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, 80 miles from his constituency. At the time, he designated a small flat in his Bournemouth constituency, bought for £56,000, as his “main home.” Said by Butterfill to have been bought as a wreck, he submitted regular claims under the second home allowance for the cost of running the Woking house, which had a swimming pool and extensive grounds. This included £17,000 on servants’ quarters alone, contributing up to £1,778 a month towards the mortgage interest, and was also reimbursed for council tax
Council tax
Council Tax is the system of local taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each country. It was introduced in 1993 by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as a successor to the unpopular Community Charge...
bills for the “staff annex”, where his housekeeper
Housekeeper (servant)
A housekeeper is an individual responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of the interior of a residence, including direction of subordinate maids...
and odd job man lived.
When Butterfill sold the Woking property for £1.2 million in 2005, he informed HM Revenue & Customs that it was his “primary residence”, meaning he was exempt from capital gains tax as advised by the fees office. In conversation with the Telegraph before publication of the story, Butterfill confirmed that he used part of the proceeds from the sale to pay for a £880,000 London town house, now worth an estimated £1 million.
Butterfill has paid £17,000 in decretionary repayments to the government related to his staff annex. He proved that he made no profit on the sale of his Woking property in contrary to initial claims by the Telegraph. He has also agreed to refund £3,000 for the claims he made related to repairs on the Bournemouth flat.
Butterfill is one of the 98 MPs who voted to keep their expense details secret.
Dispatches. Lobbyist investigation
Butterfill was one of the MPs named in the 2010 sting operationSting operation
In law enforcement, a sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a person committing a crime. A typical sting will have a law-enforcement officer or cooperative member of the public play a role as criminal partner or potential victim and go along with a suspect's actions to gather...
. Butterfill is alleged to have told an undercover reporter that he would lobby
Lobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
to benefit the fictitious company and use his political connections for a payment of £35000 a year. Butterfill was also seen on the programme saying he had been one of the four people who persuaded David Cameron to stand for leader of the Conservative party and that it was likely that he (Butterfill) would be made a peer
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
and go to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. The following day the leader of the Conservative Party, David Cameron said, "I can tell you that is not going to happen."
Personal life
He married Pamela Ross-Symons in 1965 in Surrey and they have a son and three daughters. He was awarded a knighthoodKnight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in 2003 for 'services to Parliament'. He is also a businessman and is a director and advisor to many companies, and is council member of the PDSA
PDSA
The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals is a veterinary charity in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1917 by Maria Dickin to provide care for sick and injured animals of the poor...
. His constituency includes the centre of Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
. He speaks Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
.