Sir Philip Antony Fyson Buck, QC (19 December 1928 – 6 October 2003) was a British

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...

 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...

 politician.

A strong supporter of the modernising Conservatism championed by Edward Heath

Edward Heath

Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....

, Buck was appointed Under-Secretary for Defence in 1972. But his fortunes declined when Heath lost the election in 1974, and he managed the unsuccessful leadership campaign for his old friend Geoffrey Howe. Buck then lost his place on the executive of the 1922 Committee, although he later regained it. Nevertheless, he remained a perceptive observer of defence policy, opposing the closure of Colchester's military hospital and other cuts. He was elected MP

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 Colchester

Colchester

Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...

 in the 1961 by-election, serving until 1983 when he became MP for Colchester North

Colchester North (UK Parliament constituency)

Colchester North was a borough constituency in Essex, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 until 1997. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. It was a safe Conservative seat throughout its...

 after boundary changes. He retired in 1992. He also served as a junior minister for Defence with responsibility for the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 from 1972 to 1974.

He was educated at The King's School, Ely

The King's School, Ely

The King's School, Ely, is a coeducational independent day and boarding school in the cathedral city of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. It was founded in 970 A.D., making it one of the oldest schools in the world, though it was given its Royal Charter by King Henry VIII in 1541...

. Thrice married, he had a daughter from his first marriage, art critic Louisa Buck

Louisa Buck

Louisa Buck is a British art critic and contemporary art correspondent for The Art Newspaper. She was a jurist for the 2005 Turner Prize.-Life:...

.

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