Robert Key (politician)
Encyclopedia
Simon Robert Key known as Robert Key (born 22 April 1945) is a Conservative Party
politician in the United Kingdom
. He is the former Member of Parliament
(MP) for Salisbury
, Wiltshire
.
, the son of Maurice Key, afterwards Bishop of Truro. At the age of 10 he was part of a school walk on Swanage Beach
in Dorset
where he and six friends discovered an old wartime mine
which detonated; only Key and one other boy survived. He went to Salisbury Cathedral School
, then independent Sherborne School
. He studied economics at Clare College at the University of Cambridge
, receiving an MA and CertEd
. He taught at the Loretto School
in Edinburgh
from 1967-9, then taught economics at Harrow School
from 1969-83.
seat in 1979. He was the Member of Parliament
for Salisbury
between 1983 and 2010, and was Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities in the Department of the Environment (now DEFRA
) from 1990-2, setting up the Inner Cities Religious Council in 1991, and was a junior minister at the Department of National Heritage (now Culture, Media and Sport
) from 1992-3. He was Minister for Roads and Traffic from 1993-4.
In opposition, Key served as a front-bench spokesman during the leaderships of William Hague
and Iain Duncan Smith
: in 2001, he was the shadow minister for Science and Energy, and in July 2002 the shadow minister for International Development. He stood down from this position in June 2003, returning to the backbenches
, but retaining his membership of the Defence Select Committee
.
In 2005, he won re-election with an increased majority. From 1994 until 2001, he was a Director of Hortichem (now Certis UK since 2001) in Amesbury
.
On 2 December 2009, Key announced his decision to stand down at the next general election.
Robert Key is a member of the General Synod of the Church of England.
who was the 10th Bishop of Truro
from 1960 to 1973, as well as the Bishop of Sherborne from 1947 until 1960. He married Scottish Susan Irvine in 1968 in Perth
. They have one son and two daughters and live in Harnham
. He is a committed choral singer and member of the Church of England
.
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 in the United Kingdom
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...
. He is the former 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 Salisbury
Salisbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Salisbury is a county constituency centred on the city of Salisbury in Wiltshire. It elects one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, by the first past the post voting system....
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
.
Early life
Key was born in PlymouthPlymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, the son of Maurice Key, afterwards Bishop of Truro. At the age of 10 he was part of a school walk on Swanage Beach
Swanage
Swanage is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is situated at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck, approximately 10 km south of Poole and 40 km east of Dorchester. The parish has a population of 10,124 . Nearby are Ballard Down and Old Harry Rocks,...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
where he and six friends discovered an old wartime mine
Land mine
A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
which detonated; only Key and one other boy survived. He went to Salisbury Cathedral School
Salisbury Cathedral School
Salisbury Cathedral School is a school located in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. It was founded in 1091 by Saint Osmund at Old Sarum . It was moved 150 years later to the newly built Salisbury Cathedral. In 1947 it was relocated to the former Bishop's Palace in the grounds of the cathedral. The...
, then independent Sherborne School
Sherborne School
Sherborne School is a British independent school for boys, located in the town of Sherborne in north-west Dorset, England. It is one of the original member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
. He studied economics at Clare College at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, receiving an MA and CertEd
Certificate in Education
The Certificate in Education is a professional qualification for teachers in the United Kingdom. There have been two incarnations of the Cert Ed over the years.-New Cert Ed:...
. He taught at the Loretto School
Loretto School
Loretto School is an independent school in Scotland, founded in 1827. The campus occupies in Musselburgh, near Edinburgh.-History:Loretto was founded by the Reverend Thomas Langhorne in 1827. Langhorne came from Crosby Ravensworth, near Kirkby Stephen. The school was later taken over by his son,...
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
from 1967-9, then taught economics at Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
from 1969-83.
Political career
He contested the Holborn and St Pancras SouthHolborn and St Pancras South (UK Parliament constituency)
Holborn and St Pancras South was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Holborn district of Central London. It returned 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.The constituency was created for...
seat in 1979. He was the 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 Salisbury
Salisbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Salisbury is a county constituency centred on the city of Salisbury in Wiltshire. It elects one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, by the first past the post voting system....
between 1983 and 2010, and was Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities in the Department of the Environment (now DEFRA
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom...
) from 1990-2, setting up the Inner Cities Religious Council in 1991, and was a junior minister at the Department of National Heritage (now Culture, Media and Sport
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is a department of the United Kingdom government, with responsibility for culture and sport in England, and some aspects of the media throughout the whole UK, such as broadcasting and internet....
) from 1992-3. He was Minister for Roads and Traffic from 1993-4.
In opposition, Key served as a front-bench spokesman during the leaderships of William Hague
William Hague
William Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001...
and Iain Duncan Smith
Iain Duncan Smith
George Iain Duncan Smith is a British Conservative politician. He is currently the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and was previously leader of the Conservative Party from September 2001 to October 2003...
: in 2001, he was the shadow minister for Science and Energy, and in July 2002 the shadow minister for International Development. He stood down from this position in June 2003, returning to the backbenches
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...
, but retaining his membership of the Defence Select Committee
Defence Select Committee
The Defence Select Committee is one of the Select Committees of the British House of Commons, having been established in 1979. It oversees the operations of the Ministry of Defence and its associated public bodies, including the armed forces.-Membership:...
.
In 2005, he won re-election with an increased majority. From 1994 until 2001, he was a Director of Hortichem (now Certis UK since 2001) in Amesbury
Amesbury
Amesbury is a town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It is most famous for the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge which is in its parish, and for the discovery of the Amesbury Archer—dubbed the King of Stonehenge in the press—in 2002...
.
On 2 December 2009, Key announced his decision to stand down at the next general election.
Robert Key is a member of the General Synod of the Church of England.
Personal life
He is the son of John Maurice KeyJohn Maurice Key
Maurice Key was the Anglican Bishop of Sherborne then Truro in the third quarter of the 20th century.He was educated at Rossall School and Pembroke College, Cambridge and ordained in 1928...
who was the 10th Bishop of Truro
Bishop of Truro
The Bishop of Truro is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Truro in the Province of Canterbury.The present diocese covers the county of Cornwall and it is one of the most recently created dioceses of the Church of England...
from 1960 to 1973, as well as the Bishop of Sherborne from 1947 until 1960. He married Scottish Susan Irvine in 1968 in Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
. They have one son and two daughters and live in Harnham
Harnham
Harnham is a suburb of the cathedral City of Salisbury in Wiltshire, though there has probably been some form of human habitation in the area since the Iron Age. It consists of two wards: West and East Harnham, which currently have a combined population of around 7,300...
. He is a committed choral singer and member of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
.
External links
- Robert Key official site
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Robert Key MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Robert Key MP
- The Public Whip - Robert Key MP voting record
- Salisbury Conservatives
- BBC News - Robert Key profile 30 March, 2006
News items
- Rebelling on gay adoption in 2003
- His lack of fondness for Muzak
- Comments during the early stages of the Embryo Bill in The Daily Telegraph in March 2008
- Salisbury MP will not stand again - BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
article from 2 December 2009