Trevor Skeet
Encyclopedia
Sir Trevor Herbert Harry Skeet (28 January 1918 – 14 August 2004) was a New Zealand
lawyer and a British
Conservative
politician.
Skeet was born in New Zealand and was educated at King's College, Auckland
and New Zealand University. He served with the New Zealand Army
and Navy during World War II
. He was a barrister and solicitor at the Supreme Court of New Zealand
and was called to the English Bar in 1947 by Inner Temple
. He was a member of the Council of the Royal Empire Society.
Skeet first stood for Parliament in Stoke Newington and Hackney North in 1951 and Llanelli
in 1955. He was elected Member of Parliament
for Willesden East
in 1959, losing the seat in 1964. He was then MP for Bedford
1970-83 and North Bedfordshire 1983-97. Ahead of the 1992 election
, he survived a deselection attempt by his constituency party.
He is survived by his widow, Lady Skeet, who resides in Milton Ernest
, Bedfordshire
.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
lawyer and 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.
Skeet was born in New Zealand and was educated at King's College, Auckland
King's College, Auckland
King's College is an independent secondary school in New Zealand. It was originally a boys-only school but now also admits girls in the sixth and seventh forms . The school has strong links to the Anglican church; the Anglican Bishop of Auckland, and the Dean of Auckland are permanent members of...
and New Zealand University. He served with the New Zealand Army
New Zealand Army
The New Zealand Army , is the land component of the New Zealand Defence Force and comprises around 4,500 Regular Force personnel, 2,000 Territorial Force personnel and 500 civilians. Formerly the New Zealand Military Forces, the current name was adopted around 1946...
and Navy during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was a barrister and solicitor at the Supreme Court of New Zealand
Supreme Court of New Zealand
The Supreme Court of New Zealand is the highest court and the court of last resort in New Zealand, having formally come into existence on 1 January 2004. The court sat for the first time on 1 July 2004. It replaced the right of appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, based in London...
and was called to the English Bar in 1947 by Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
. He was a member of the Council of the Royal Empire Society.
Skeet first stood for Parliament in Stoke Newington and Hackney North in 1951 and Llanelli
Llanelli (UK Parliament constituency)
Llanelli is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From 1918 to 1970 the official spelling of the constituency name was Llanelly...
in 1955. He was elected 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 Willesden East
Willesden East (UK Parliament constituency)
Willesden East was a borough constituency in the Municipal Borough of Willesden, in North-West London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
in 1959, losing the seat in 1964. He was then MP for Bedford
Bedford (UK Parliament constituency)
Bedford is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The seat was established in its current form in 1997, restoring a centuries old name. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election...
1970-83 and North Bedfordshire 1983-97. Ahead of the 1992 election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
, he survived a deselection attempt by his constituency party.
He is survived by his widow, Lady Skeet, who resides in Milton Ernest
Milton Ernest
Milton Ernest is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England, and is about north of Bedford itself. It has a population of 754...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
.