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{{Short description|British politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2015}}
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|honorific-prefix =
|honorific-prefix =
|name = Sir Michael Shersby
|name = Sir Michael Shersby
|honorific-suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MP}}
|honorific-suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%}}
|image = Michael Shersby.jpg
|image = Michael Shersby.jpg
|office = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] <br /> for [[Uxbridge (UK Parliament constituency)|Uxbridge]]
|office = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] <br /> for [[Uxbridge (UK Parliament constituency)|Uxbridge]]
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|term_start = 7 December 1972
|term_start = 7 December 1972
|term_end = 8 May 1997
|term_end = 8 May 1997
| monarch = [[Elizabeth II]]
|predecessor = [[Charles Curran (politician)|Charles Curran]]
|predecessor = [[Charles Curran (politician)|Charles Curran]]
|successor = [[John Randall (British politician)|John Randall]]
|successor = [[John Randall, Baron Randall of Uxbridge|John Randall]]
|birth_date = {{birth date|1933|02|17|df=yes}}
|birth_date = {{birth date|1933|02|17|df=yes}}
|birth_place = [[Ickenham]], [[Middlesex]]
|birth_place = [[Ickenham]], [[Middlesex]], England
|death_date = {{death date and age|1997|05|8|1933|02|17|df=yes}}
|death_date = {{death date and age|1997|05|8|1933|02|17|df=yes}}
|death_place =
|death_place = London, England
|restingplace =
|restingplace =
|birthname =
|birthname = Julian Michael Shersby
|nationality = [[United Kingdom|British]]
|party = [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
|party = [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
|otherparty =
|otherparty =
|spouse = Barbara Barrow
|spouse = {{marriage|Barbara Barrow|1958}}
|relations =
|children = 2
|children =
|residence =
|alma_mater =
|occupation =
|profession =
|cabinet =
|committees =
|portfolio =
|religion =
|signature =
|website =
}}
}}


'''Sir Julian Michael Shersby''' (17 February 1933 – 8 May 1997) was a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] [[politician]] in the [[United Kingdom]]. He was [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Uxbridge (UK Parliament constituency)|Uxbridge]].
'''Sir Julian Michael Shersby''' (17 February 1933 – 8 May 1997) was a British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] politician who was the [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Uxbridge (UK Parliament constituency)|Uxbridge]] from 1972 until his death.


==Early life==
==Early life==
Shersby was born to William (Bill) and Elinor Shersby (Nora, née Fuller) at their home 9 Court Road, [[Ickenham]] (a Greater London area later in his seat in the House of Commons) on 17 February 1933. Christened Julian Michael, he was known primarily as Michael by the age of ten. He had siblings: Dick (also known as Harold), Marjorie and Brian Shersby. His father advanced in the [[Port of London Authority]] to be a manager.<ref name="Skinner"/>
Shersby was born to William and Elinor Shersby (Nora, née Fuller) at their home 9 Court Road, [[Ickenham]] (a Greater London area later in his seat in the House of Commons) on 17 February 1933. Christened Julian Michael, he was known primarily as Michael by the age of ten. He had siblings: Dick (also known as Harold), Marjorie and Brian Shersby. His father advanced in the [[Port of London Authority]] to be a manager.<ref name="Skinner"/>


He attended Breakspear primary school<ref name="Skinner">{{cite book |title=Images of England: Ickenham |last=Skinner |first=James |year=2005 |publisher=Tempus Publishing |location=Stroud |isbn=0-7524-3411-X }}</ref> and was later, like his siblings sat entrance exams for and was funded to attend independent school. Shersby attended [[The John Lyon School]], in Harrow. Shersby left school at 16, in 1949 starting work in a humble clerical position at a company in London. He lived with family in Ickenham until at 25 he married Barbara Barrow of West Drayton and they moved to London. He qualified as a trained Conservative party agent during the 1950s and worked in that capacity during his early 20s before joining the industrial film industry between 1958 and 1966. Between 1966 and 1988 he was Director General of the British Sugar Bureau, the industry's trade association.
He attended Breakspear primary school<ref name="Skinner">{{cite book |title=Images of England: Ickenham |last=Skinner |first=James |year=2005 |publisher=Tempus Publishing |location=Stroud |isbn=0-7524-3411-X }}</ref> and [[The John Lyon School]], in Harrow. Shersby left school at 15, in 1948 starting work as a messenger in the City of London. He lived with family in Ickenham until at 25 he married Barbara Barrow of West Drayton and they moved to London. He qualified as a trained Conservative party agent during the 1950s and worked in that capacity during his early 20s before joining the industrial film industry between 1958 and 1966. Between 1966 and 1988 he was Director General of the British Sugar Bureau, the industry's trade association.


==Career==
==Career==
Shersby's career as an elected political representative began in 1959 when he was first elected as a borough councillor on [[Paddington Borough Council]] for Maida Vale North ward and he then continued to serve for the Maida Vale ward of [[Westminster City Council]] from 1964 to 1970 after Paddington was subsumed into the new larger unitary Council's area. He served as Deputy Lord Mayor on Westminster City Council from 1967 to 1968.<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-sir-michael-shersby-1260462.html Obituary: Sir Michael Shersby] Patrick Cosgrove. ''[[The Independent]]''. 9 May 1997</ref>
Shersby's career as an elected political representative began in 1959 when he was first elected as a borough councillor on [[Paddington Borough Council]] for Maida Vale North ward and he then continued to serve for the [[Maida Vale (ward)|Maida Vale ward]] of [[Westminster City Council]] from 1964 to 1970 after Paddington was subsumed into the new larger unitary council's area. He served as deputy lord mayor on Westminster City Council from 1967 to 1968.<ref name = Cosgrave>{{cite news|url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-sir-michael-shersby-1260462.html|title = Obituary: Sir Michael Shersby|date = 8 May 1997|accessdate = 21 December 2021|last = Cosgrave|first = Patrick|authorlink = Patrick Cosgrave|work = [[The Independent]]}}</ref>


Shersby was first elected to Parliament at a [[1972 Uxbridge by-election|1972 by-election]] that followed the sudden death of [[Charles Curran (politician)|Charles Curran]], who had re-taken the seat for the Conservatives from Labour's John Ryan in the 1970 general election. This was a by-election Shersby had not been expected to win since it took place in the depths of unpopularity of the Heath Government and on the same night that Shersby was elected to Parliament (7 December 1972) the Conservatives lost the considerably safer seat of Sutton and Cheam by a large majority after a huge swing against the party there to the Liberal party. But in Uxbridge Shersby managed to hang on to a seat taken back from Labour for the Conservatives by Charles Curran in 1970, even though the majority fell from 1970's 3646 votes to a rather less comfortable 1,178 votes that night. His local roots as an Ickenham born lad probably helped him considerably in that election and over the years he consistently built up his majority to a high point of 15,970 votes in the 1987 general election by establishing a reputation as an extremely committed and hardworking backbench MP more interested in being able to pursue single issues he believed in rather than pursuing the trappings of power as a minister at what would have been the expense of his political independence.
On 7 December 1972, Shersby was elected to Parliament at a [[1972 Uxbridge by-election|by-election]] triggered by the death of Uxbridge MP [[Charles Curran (politician)|Charles Curran]], who had re-taken the seat for the Conservatives from Labour's John Ryan in the 1970 general election. Shersby was not expected to win the by-election, as it was considered a marginal seat;<ref name = Cosgrave /> it occurred the same day as [[1972 Sutton and Cheam by-election|another by-election]] in [[Sutton and Cheam (UK Parliament constituency)|Sutton and Cheam]], in which the Conservatives lost a seat they had held in 1970 with a larger majority.


He received an Honorary Doctorate from [[Brunel University]] in 1994<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brunel.ac.uk/about/people/honorary-graduates/honorary-graduates-1994/sir-michael-shersby |title=Sir Michael Shersby - 1994 |author=Brunel University |date=1 April 2011 |publisher=[[Brunel University]] |access-date=4 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101044417/http://www.brunel.ac.uk/about/people/honorary-graduates/honorary-graduates-1994/sir-michael-shersby |archive-date=1 November 2013 |df=dmy-all |author-link=Brunel University }}</ref> and was [[Knight Bachelor|knighted]] in 1995 for his longstanding years of service in Parliament <ref>[http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/54066/supplements/2 London Gazette Supplement - 17 June 2005]</ref>
He received an Honorary Doctorate from [[Brunel University]] in 1994<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brunel.ac.uk/about/people/honorary-graduates/honorary-graduates-1994/sir-michael-shersby |title=Sir Michael Shersby - 1994 |author=Brunel University |date=1 April 2011 |publisher=[[Brunel University]] |access-date=4 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101044417/http://www.brunel.ac.uk/about/people/honorary-graduates/honorary-graduates-1994/sir-michael-shersby |archive-date=1 November 2013 |df=dmy-all |author-link=Brunel University }}</ref> and was [[Knight Bachelor|knighted]] in 1995 for his longstanding years of service in Parliament.<ref>[http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/54066/supplements/2 London Gazette Supplement - 17 June 2005]</ref>


==Private members' bills==
==Private members' bills==
Since at least 1920s he holds a record. This is the parliamentarian who has introduced the most of [[Private Members' Bills in the Parliament of the United Kingdom|their own tabled bills]] (eight) to become law.<ref name=uk/> Many of these he was the named sponsor, to bring attention to their importance, thus survive tight parliamentary timetabling rules.<ref name=uk>[http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-information-office/l03.pdf The Success of Private Members's Bills] UK Parliament, information office paper 103</ref>
Since at least 1920s he holds a record as the parliamentarian who has introduced the most of [[Private Members' Bills in the Parliament of the United Kingdom|their own tabled bills]] (eight) to become law.<ref name=uk/> Many of these he was the named sponsor, to bring attention to their importance, thus survive tight parliamentary timetabling rules.<ref name=uk>[http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-information-office/l03.pdf The Success of Private Members's Bills] UK Parliament, information office paper 103</ref>


;Resulting Acts
;Resulting Acts
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==Hillsborough disaster==
==Hillsborough disaster==
Following a meeting with the Yorkshire Police Federation, Shersby was invited to assist in the development of a ‘counter attack’ to ‘repudiate’ Lord Justice Taylor's Interim Report, which had condemned the evidence and testimony of senior police officers and rejected as exaggerated the allegations made against Liverpool fans. Taylor LJ stated categorically that fans’ behaviour played no part in the disaster. The Police Federation considered the Interim Report unfair and unbalanced.<ref name=hi/> His acts, if any, as Parliamentary Adviser to the Police Federation following the [[Hillsborough disaster]], per the Hillsborough Independent Panel's report, are unknown.<ref name=hi>{{Cite web |url=http://hillsborough.independent.gov.uk/repository/report/HIP_report.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=13 September 2012 |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6Ao8eM6w3?url=http://hillsborough.independent.gov.uk/repository/report/HIP_report.pdf |archive-date=20 September 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
As Parliamenty Adviser to the Police Federation, Shersby was invited to assist in the development of a ‘counter attack’ to ‘repudiate’ Lord Justice Taylor's Interim Report, which had condemned the evidence and testimony of senior police officers and rejected as exaggerated the allegations made against Liverpool fans. Taylor LJ stated categorically that fans’ behaviour played no part in the disaster. The Police Federation considered the Interim Report unfair and unbalanced.<ref name=hi/> His acts, if any, as Parliamentary Adviser to the Police Federation following the [[Hillsborough disaster]], per the Hillsborough Independent Panel's report, are unknown.<ref name=hi>{{Cite web |url=http://hillsborough.independent.gov.uk/repository/report/HIP_report.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=13 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120920015310/http://hillsborough.independent.gov.uk/repository/report/HIP_report.pdf |archive-date=20 September 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


==Personal life and death==
==Death==
[[File:Burial ground, St Mary the Virgin's church, Harefield 20201010 135350 (50449330873).jpg|thumb|upright|Shersby's grave]]
After nearly 25 years in Parliament, Shersby died at the age of 64 from a heart attack, only seven days after being re-elected to Parliament in the [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997 general election]]. The resulting [[1997 Uxbridge by-election|by-election]] was won by local department store owner [[John Randall (British politician)|John Randall]].
Shersby married Barbara Barrow in 1958, and they had two children, Julian and Lucy.<ref name = Cosgrave/> Lucy stood as Conservative Parliamentary candidate for [[Battersea (UK Parliament constituency)|Battersea]] in the [[2001 United Kingdom general election|2001 general election]] but was not elected, while Julian served as a Conservative councillor on [[Mole Valley District Council]] between 1999 and 2006.{{citation needed|date = December 2021}}


Sir Michael was survived by his wife of 39 years (Barbara) and his two children, Julian and Lucy. Lucy stood as Conservative Parliamentary candidate for [[Battersea (UK Parliament constituency)|Battersea]] in the [[2001 United Kingdom general election|2001 general election]] but was not elected while Julian served as a Conservative councillor on [[Mole Valley District Council]] between 1999 and 2006.
Shersby died of a heart attack in London on 8 May 1997, at the age of 64, only seven days after being re-elected to Parliament in the [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997 general election]].<ref name = Cosgrave/> The resulting [[1997 Uxbridge by-election|by-election]] was won by local department store owner [[John Randall, Baron Randall of Uxbridge|John Randall]].

Shersby is buried in the churchyard of [[Harefield]] parish church. His epitaph is: "He demanded little, and gave much".


==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==
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[[Category:1997 deaths]]
[[Category:1997 deaths]]
[[Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies]]
[[Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies]]
[[Category:Councillors in the City of Westminster]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:Politicians awarded knighthoods]]
[[Category:People educated at The John Lyon School]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1970–1974]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1970–1974]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1974]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1974]]
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[[Category:UK MPs 1992–1997]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1992–1997]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1997–2001]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1997–2001]]
[[Category:People educated at The John Lyon School]]
[[Category:People from Middlesex (before 1965)]]

Latest revision as of 07:37, 25 July 2024

Sir Michael Shersby
Member of Parliament
for Uxbridge
In office
7 December 1972 – 8 May 1997
Preceded byCharles Curran
Succeeded byJohn Randall
Personal details
Born
Julian Michael Shersby

(1933-02-17)17 February 1933
Ickenham, Middlesex, England
Died8 May 1997(1997-05-08) (aged 64)
London, England
Political partyConservative
Spouse
Barbara Barrow
​
(m. 1958)​
Children2

Sir Julian Michael Shersby (17 February 1933 – 8 May 1997) was a British Conservative Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Uxbridge from 1972 until his death.

Early life

[edit]

Shersby was born to William and Elinor Shersby (Nora, née Fuller) at their home 9 Court Road, Ickenham (a Greater London area later in his seat in the House of Commons) on 17 February 1933. Christened Julian Michael, he was known primarily as Michael by the age of ten. He had siblings: Dick (also known as Harold), Marjorie and Brian Shersby. His father advanced in the Port of London Authority to be a manager.[1]

He attended Breakspear primary school[1] and The John Lyon School, in Harrow. Shersby left school at 15, in 1948 starting work as a messenger in the City of London. He lived with family in Ickenham until at 25 he married Barbara Barrow of West Drayton and they moved to London. He qualified as a trained Conservative party agent during the 1950s and worked in that capacity during his early 20s before joining the industrial film industry between 1958 and 1966. Between 1966 and 1988 he was Director General of the British Sugar Bureau, the industry's trade association.

Career

[edit]

Shersby's career as an elected political representative began in 1959 when he was first elected as a borough councillor on Paddington Borough Council for Maida Vale North ward and he then continued to serve for the Maida Vale ward of Westminster City Council from 1964 to 1970 after Paddington was subsumed into the new larger unitary council's area. He served as deputy lord mayor on Westminster City Council from 1967 to 1968.[2]

On 7 December 1972, Shersby was elected to Parliament at a by-election triggered by the death of Uxbridge MP Charles Curran, who had re-taken the seat for the Conservatives from Labour's John Ryan in the 1970 general election. Shersby was not expected to win the by-election, as it was considered a marginal seat;[2] it occurred the same day as another by-election in Sutton and Cheam, in which the Conservatives lost a seat they had held in 1970 with a larger majority.

He received an Honorary Doctorate from Brunel University in 1994[3] and was knighted in 1995 for his longstanding years of service in Parliament.[4]

Private members' bills

[edit]

Since at least 1920s he holds a record as the parliamentarian who has introduced the most of their own tabled bills (eight) to become law.[5] Many of these he was the named sponsor, to bring attention to their importance, thus survive tight parliamentary timetabling rules.[5]

Resulting Acts
  • Town and Country Amenities Act 1974
  • Parks Regulation (Amendment) Act 1974
  • Stock Exchange (Completion of Bargains) Act 1975-76
  • Gaming (Amendment) Act 1979-80
  • Copyright Act 1956 (Amendment) Act 1981-82
  • British Nationality (Falkland Islands) 1982-83
  • Firearms (Amendment) 1993-94
  • Pharmacists (Fitness To Practice) Act 1996-97

Hillsborough disaster

[edit]

As Parliamenty Adviser to the Police Federation, Shersby was invited to assist in the development of a ‘counter attack’ to ‘repudiate’ Lord Justice Taylor's Interim Report, which had condemned the evidence and testimony of senior police officers and rejected as exaggerated the allegations made against Liverpool fans. Taylor LJ stated categorically that fans’ behaviour played no part in the disaster. The Police Federation considered the Interim Report unfair and unbalanced.[6] His acts, if any, as Parliamentary Adviser to the Police Federation following the Hillsborough disaster, per the Hillsborough Independent Panel's report, are unknown.[6]

Personal life and death

[edit]
Shersby's grave

Shersby married Barbara Barrow in 1958, and they had two children, Julian and Lucy.[2] Lucy stood as Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Battersea in the 2001 general election but was not elected, while Julian served as a Conservative councillor on Mole Valley District Council between 1999 and 2006.[citation needed]

Shersby died of a heart attack in London on 8 May 1997, at the age of 64, only seven days after being re-elected to Parliament in the 1997 general election.[2] The resulting by-election was won by local department store owner John Randall.

Shersby is buried in the churchyard of Harefield parish church. His epitaph is: "He demanded little, and gave much".

Bibliography

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Skinner, James (2005). Images of England: Ickenham. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-3411-X.
  2. ^ a b c d Cosgrave, Patrick (8 May 1997). "Obituary: Sir Michael Shersby". The Independent. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  3. ^ Brunel University (1 April 2011). "Sir Michael Shersby - 1994". Brunel University. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
  4. ^ London Gazette Supplement - 17 June 2005
  5. ^ a b The Success of Private Members's Bills UK Parliament, information office paper 103
  6. ^ a b "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 September 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
[edit]
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Uxbridge
1972–1997 		Succeeded by
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