Sir Peter Derek Fry (26 May 1931 – 12 May 2015) was a British
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
politician.
Born in
High Wycombe
High Wycombe, often referred to as Wycombe ( ), is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Wye, Buckinghamshire, River Wye surrounded by the Chiltern Hills, it is west-northwest of Charing Cross in London, ...
, Fry was educated at the
Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe
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, head_label = Headmaster
, head = Philip Wayne
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, and
Worcester College, Oxford. He became an insurance broker and a director of the family retail clothing business. He served as a councillor on
Buckinghamshire County Council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.
Ireland
The county councils created under British rule in 1899 continue to exist in Irel ...
from 1961.
Fry contested
Nottingham North in 1964 and
Willesden East in 1966. He was elected a
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...
at the 1969
Wellingborough
Wellingborough ( ) is a large market and commuter town in the unitary authority area of North Northamptonshire in the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England, 65 miles from London and from Northampton on the north side of the River Nen ...
by-election. He represented the seat until 1997, when he lost to
Labour
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the labour ...
's
Paul Stinchcombe by a margin of 187 votes. He subsequently became the Chairman of
the Bingo Association, Chairman of the
Federation of European Bingo Associations, and a trustee of the Responsibility in Gambling Trust.
During his time as an MP, Fry was a
Eurosceptic, who repeatedly voted against the government in 1992-1993 over its attempts to enshrine the
Maastricht Treaty
The Treaty on European Union, commonly known as the Maastricht Treaty, is the foundation treaty of the European Union (EU). Concluded in 1992 between the then-twelve Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Communities, ...
into UK law.
Fry was interviewed in 2012 as part of
The History of Parliament
The History of Parliament is a project to write a complete history of the United Kingdom Parliament and its predecessors, the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of England. The history will principally consist of a prosopography, in w ...
's oral history project.
Fry died on 12 May 2015, aged 83.
Notice of death: Sir Peter Derek FRY
announcements.telegraph.co.uk; accessed 15 May 2015.
References
Sources
*''Times Guide to the House of Commons'', Times Newspapers Limited, 1997
External links
*
Peter Fry interview at History of Parliament Online
1931 births
2015 deaths
Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford
Knights Bachelor
People educated at the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe
UK MPs 1966–1970
UK MPs 1970–1974
UK MPs 1974
UK MPs 1974–1979
UK MPs 1979–1983
UK MPs 1983–1987
UK MPs 1987–1992
UK MPs 1992–1997
Councillors in Buckinghamshire
Place of death missing
Politicians awarded knighthoods
British Eurosceptics
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