Sir David Bower Mitchell (20 June 1928 – 30 August 2014) 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 who was a Member of Parliament for over 30 years, and who served as a junior minister in Margaret Thatcher's government.

Early life

Mitchell was born in the Amersham Rural District in Buckinghamshire, and educated at

Aldenham School Aldenham School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged eleven to eighteen, located between Elstree and the village of Aldenham in Hertfordshire, England. There is also a preparatory school for pupils from the ages of five to ele ...

, Hertfordshire, before becoming a wine shipper and merchant.

Political career

Mitchell served as a councillor on St Pancras Borough Council from 1956 to 1959. He contested St Pancras North in 1959. He was the

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 ...

for Basingstoke from 1964 to 1983, and for Hampshire North West from 1983 until he retired in 1997. In 1970, he was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to

Sir Keith Joseph Keith Sinjohn Joseph, Baron Joseph, (17 January 1918 – 10 December 1994), known as Sir Keith Joseph, 2nd Baronet, for most of his political life, was a British politician, intellectual and barrister. A member of the Conservative Party, he ...

Secretary of State for Social Services The Secretary of State for Health and Social Services was a position in the UK cabinet, created on 1 November 1968 with responsibility for the Department of Health and Social Security. It continued until 25 July 1988 when Department of Health and ...

in the

Heath Ministry Edward Heath of the Conservative Party formed the Heath ministry and was appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom by Queen Elizabeth II on 19 June 1970, following the 18 June general election. Heath's ministry ended after the February ...

. Mitchell served in the Thatcher Ministry as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for

Industry Industry may refer to: Economics * Industry (economics), a generally categorized branch of economic activity * Industry (manufacturing), a specific branch of economic activity, typically in factories with machinery * The wider industrial sector ...

, 1979–1981, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the

Northern Ireland Office The Northern Ireland Office (NIO; ga, Oifig Thuaisceart Éireann, Ulster-Scots: ''Norlin Airlann Oaffis'') is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for N ...

, 1981–1983, and then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, 9 June 1983 – 9 January 1986, and Minister of State, 9 January 1986 – 25 July 1988, at the

Department of Transport The Department for Transport (DfT) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that have not been devolved. The d ...

. He was knighted in 1988 upon his resignation from Government. Mitchell's son

Andrew Mitchell Andrew John Bower Mitchell (born 23 March 1956) is a British politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sutton Coldfield since 2001. A member of the Conservative Party, Mitchell was previously the MP for Gedling from 1987 to 1 ...

is the

for Sutton Coldfield, and served as

Secretary of State for International Development The minister of state for development and Africa, formerly the minister of state for development and the secretary of state for international development, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom. The off ...

and briefly as Chief Whip in David Cameron's government between 2010 and 2012.

Publications

In 2008, Sir David Mitchell published an autobiography entitled "''From House to House, The Endless Adventures of Politics & Wine''" with The Memoir Club, .

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, David 1928 births 2014 deaths People educated at Aldenham School Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Knights Bachelor Members of St Pancras Metropolitan Borough Council UK MPs 1964–1966 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 Northern Ireland Office junior ministers