Sir David Austin Trippier, RD, DL (born 15 May 1946) is a British Conservative Party politician and author.

Early life

Trippier was born on 15 May 1946. He was educated at Bury Grammar School.

Political career

Trippier fought

Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England, and the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. In the United Kingdom 2021 Census, 2021 Census, the town had a population of 111,261, compared to 223,773 for the wid ...

in a by election in 1972, coming third. In the elections in

February February is the second month of the year in the Julian calendar, Julian and Gregorian calendars. The month has 28 days in common years and 29 in leap years, with the February 29, 29th day being called the ''leap day''. February is the third a ...

and October 1974, he stood at Oldham West, but was beaten each time by future Labour Cabinet Minister, Michael Meacher. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Rossendale from 1979 to 1983, and for Rossendale and Darwen from 1983, until he lost his seat in 1992, by 120 votes to Labour's Janet Anderson. Trippier was appointed his PPS by

Kenneth Clarke Kenneth Harry Clarke, Baron Clarke of Nottingham (born 2 July 1940) is a British politician who served as Home Secretary from 1992 to 1993 and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1993 to 1997. A member of the Conservative Party (UK), Conservative ...

while he was

Minister of State Minister of state is a designation for a government minister, with varying meanings in different jurisdictions. In a number of European countries, the title is given as an honorific conferring a higher rank, often bestowed upon senior minister ...

for Health at the

Department of Health and Social Security The Department of Health and Social Security (commonly known as the DHSS) was a Ministry (government department), ministry of the Her Majesty's Government, British government in existence for twenty years from 1968 until 1988, and was headed b ...

from 1982 to 1983. He then served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, 1983 to 1985, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for

Employment Employment is a relationship between two party (law), parties Regulation, regulating the provision of paid Labour (human activity), labour services. Usually based on a employment contract, contract, one party, the employer, which might be a cor ...

, 1985 to 1987, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, 1987 to 1989, and then

for the Environment and Countryside at the

Department of the Environment An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment, ...

from 1989 to 1992.

Later life

He was knighted after he lost his seat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

, and appointed High Sheriff of Lancashire for 1997. He subsequently became the Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party's Northern Board. He married barrister Ruth Worthington in 1975.

Freemasonry

He was initiated in to

Freemasonry Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

in 1968, at the age of 21. In 2011, he became the Provincial Grand Master for the Masonic Province of East Lancashire. He was invested on 22 February 2012. He retired as Provincial Grand Master on 18 November 2021.

References

*''The Times Guide to the House of Commons'', Times Newspapers Ltd, 1992 *''Lend Me Your Ears 9781841041780 published by The Memoir Club''

External links

* 1945 births Living people Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies People educated at Bury Grammar School UK MPs 1979–1983 UK MPs 1983–1987 UK MPs 1987–1992 Politics of Blackburn with Darwen Deputy lieutenants of Lancashire High sheriffs of Lancashire Knights Bachelor Freemasons of the United Grand Lodge of England {{England-Conservative-UK-MP-1940s-stub