John Grenville Bernard Watson (born 21 February 1943) is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom.

Parliamentary career

After fighting

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

in the

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 elections, Watson was member of parliament (MP) for

Skipton Skipton (also known as Skipton-in-Craven) is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the East Division of Staincliffe Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the River Aire and the Leeds ...

from 1979 to 1983, and for Skipton and Ripon from 1983 to 1987 when he stood down. His successor was

David Curry David Maurice Curry (born 13 June 1944) is a British Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Skipton and Ripon from 1987 to 2010. Early life Curry, the son of teachers, was educated at the Ripon Grammar Scho ...

. Since 2010 the seat has been represented by Julian Smith.

After Parliament

After retiring from Parliament in 1987 Watson became Chief Executive of Johnsen and Jorgensen plc. In 1990 he joined Goddard Kay Rodgers as an Executive Search Consultant and also helped to form BKW Public Relations Ltd. Between 1992 and 1997 he was Chief Executive of Bradford City Challenge. In 1997 he joined the Board of the Yorkshire Building Society until his retirement in 2005. He also became Chairman of the Bradford Community NHS Trust. Following his retirement in 2005 he was elected to represent the Boroughbridge division on

North Yorkshire County Council North Yorkshire Council, known between 1974 and 2023 as North Yorkshire County Council, is the Local government in England, local authority for the non-metropolitan county of North Yorkshire (district), North Yorkshire, England. Since 2023 the ...

.North Yorkshire County Council site
He retired from the Council in 2013, having also served for three years as the council's Deputy Leader. He was Chairman of NYnet Ltd between 2013 and 2019 and remains a Director of Partnership Investment Finance Ltd. He is the owner of Bay Horse Marketing Services Ltd and, in that capacity, is the editor of The Switzerland Alternative. He was appointed an OBE in 2009, upon the recommendation of John Prescott MP, for service to Urban Regeneration.

References

*''Times Guide to the House of Commons 1983'' *

External links

* 1943 births Living people Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Officers of the Order of the British Empire UK MPs 1979–1983 UK MPs 1983–1987 {{England-Conservative-UK-MP-1940s-stub