Thomas Michael Jopling, Baron Jopling,
PC,
DL (born 10 December 1930) is a British politician who sits in the
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...
as a member of the
Conservative Party.
Life and career
Jopling is the son of Mark Bellerby Jopling (1886–1958), of
Masham,
North Riding of Yorkshire
The North Riding of Yorkshire was a subdivision of Yorkshire, England, alongside York, the East Riding and West Riding. The riding's highest point was at Mickle Fell at .
From the Restoration it was used as a lieutenancy area, having b ...
, a partner in Imeson and Jopling (later Jopling, Cawthorn and Blackburn), surveyors, auctioneers and estate agents.
He was educated at
Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College is a public school ( fee-charging boarding and day school for pupils aged 13–18) in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. The school opened in 1841 as a Church of England foundation and is known for its outstanding linguis ...
and
Durham University
Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament (UK), Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by r ...
. He was a farmer and company director and served on the national council of the
National Farmers Union. Jopling was a councillor on Thirsk Rural District Council.
Having previously stood unsuccessfully in
Wakefield
Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 109,766 in the 2021 census, up from 99,251 in the 2011 census. The city is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolit ...
in
1959
Events
January
* January 1 – Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance.
* January 2 – Soviet lunar probe Luna 1 is the first human-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reaches the ...
, Jopling was elected Conservative MP for
Westmorland
Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland''R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref>) is an area of North West England which was Historic counties of England, historically a county. People of the area ...
, now in
Cumbria
Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders the Scottish council areas of Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders to the north, Northumberland and County Durham to the east, North Yorkshire to the south-east, Lancash ...
, in 1964 and became
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury is the official title of the most senior whip of the governing party in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Today, any official links between the Treasury and this office are nominal and the title ...
from 1979 to 1983.
In 1983, he was elected for
Westmorland and Lonsdale
Westmorland and Lonsdale is a constituency in the south of Cumbria, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2005 by Tim Farron, the former leader of the Liberal Democrats (2015–2017).
Westmorland and Lonsdale is the Lib ...
after boundary changes, and was appointed
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was a United Kingdom cabinet position, responsible for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The post was originally named President of the Board of Agriculture and was created in 1889 ...
from 1983 to 1987.
In his ''
Diaries Diaries may refer to:
* the plural of diary
A diary is a written or audiovisual memorable record, with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. Diaries have traditionally bee ...
'', the military historian and Tory member of Parliament
Alan Clark
Alan Kenneth Mackenzie Clark (13 April 1928 – 5 September 1999) was a British Conservative Member of Parliament (MP), author and diarist. He served as a junior minister in Margaret Thatcher's governments at the Departments of Employment, Tr ...
famously quoted what he claimed was Jopling's "snobby but cutting" dismissal of the ambitious Conservative deputy prime minister
Michael Heseltine
Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, Baron Heseltine, (; born 21 March 1933) is a British politician. Having begun his career as a property developer, he became one of the founders of the publishing house Haymarket Media Group in 1957. Heseltine se ...
: "The trouble with Michael is that he had to buy all his furniture".
After over 32 years as a member of the House Commons, Jopling stood down at the
1997 general election and was succeeded by
Tim Collins. He was absent during the last few weeks of his Commons career as he was severely injured in a go-karting accident in February 1997. He returned to the House on the last day it sat before it dissolved for the election, and was greeted at
Prime Minister’s Questions by
John Major
Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British retired politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997. Following his defeat to Ton ...
at his last question session on 20 March.
Jopling was made a
life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...
as Baron Jopling, of
Ainderby Quernhow in the County of
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in Northern England.The Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority areas of City of York, York and North Yorkshire (district), North Yorkshire are in Yorkshire and t ...
on 5 June 1997. He is a member of the
Privy Council and the
America All Party Parliamentary Group.
Personal life
Jopling married Hilary Gail Dickinson in 1958; she was appointed an
MBE in 2017. The couple had two sons: Nicholas Jopling and art dealer
Jay Jopling
Jeremy Michael "Jay" Jopling (born June 1963) is an English art dealer and gallerist. He is the founder of White Cube.
Early life
Jeremy Michael Jopling is the son of Michael Jopling, Michael Jopling, Baron Jopling, a Conservative Party (UK), ...
. Nicholas was active in the Conservative Party, having contested the
Sedgefield
Sedgefield is a market town and civil parish in County Durham, England. It had a population of 4,986 in the 2021 census. It has the only operating racecourse in County Durham.
Etymology
The name ''Sedgefield'' is of Old English origin. It ...
constituency at the
1992 general election, but losing to the future
Labour Party leader and
Prime Minister
A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
,
Tony Blair
Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He was Leader ...
. Nicholas's son Caspar (Jopling's grandson) was married to singer
Ellie Goulding
Elena Jane Goulding ( ; born 30 December 1986) is an English singer, songwriter, and activist. Born in Hereford and raised in Lyonshall, Goulding began writing songs at the age of 15. She released her debut single " Under the Sheets" through ...
from 2019 to 2024.
Jopling is an Honorary member of the
Buck's and
Royal Automobile clubs. He lives at Ainderby Hall in
Thirsk
Thirsk is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England; it is known for its racecourse and depiction as local author James Herriot's fictional Darrowby.
History
Archeological finds indicate there was a settlement in Thirsk aro ...
.
See also
*
Politics of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy which, by legislation and convention, operates as a unitary parliamentary democracy. A hereditary monarch, currently King Charles III, serves as head of state while the Prime Minister of th ...
*
Members of the House of Lords
The following are lists of members of the House of Lords:
* List of current members of the House of Lords
* List of life peerages
* List of excepted hereditary peers
* List of former members of the House of Lords (2000–present)
* List of her ...
*
References
External links
*
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, -
, -
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jopling, Michael
1930 births
Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Conservative Party (UK) life peers
Councillors in North Yorkshire
Cumbria MPs
Deputy lieutenants of North Yorkshire
Living people
Agriculture ministers of the United Kingdom
Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
People educated at Cheltenham College
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
People from Masham
Alumni of King's College, Newcastle
Life peers created by Elizabeth II
National Farmers' Union of England and Wales officials
Michael
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* he He ..., a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name
* Michael (bishop elect)">Michael (surname)">he He ..., a given nam ...