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| Owen Paterson | |
|---|---|
| Name | Owen Paterson |
| Birth date | 24 July 1956 |
| Birth place | Whitchurch, Shropshire, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Politician; businessman; lobbyist |
| Party | Conservative Party |
| Alma mater | Corpus Christi College, Cambridge |
Owen Paterson is a British politician and former cabinet minister who served as Member of Parliament for North Shropshire from 1997 to 2021. A member of the Conservative Party, he held ministerial office in the governments of John Major, David Cameron, and worked closely with figures such as Theresa May and Michael Gove. His career spans roles in business, local government, parliamentary committees, and private sector consultancy.
Born in Whitchurch, Shropshire, he was the son of a dairy farmer family in Shropshire. He was educated at Shrewsbury School and read land economy at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he was active in Cambridge University Conservative Association and contemporaneous societies associated with Cambridge Union. During his youth he had connections with local institutions in West Midlands and regional networks in Herefordshire.
After Cambridge University, he worked in the private sector for consulting and trade organisations linked to agriculture and rural affairs, including posts with trade groups that interfaced with the European Union and agencies in Brussels. He served on Shropshire County Council and engaged with local bodies such as plant breeders' associations and agricultural unions like the National Farmers' Union. His business background involved commercial roles that connected to energy firms and rural businesses in West Midlands and Wales.
He was elected as MP for North Shropshire at the 1997 United Kingdom general election representing the Conservative Party. In Parliament he sat on committees such as the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee and participated in debates on legislation including measures introduced during the administrations of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He worked with fellow MPs across constituencies in Shropshire, collaborated with peers in the House of Commons and engaged with policy figures from No. 10 Downing Street and the Cabinet Office.
He served as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in the government following reshuffles where he worked on issues connected to the Belfast Agreement and relationships with parties such as the Democratic Unionist Party and the Sinn Féin. Later he was appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under David Cameron, overseeing departments that interacted with the European Commission on Common Agricultural Policy and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. He worked alongside ministers including George Osborne and Caroline Spelman and was involved in international dialogues with delegations from France, Germany, and United States agricultural stakeholders.
He became the centre of a high-profile standards investigation by the Committee on Standards in Public Life and the Commons Select Committee on Standards over activities linked to consultancy and lobbying for private companies, including firms in agriculture and energy. The controversy generated statements in the House of Commons, motions tabled by MPs across parties including members of Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats, and led to scrutiny from media outlets such as BBC News and The Guardian. The episode prompted debate about the role of former ministers in lobbying, amendments proposed in the House of Commons and interventions from figures including Sir Alan Haselhurst and former chairs of the Standards Committee.
Throughout his parliamentary tenure he took positions reflecting constituency priorities and party platforms, voting on key measures during the governments of John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, and Theresa May. He was associated with policy stances on agriculture subsidies, environmental regulation, and rural affairs, often aligning with MPs from rural constituencies and interest groups such as the NFU. He voted on major national matters including motions relating to European Union membership and was involved in cross-party working on regional infrastructure projects in West Midlands and Wales.
He is married with children and has residences in Shropshire and London, maintaining links with local institutions like Shrewsbury School and regional charities. His public service has been recognised with parliamentary appointments and he has received honours and commendations from bodies associated with agriculture and rural development. He has been involved with non-governmental organisations and advisory boards interfacing with entities such as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and agricultural research institutes in Cambridge.
Category:1956 births Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs Category:People educated at Shrewsbury School Category:Alumni of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge