Derek Spencer

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Sir Derek Spencer
KC
Solicitor General for England and Wales
In office
15 April 1992 – 2 May 1997
Prime MinisterJohn Major
Preceded byNicholas Lyell
Succeeded byLord Falconer of Thoroton
Member of Parliament
for Brighton Pavilion
In office
9 April 1992 – 8 April 1997
Preceded byJulian Amery
Succeeded byDavid Lepper
Member of Parliament
for Leicester South
In office
9 June 1983 – 18 May 1987
Preceded byJim Marshall
Succeeded byJim Marshall
Personal details
Born (1936-03-31) 31 March 1936 (age 86)
United Kingdom
Political partyConservative
Alma materKeble College, Oxford

Sir Derek Harold Spencer, KC (born 31 March 1936)[1][2] is a British Conservative Party politician.

Education and career[edit]

Born in Clitheroe, Lancashire, he was educated at Clitheroe Royal Grammar School and Keble College, Oxford. He served as a lieutenant in the King's Own Regiment from 1954 to 1956.[3] He became a barrister in 1961 and 'took silk' as a QC in 1980.[4]

He is a Master of the Bench, Gray's Inn.

Political career[edit]

Spencer was elected councillor for the Highgate ward on Camden London Borough council in 1978 and was re-elected in 1982, this time for the Swiss Cottage ward.[5] Spencer resigned from Camden council after he was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Leicester South constituency in the Conservative landslide of 1983,[1] by just 7 votes — the smallest margin in the country. He lost the seat back to Labour in 1987.

He was elected for the marginal Brighton Pavilion seat in 1992,[2] when he was knighted and appointed Solicitor-General.

As Solicitor General, he represented the government in several significant cases including Wingrove v UK (1997) about the application of blasphemy law under the Human Rights Act 1998.

In 1997,[2] however, he was defeated by Labour's David Lepper by 13,181 votes on a 13.5% swing.

Memberships[edit]

  • Ex officio Bar Council, 1992–1997
  • Criminal Bar Association
  • Northern Ireland Bar
  • South Eastern Circuit

Family[edit]

Spencer has three sons (David, Andrew and Frederick) and one daughter (Caroline). His second wife, Caroline, died on 10 January 2003 of a heart attack.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 2)
  2. ^ a b c Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "P" (part 1)
  3. ^ Who's Who 1987 page 1648
  4. ^ "18 Red Lion Court - Biography". Archived from the original on 8 July 2009. Retrieved 8 September 2009.
  5. ^ "Spencer, Sir Derek (Harold), (born 31 March 1936), QC (NI) 1992; a Recorder, 1979–92 and 1998–2001". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U35795. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4. Retrieved 10 August 2022.

External links[edit]

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Leicester South
1983–1987 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Brighton Pavilion
1992–1997 		Succeeded by
Legal offices
Preceded by Solicitor General for England and Wales
1992–1997 		Succeeded by


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