Tony Durant: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|British politician}}

'''Sir Robert Anthony Bevis Durant''', also known as '''Tony Durant''', was a member of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]], and was [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Reading North (UK Parliament constituency)|Reading North]] from 1974–83. After Reading's constituencies were reshuffled, he was Member of Parliament for [[Reading West (UK Parliament constituency)|Reading West]] from 1983–97. He retired from politics prior to the [[United Kingdom general election, 1997|1997 UK General Election]].

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=August 2016}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific_prefix = Sir

| name = Anthony Durant

| honorific_suffix =

| image =

| image_size =

| image_upright =

| caption =

| office1 = [[Vice-Chamberlain of the Household]]

| term_start1 = 20 December 1988

| term_end1 = 25 July 1990

| primeminister1 = [[Margaret Thatcher]]

| predecessor1 = [[Michael Neubert]]

| successor1 = [[David Lightbown]]

| office3 = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]]<br />for [[Reading West (UK Parliament constituency)|Reading West]]<br><small>[[Reading North (UK Parliament constituency)|Reading North]] (1974–1983)</small>

| term_start3 = 28 February 1974

| term_end3 = 1 May 1997

| predecessor3 = Constituency recreated

| successor3 = [[Martin Salter]]

| birth_name = Robert Anthony Bevis Durant

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1928|1|9|df=yes}}

| birth_place =

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2016|2|18|1928|1|9|df=y}}

| death_place =

| party = [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]

| otherparty =

| spouse =

| relations =

| children =

| education =

| alma_mater =

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}}

'''Sir Robert Anthony Bevis Durant''' (9 January 1928 – 18 February 2016), also known as '''Tony Durant''', was a British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] politician.

==Political career==

{{start box}}

Durant stood unsuccessfully for [[Rother Valley (UK Parliament constituency)|Rother Valley]] in the [[1970 United Kingdom general election|1970 general election]]; the seat was retained by [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]'s [[Peter Hardy, Baron Hardy of Wath|Peter Hardy]]. In 1971 Durant supported [[Margaret Thatcher]]'s decision to end free school milk on the grounds that many children did not like it.<ref name="DTO">{{cite news |date=24 February 2016 |title=Sir Anthony Durant, Tory MP – obituary |work=Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/12172083/Sir-Anthony-Durant-Tory-MP-obituary.html |accessdate=25 February 2016}}</ref>

He was the [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Reading North (UK Parliament constituency)|Reading North]] from 1974 to 1983. After Reading's constituencies underwent boundary changes, he was the Member of Parliament for [[Reading West (UK Parliament constituency)|Reading West]] from 1983 to 1997. During his time in the Commons, he acted as a [[Whip (politics)|Whip]]. Announced in the [[1991 New Year Honours]],<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=52382 |date=28 December 1990 |page=1 |supp=y}}</ref> he was [[Knight Bachelor|knighted]] on 14 February 1991.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=52543 |date=28 May 1991 |page=8208}}</ref>

In 1994, he successfully campaigned for the lowering of the homosexual [[age of consent]].<ref name=DTO/> He retired from politics at the [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997 UK general election]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Mr Anthony Durant | url = https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/anthony_durant/reading_west | work = TheyWorkForYou.com | publisher = UK Citizens Online Democracy | accessdate = 22 February 2010}}</ref>

Durant served as president of the [[Kennet and Avon Canal Trust]] and the River Thames Society, chairman of the [[SportsAid|Sports Aid Foundation]]’s southern region, as a governor of the [[British Film Institute]], and a [[Freedom of the City of London|Freeman of the City of London]] and the Watermen and Lightermen’s Company.<ref name="DTO" /><ref>{{cite Hansard |house=House of Commons |title=National Lottery Etc Bill - Report Stage|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/1993-04-28/debates/d2e59ad8-e6bd-4f5d-a76a-8ca91af05426/CommonsChamber# |date=28 April 1993 |column_start=1065 |column_end=1066}}</ref>

==References==

{{Reflist}}

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{{succession box | title=[[Vice-Chamberlain of the Household]] | before=[[Michael Neubert]] | years=1988–19901988 – 1990 | after=[[David Lightbown]]}}

{{s-par|uk}}

{{s-new | constituency}}

{{succession box | title=[[Reading North (UK Parliament constituency)|Member for Reading North]] | before=Constituency created | years=1974–1983 | after=Constituency abolished}}

{{s-ttl

{{succession box | title=[[Reading West (UK Parliament constituency)|Member for Reading West]] | before=Constituency created | years=1983–1997 | after=[[Martin Salter]]}}

{{succession box | title=[[Reading North (UK Parliament constituency)|Member for Reading North]] | before=Constituency created | years=1974–1983 | after=Constituency abolished}}

{{end box}}

| years=1974–1983

}}

{{s-non| reason=Constituency abolished}}

{{s-new | constituency}}

{{s-ttl

{{succession box | title = [[Reading West (UK Parliament constituency)|Member for Reading West]] | before=Constituency created | years=1983–1997 | after=[[Martin Salter]]}}

| years = 1983–1997

}}

{{s-aft | after=[[Martin Salter]]}}

{{s-end box}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Durant, Tony}}

[[Category:UK1928 Conservativebirths|Durant, Party politicians|Robert Anthony Bevis]]

[[Category:2016 deaths|Durant, Robert Anthony Bevis]]

[[Category:MembersConservative ofParty the(UK) UnitedMPs Kingdom Parliament fromfor English constituencies|Durant, Robert Anthony Bevis]]

[[Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Reading|Durant, Robert Anthony Bevis]]

[[Category:People educated at Bryanston School|Durant, Robert Anthony Bevis]]

[[Category:UK MPs 1983–1987|Durant, Robert Anthony Bevis]]

[[Category:UK MPs 1974|Durant, Robert A]]

[[Category:UK MPs 1974–1979|Durant, Robert A]]

[[Category:UK MPs 1979–1983|Durant, Robert A]]

[[Category:UK MPs 1987–1992|Durant, Robert A]]

[[Category:UK MPs 1992–1997|Durant, Robert A]]

[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]

{{England-Conservative-UK-MP-1920s-stub}}

[[Category:Members of the United Kingdom Parliament from English constituencies|Durant, Robert Anthony Bevis]]

[[Category:ReadingGovernors MPs|Durant,of Robertthe AnthonyBritish BevisFilm Institute]]

[[Category:UK Conservative Party politicians|Robert Anthony Bevis]]

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