Peter Luff

For the campaigner of the same name, see Peter Luff (campaigner).
Sir Peter Luff
Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology
In office
25 May 2010 – 4 September 2012
Prime Minister David Cameron
Preceded by Quentin Davies
Succeeded by Philip Dunne
Member of Parliament
for Mid Worcestershire
In office
1 May 1997 – 30 March 2015
Preceded by Eric Forth
Succeeded by Nigel Huddleston
Member of Parliament
for Worcester
In office
9 April 1992 – 1 May 1997
Preceded by Peter Walker
Succeeded by Michael Foster
Personal details
Born (1955-02-18) 18 February 1955
Windsor, Berkshire, England
Nationality English
Political party Conservative
Spouse(s) Julia Jenks
Alma mater Corpus Christi College, Cambridge

Sir Peter James Luff (born 18 February 1955) is a British Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mid Worcestershire from 1997 to 2015, for Worcester from 1992 until 1997. He was a Defence minister from 2010-2012.

Early life

Peter Luff was born in the Berkshire town of Windsor and attended the local Windsor Grammar School (now the comprehensive Windsor Boys' School) on Maidenhead Road. He studied at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, receiving a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Economics in 1976; as per tradition, his BA was promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Cantab) degree.

Before entering parliament he worked for three years from 1977 as a research assistant to the Conservative MP Peter Walker, before heading up Edward Heath's private office for two years from 1980. He became the managing director of Good Relations Ltd, a public affairs company in 1982. In 1987 he became a special adviser to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, David Young. He became a senior consultant for Lowe Bell Communications (now Bell Pottinger Communications) in 1989, before again working for Good Relations from 1990.

Parliamentary career

He contested Holborn and St Pancras at the 1987 general election, but was comfortably beaten by the sitting Labour MP, Frank Dobson. He was first elected to Parliament for Worcester, when he succeeded his former boss, Peter Walker. Following changes in the parliamentary constituency boundaries he was selected for the new Mid Worcestershire constituency, comprising large areas of three old constituencies, defeating another sitting Conservative MP, Eric Forth for the nomination. He won the seat comfortably and has been a member of the House of Commons since 1992, although since 1997 he has held the safe seat of Mid Worcestershire.

In Parliament he was appointed a Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) in 1993 to the energy minister Tim Eggar, from 1996 he served as PPS to both Ann Widdecombe the prisons minister at the Home Office and Lord Mackay the Lord Chancellor, he held these two positions simultaneously until the defeat of the Conservative government at the 1997 general election. He has served on many parliamentary select committees including chairing the Agriculture (1997–2000), and from 2005 to 2010 he chaired the what was successively known as the Trade and Industry Committee; the Business and Enterprise Select Committee; and the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee.

He is the founder member of the Parliamentary Hunting with Hounds Middle Way Group,[1] and takes a keen parliamentary interest in India.

In the resulting Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition of May 2010, Luff was appointed as a junior Defence minister at the Ministry of Defence, with the post of Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology.[2]

In the 2015 general election, Luff stood down as a candidate. Nigel Huddleston was chosen to be the new Conservative Party candidate for Mid Worcestershire.

Luff was knighted in the 2014 New Year Honours for political and public service.[3]

Personal life

He married Julia Jenks in 1982. They have a son and daughter.

References

  1. ↑ Middle Way Group
  2. ↑ Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology - Peter Luff MP
  3. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 60728. p. 1. 31 December 2013.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Peter Walker		 Member of Parliament for Worcester
1992–1997 		Succeeded by
Michael Foster
New constituency Member of Parliament for Mid Worcestershire
1997–2015 		Succeeded by
Nigel Huddleston
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