Michael McNair-Wilson


Sir Robert Michael Conal McNair-Wilson was a British Conservative Party politician and a Member of Parliament.

Early life

McNair-Wilson was born on 12 October 1930. He attended Eton College before joining the Royal Irish Fusiliers through national service. He then worked for a period at the BBC in Northern Ireland.

Career

McNair-Wilson contested the seat of Lincoln in 1964, but was beaten by Labour's Dick Taverne.
In 1969 he stood as the Conservative candidate in the Walthamstow East by-election, defeating the Labour candidate, Colin Phipps. He held the seat until 1974, when it was abolished and replaced by the new Walthamstow constituency.
In the February 1974 general election he won the Conservative safe seat of Newbury where he remained as MP for 18 years before standing down before the 1992 general election.

Personal life

His brother Patrick McNair-Wilson, who had been Conservative MP for Lewisham West from 1964 to 1966, was also a by-election winner, returning to Parliament in 1968 for the New Forest constituency.
McNair-Wilson married Deidre Granville in 1974. His daughter Laura was elected the MP for Newbury at the 2019 general election, 27 years after he last represented the seat.
McNair-Wilson contracted kidney disease in 1984. He died on 28 March 1993 in Bucklebury, Berkshire.