Sir Julian Michael Shersby (17 February 1933 – 8 May 1997) was a British Conservative Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Uxbridge from 1972 until his death.
Early life
Shersby was born to William and Elinor Shersby (Nora, née Fuller) at their home 9 Court Road, Ickenham (a Greater London area later in his seat in the House of Commons) on 17 February 1933. Christened Julian Michael, he was known primarily as Michael by the age of ten. He had siblings: Dick (also known as Harold), Marjorie and Brian Shersby. His father advanced in the Port of London Authority to be a manager. and The John Lyon School, in Harrow. Shersby left school at 15, in 1948 starting work as a messenger in the City of London. He lived with family in Ickenham until at 25 he married Barbara Barrow of West Drayton and they moved to London. He qualified as a trained Conservative party agent during the 1950s and worked in that capacity during his early 20s before joining the industrial film industry between 1958 and 1966. Between 1966 and 1988 he was Director General of the British Sugar Bureau, the industry's trade association.
Career
Shersby's career as an elected political representative began in 1959 when he was first elected as a borough councillor on Paddington Borough Council for Maida Vale North ward and he then continued to serve for the Maida Vale ward of Westminster City Council from 1964 to 1970 after Paddington was subsumed into the new larger unitary council's area. He served as deputy lord mayor on Westminster City Council from 1967 to 1968.
On 7 December 1972, Shersby was elected to Parliament at a by-election triggered by the death of Uxbridge MP Charles Curran, who had re-taken the seat for the Conservatives from Labour's John Ryan in the 1970 general election. Shersby was not expected to win the by-election, as it was considered a marginal seat; and was knighted in 1995 for his longstanding years of service in Parliament.
Private members' bills
Since at least 1920s he holds a record as the parliamentarian who has introduced the most of their own tabled bills (eight) to become law.
;Resulting Acts
- Town and Country Amenities Act 1974
- Parks Regulation (Amendment) Act 1974
- Stock Exchange (Completion of Bargains) Act 1975–76
- Gaming (Amendment) Act 1979–80
- Copyright Act 1956 (Amendment) Act 1981–82
- British Nationality (Falkland Islands) 1982–83
- Firearms (Amendment) 1993–94
- Pharmacists (Fitness To Practice) Act 1996–97
Hillsborough disaster
As Parliamenty Adviser to the Police Federation, Shersby was invited to assist in the development of a ‘counter attack’ to ‘repudiate’ Lord Justice Taylor's Interim Report, which had condemned the evidence and testimony of senior police officers and rejected as exaggerated the allegations made against Liverpool fans. Taylor LJ stated categorically that fans’ behaviour played no part in the disaster. The Police Federation considered the Interim Report unfair and unbalanced.
Personal life and death
thumb|upright|Shersby's grave
Shersby married Barbara Barrow in 1958, and they had two children, Julian and Lucy.