Peter Temple-Morris, Baron Temple-Morris (12 February 1938 – 1 May 2018) was a British politician. He was elected as the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Leominster in 1974; he stood down in 2001 after changing parties. He sat in the House of Lords as a Labour peer.

Early life

Born in Cardiff, Temple-Morris attended Llandaff Cathedral School and Hillstone School (Malvern College's preparatory school) in Malvern, then Malvern College. He went to St Catharine's College, Cambridge, gaining a BA in Law in 1958. He became a barrister, like his father, from 1962 at the Inner Temple, practising until 1989. Speaking after his resignation, the MP told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I'm not surprised in all the circumstances and not a little bit relieved in view of the unhappy state of politics of the Conservative Party for some years now."

The BBC reported that Conservative leader William Hague's action would be seen as an attempt to deflect attention from disappointing by-election results in Winchester and in Beckenham. As for Temple-Morris, his disaffection toward his old party grew due to their hard-line stance on the euro. He sat in the House of Lords as a Labour peer.

Outside politics, Temple-Morris was appointed Chairman of the Macleod Group, an association of left-of-centre Conservative MPs, in 1979. In 1995, he became President of the British-Iranian Business Association Society.

Temple-Morris contributed to the book What next for Labour? Ideas for a new generation in September 2011, his piece being entitled "Labour: Progressive Politics".

Personal life

Temple-Morris's father, Owen Temple-Morris, was also a Conservative MP.

Temple-Morris married Taheré Khozeimé-Alam (the daughter of Amir-Hossein Khozeimé Alam of Dezashib, Tehran, who fled to London from Iran in 1979) in 1964 in London. The couple had two sons and two daughters. Lady Temple-Morris died in , aged 86.

When he was an MP, Temple-Morris was known for his love of shooting, wine and food.

References

  • Lord Temple-Morris - UK Parliament
  • They Work For You