Nicholas Soames
Arthur Nicholas Winston Soames, Baron Soames of Fletching, PC (born 12 February 1948), is a British Conservative Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mid Sussex from 1997 to 2019, having previously served as the MP for Crawley from 1983 to 1997.
The Lord Soames of Fletching | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2017 | |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Defence | |
| In office 6 November 2003 – 10 May 2005 | |
| Leader | Michael Howard |
| Preceded by | Bernard Jenkin |
| Succeeded by | The Marquess of Lothian |
| Minister of State for the Armed Forces | |
| In office 20 July 1994 – 2 May 1997 | |
| Prime Minister | John Major |
| Preceded by | Jeremy Hanley |
| Succeeded by | John Reid |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food | |
| In office 14 April 1992 – 20 July 1994 | |
| Prime Minister | John Major |
| Preceded by | David MacLean |
| Succeeded by | Angela Browning |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal | |
| Assumed office 28 October 2022 Life peerage | |
| Member of Parliament for Mid Sussex | |
| In office 1 May 1997 – 6 November 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Tim Renton |
| Succeeded by | Mims Davies |
| Member of Parliament for Crawley | |
| In office 9 June 1983 – 8 April 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Peter Hordern (Horsham and Crawley) |
| Succeeded by | Laura Moffatt |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Arthur Nicholas Winston Soames 12 February 1948 Croydon, Surrey, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouses | Catherine Weatherall
(m. 1981; div. 1988)Serena Smith
(m. 1993) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Christopher Soames Mary Churchill |
| Relatives | Winston Churchill (grandfather) Emma Soames (sister) Rupert Soames (brother) |
| Education | Eton College |
| Alma mater | Mons Officer Cadet School |
| Website | Official website |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch/service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1967–1975 |
| Rank | Second lieutenant |
| Unit | 11th Hussars Royal Hussars |
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Soames was Minister of State for the Armed Forces from 1994 to 1997 in the government of John Major. He had the whip removed on 3 September 2019, for voting against the government, before it was restored on 29 October. His main political interests are defence, international relations, rural affairs and industry. He is a grandson of former prime minister Winston Churchill.
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