Tributes to Lord Peyton, long-serving former MP (From Chard & Ilminster News)
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Tributes to Lord Peyton, long-serving former MP
8:12am Monday 4th December 2006 in Chard By News reporter
LORD Peyton 1919-2006
TRIBUTES have been paid to Lord Peyton, who represented Chard, Ilminster and Crewkerne in Parliament for 32 years.
John Peyton was Conservative MP for Yeovil Constituency from 1951 to 1983, and was a member of the House of Lords from 1983 until he died, on November 22 at the age of 87.
He was the longest serving Yeovil MP and held high profile Government positions including Minister of Transport.
This week, Yeovil MP David Laws said: "I am very sad indeed to hear of the death of Lord Peyton.
"Not only was John Peyton a very long serving parliamentarian but he fought for this country in the armed forces in the Second World War, and he was Minister for Transport in Edward Heath's Government.
"Although John and I were from different political parties, he and his wife Mary have always been unfailingly courteous and helpful to me.
"John had an impish sense of humour, a strongly independent streak and a rich store of anecdotes about political life dating back to the era of Winston Churchill.
"There can be few people in our history who have represented their communities for so long in Parliament, and this record of service deserves both our recognition and thanks."
Lord Peyton was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Oxford, and became a barrister, being called to the Bar in June 1945.
He served with the 15/19 Hussars during the Second World War, spending five years in a German prisoner-of-war camp.
In 1947 he married Diana Clinch but the marriage was dissolved in 1966. In the same year, he married Mary Cobbold.
In 1975, he sought to become leader of the Conservative Party. But he only gained 11 votes in the election, which Margaret Thatcher won.
He stood down from the House of Commons at the 1983 General Election. Yeovil was won by Paddy Ashdown for the Liberal Party. Peyton was made a life peer as Baron Peyton of Yeovil, in the same year.
