Robin Turton, Baron Tranmire

Biography

The son of Major R B Turton of Kildale Hall, Kildale, North Yorkshire, Turton was educated at Eton College and at Balliol College, Oxford. He was called to the Bar by the Inner Temple in 1926.

Turton joined the 4th Battalion of the Green Howards at the outbreak of World War II and served as Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General 50th (N) Division, AAG GHQ MEF. He was awarded the Military Cross in 1942.

Parliamentary career

At the 1929 general election, Turton was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Thirsk and Malton, a seat which he held continuously until his retirement from the House of Commons at the February 1974 general election. Turton was Father of the House from 1965 to 1974. He attributed his election as an MP at the unusually young age of 25 to the death of his predecessor and kinsman Sir Edmund Turton, 1st Baronet three weeks before polling day and the local Conservative association not wanting to waste its "Vote For Turton" posters.

Turton held ministerial office as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Insurance from 1951 to 1953, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance from 1953 to 1954, and as Joint Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs from October 1954 to December 1955. From December 1955 to January 1957 Turton served in Sir Anthony Eden's Ministry as Minister of Health, a post then outside of the Cabinet but of Cabinet rank, and was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1955.

In Parliament Turton was Chairman of the Select Committee on Procedure from 1970 to 1974. He was opposed to British membership of the EEC.

Honours

Turton was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 1971 Birthday Honours and on 9 May 1974, he was created a Life Peer as Baron Tranmire, of Upsall in the North Riding of Yorkshire.

He was appointed as Justice of the Peace in 1936 and a Deputy Lieutenant for the North Riding of Yorkshire in 1962.