Charles Morrison - Career

Career

In 1958, Morrison became a member of Wiltshire County Council and chaired its Education Committee in 1963-1964. He entered Parliament in May 1964 at a by-election in the Devizes constituency which followed the death of Percivall Pott, holding the seat for the Conservatives against all opinion poll forecasts and against the trend in three other by-elections held on the same day. This was put down to his being well-known, popular and active in the constituency. His campaign had the support of Ian Fleming, a relation by marriage of Morrison's wife Sara, who wrote an article called To Westminster with Love beginning with the words "Charles Morrison - Licensed to Kill."

Soon after his election to parliament, Morrison supported Ted Heath's bid for the party leadership and went on to serve as shadow minister for sport. However, when his party returned to power under Heath in 1970, Morrison failed to be given a job in the new government. In 1966, Morrison bought Fyfield Manor near Pewsey in Wiltshire from the former Prime Minister Anthony Eden. As a landowner and Conservative Party MP his moderate views did not find favour with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. He continued as MP for Devizes until his retirement in 1992, when he was succeeded by Michael Ancram. He was knighted in 1988.

Read more about this topic:  Charles Morrison

Famous quotes containing the word career:

    Like the old soldier of the ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Goodbye.
    Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964)

    I’ve been in the twilight of my career longer than most people have had their career.
    Martina Navratilova (b. 1956)

    The problem, thus, is not whether or not women are to combine marriage and motherhood with work or career but how they are to do so—concomitantly in a two-role continuous pattern or sequentially in a pattern involving job or career discontinuities.
    Jessie Bernard (20th century)