Editing Harvey Proctor (section)

== Early life and career ==
{{BLP sources section|date=November 2022}}
Harvey Proctor was born in [[Pontefract]] in the [[West Riding of Yorkshire]], going to the [[Graham School (Scarborough, England)|Scarborough High School for Boys]] and then the [[University of York]] where he read history. He had joined the [[Young Conservatives (UK)|Young Conservatives]] at the age of 14 in 1961, and was chairman of [[University of York Conservative and Unionist Association|York University Conservative Association]] from 1967 to 1969.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Payne |first=Samantha |date=3 March 2015 |title=Who is Harvey Proctor? Disgraced 'spanking' MP who denies further 'rent-boy' allegations |url=https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/who-harvey-proctor-disgraced-spanking-mp-who-denies-further-rent-boy-allegations-1490646 |access-date=11 November 2022 |website=International Business Times UK}}</ref> In the summer of 1967, while chairman-elect of the association, he was invited to produce a number of half-hour political programmes for broadcast on offshore [[Radio 270]], which included interviews with MPs [[John Biggs-Davison]] and [[Patrick Wall]].

Proctor became an active member of the [[Conservative Monday Club|Monday Club]]. He was the club's assistant director from 1969 to 1971, and a member of its executive council from 1983 until he stood down as an MP in 1987.<ref name = BBC/>

In 1972, Proctor, then working as a researcher for anti-[[European Economic Community|Common Market]] Conservative MPs who tried to stop Britain entering the [[European Communities]] (EC), had been adopted as candidate for [[Hackney South and Shoreditch (UK Parliament constituency)|Hackney South and Shoreditch]]. He fought the seat at both the [[February 1974 United Kingdom general election|February]] and [[October 1974 United Kingdom general election|October]] general elections of 1974.