Editing Archie Hamilton (section)

==Political career==
Hamilton was a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] councillor in [[Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council|Kensington and Chelsea]] from 1968 to 1971.<ref>{{cite web |title=1922 Elections Choses New Chairman (sic) |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250309103801/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/politics97/news/05/0520/tory.shtml |website=[[BBC News]] |access-date=9 March 2025 |archive-url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/politics97/news/05/0520/tory.shtml |archive-date=9 March 2025}}</ref> He initially attempted to enter Parliament for [[Dagenham (UK Parliament constituency)|Dagenham]] at the [[February 1974 United Kingdom general election|February]] and [[October 1974 United Kingdom general election|October 1974 elections]], but was defeated by [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]'s veteran incumbent, [[John Parker (Labour politician)|John Parker]].

He won the seat of [[Epsom and Ewell (UK Parliament constituency)|Epsom and Ewell]] at a [[1978 Epsom and Ewell by-election|1978 by-election]]. He held it until his retirement from Parliament in [[2001 United Kingdom general election|2001]].

During his Parliamentary career he served as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Secretary of State for Energy (1979–81) and Transport (1981–82). From 1982 to 1984, he was Assistant Conservative Whip. In 1984 he became Lord Commissioner to HM Treasury, a position he held until 1986. From 1986 to 1987, Hamilton was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]].

He also served as PPS to Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] (1987–88), Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Armed Forces Minister, 1988–93) and was created a [[Privy Councillor]] in 1991. He was Chairman of the [[1922 Committee]] from 1997 to 2001.

Whilst an MP, he sat on the [[Standards and Privileges Committee]] (regarding Ethics of the Lords and Commons) in 1996. From 1994 to 1997, he also served on the [[Intelligence and Security Committee]].

He was [[Knight Bachelor|knighted]] in 1994.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=53741 |date=22 July 1994 |page=10497}}</ref> On 13 May 2005 it was announced that he would be created a [[life peer]], and the peerage was gazetted on 17 June 2005 as '''Baron Hamilton of Epsom''', of West Anstey in the County of Devon.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=57681 |date=22 June 2005 |page=8113}}</ref>

Since 2015, he has sat on the Joint Committee for the National Security Strategy.

In March 2025 Hamilton told a House of Lords debate on the [[Holocaust Memorial Bill]]: "The Jewish community in Britain has an awful lot of money ... I do not understand why they should not pay for their own memorial." When challenged he told the chamber "the driving forces behind putting up this memorial are the Jewish people in this country. They are people who have property everywhere. I do not see why they should not fund it." After his words were condemned by the [[Antisemitism Policy Trust]] as "ill-judged, racist and false", Hamilton stated he wished to withdraw them and said: "My remarks were not intended to be antisemitic and I apologise unreservedly."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/mar/05/conservative-peer-accused-of-using-antisemitic-tropes-in-lords-debate|title=Conservative peer accused of using antisemitic tropes in Lords debate|first=Peter|last=Walker|date=5 March 2025|work=The Guardian|accessdate=7 March 2025}}</ref>