Editing Howard Flight (section)

== Political career ==
Flight stood unsuccessfully for Parliament for [[Bermondsey (UK Parliament constituency)|Bermondsey]] in the [[February 1974 United Kingdom general election|February]] and [[October 1974 United Kingdom general election|October 1974 general elections]].

He resigned as Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party on 24 March 2005, following comments made at a [[Conservative Way Forward]] meeting that was being secretly recorded. In the meeting he stated that the Conservatives in office could make more spending cuts than they were promising in their campaign (including in their [[manifesto]]) before the general election. Conservative leader [[Michael Howard]] that month<ref name=hol/> withdrew the party whip, and announced that Flight was no longer an approved candidate and could not contest the Arundel and South Downs seat as a Conservative party candidate at the [[2005 United Kingdom general election|2005 general election]]. Flight refused to accept this, maintaining that only his constituency Conservative Association had the power to deselect its candidate. On 29 March 2005 he announced that he had an opinion from a [[Queen's Counsel]] (an eminent [[barrister]]) confirming this view. The Arundel and South Downs Conservative Association initially refused to seek a new candidate, but it reversed its position when [[Conservative Central Office]] threatened it with the "[[Slough (UK Parliament constituency)|Slough]] treatment", referring to the suspension of that association for refusing to deselect Adrian Hilton. Amid speculation, Flight confirmed that he would not stand as an [[Independent politician|independent]] and would not oppose any decision by the Association to deselect him.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4386439.stm Flight fight to save career], [[BBC News]], 28 March 2005</ref>

=== Elections ===
On 6 April, Flight was deselected as a Conservative candidate by then-party leader [[Michael Howard]], and removed from his role as party deputy chairman,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2005/apr/06/election2005.uk7|title=Flight gives up the fight|last=Happold|first=Tom|date=6 April 2005|website=The Guardian|access-date=7 June 2016}}</ref> and his party began the process of selecting a new last-minute candidate. [[Anne Marie Morris]], [[Laura Sandys]], and [[Nick Herbert]] put themselves forward for nomination as replacement candidates. The chosen candidate, Nick Herbert, won the seat at the election.

Some years later, after a change of party leader, Flight was placed on the [[Conservative A-List|A-List]] of Conservative Party candidates available to fight the 2010 general election,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://conservativehome.blogs.com/goldlist/2006/05/as_promised_thi.html|title=Who is on the A-list?|website=Conservativehome.blogs.com|access-date=1 November 2021}}</ref> but in the event he was one of minority on that list not selected as a candidate in [[open primaries]] and/or with party recommendation. On 19 November 2010, it was announced that Flight was to be created a [[life peer]] and would sit as a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] in the [[House of Lords]].<ref>[http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/latest-news/2010/11/peerages-honours-and-appointments-2-57256 Peerages honours and appointments] at number10.gov.uk</ref> His full title, created 13 January 2011, is '''Baron Flight''', of [[Worcester, England|Worcester]] in the [[Worcestershire|County of Worcestershire]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=59676 |date=20 January 2011 |page=869}}</ref>

On 25 November 2010, a week after the announcement of his intended peerage, Flight apologised after suggesting that the government's changes to child benefits would "discourage the middle classes from breeding, but for those on benefits there is every incentive".<ref>{{cite news|last=Walker|first=Peter|title=Tory peer Howard Flight apologises over poor people 'breeding' comments|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/nov/25/howard-flight-rebuked-no-10-poor-people-breeding|access-date=25 November 2010|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=25 November 2010}}</ref>

=== Peerage received and other roles===
Flight was raised to the peerage in January 2011.  He is a director of companies, including [[Investec]], a venture capital company, his own private equity company, and is chairman of the Entrepreneurs Investment Scheme (EIS) Association of lawyers and accountants, a trustee and Vice President of the [[Edward Elgar|Elgar Foundation]], a Member of the Advisory Boards of the [[Centre for Policy Studies]], [[Institute of Economic Affairs]] and [[Financial Services Forum]].<ref name=hol/>