Editing Greg Knight

{{short description|British Conservative politician}}
{{for|the founder and former chief executive of Welbeck Solutions|Greg Knight (businessman)}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
 | honorific_prefix = [[The Right Honourable]] Sir
 | name             = Greg Knight
 | honorific_suffix = 
 | image            = Greg knight speaks at meeting.jpg
 | image_size       = 
 | alt              = 
 | caption          = Knight in 2009

 | office           = [[Whip (politics)|Junior Government Whip]]<br />[[Vice-Chamberlain of the Household]]
 | term_start       = 4 September 2012
 | term_end         = 7 October 2013
 | primeminister    = [[David Cameron]]
 | predecessor      = [[Mark Francois]]
 | successor        = [[Desmond Swayne]]

| office1 = [[Department of Trade and Industry (United Kingdom)|Minister of State for Industry]]
| term_start1 = 23 July 1996
| term_end1 = 2 May 1997
| primeminister1 = [[John Major]]
| predecessor1 = [[Timothy Eggar]]
| successor1 = [[John Battle (politician)|John Battle]]

| office2 = [[Chief Whip|Government Deputy Chief Whip<br />in the House of Commons]]<br />[[Treasurer of the Household]]
| term_start2 = 7 June 1993
| term_end2 = 23 July 1996
| primeminister2 = [[John Major]]
| predecessor2 = [[David Heathcoat-Amory]]
| successor2 = [[Andrew MacKay (British politician)|Andrew MacKay]]

| office3 = [[Lord Commissioner of the Treasury]]
| primeminister3 = [[Margaret Thatcher]]<br />[[John Major]]
| term_start3 = 25 July 1990
| term_end3 = 27 May 1993
| predecessor3 = [[Michael Fallon]]
| successor3 = [[Andrew MacKay (British politician)|Andrew MacKay]]

| office4 = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] <br /> for [[East Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)|East Yorkshire]]
| predecessor4 = [[John Townend]]
| successor4 = ''Constituency abolished''
| term_start4 = 7 June 2001
| term_end4 = 30 May 2024
| office5 = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] <br /> for [[Derby North]]
| predecessor5 = [[Phillip Whitehead]]
| successor5 = [[Bob Laxton]]
| term_start5 = 9 June 1983
| term_end5 = 8 April 1997
 | birth_name       = Gregory Knight
 | birth_date       = {{Birth date and age|1949|4|4|df=yes}}
 | birth_place      = [[Blaby (district)|Blaby]], [[Leicestershire]], UK
 | death_date       = 
 | death_place      = 
 | nationality      = 
 | party            = [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
 | otherparty       =  
 | height           =  
 | spouse           = Janet Ormond<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.driffieldintouch.com/news/126/ |title=Siedmere event hailed a success – "also enjoying the evening were the Rt Hon Greg Knight, MP, his wife Janet" |publisher=driffieldintouch.com |access-date=9 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110421000243/http://www.driffieldintouch.com/news/126/ |archive-date=21 April 2011  }}</ref>
 | relations        = 
 | children         = 
 | parents          = 
 | relatives        = 
 | education        = 
 | alma_mater       = [[University of Law|The College of Law]]
 | occupation       = 
 | profession       = Solicitor
 | website          = [http://www.gregknight.com/ www.gregknight.com]
}}
'''Sir Gregory Knight''' (born 4 April 1949) is a British politician, author and musician. He served as the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] MP for [[East Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)|East Yorkshire]] from [[2001 United Kingdom general election|2001]] to [[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024]], having previously served as the MP for [[Derby North]] from [[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]] to [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997]].  He also served as a minister in the governments of [[Margaret Thatcher]], [[John Major]] and [[David Cameron]].

==Education and professional life==
Born in [[Blaby (district)|Blaby]], Leicestershire, Knight was educated at [[Alderman Newton's School|Alderman Newton's Grammar School]], [[Leicester]], and the College of Law Guildford, qualifying as a solicitor in 1973.

==Political career==
{{BLP sources section|date=July 2023}}
Knight served as a Leicester City Councillor for Castle Ward and Leicestershire County Councillor for Evington Division from 1976 to 1981.

He was MP for [[Derby North]] from 1983 until the 1997 election, when he lost his seat. He returned to the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] in 2001 after successfully contesting the [[East Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)|East Yorkshire]] seat.

As a backbencher, in the 1980s, he succeeded in amending licensing law in England and Wales by doubling '[[drinking up time]]' on licensed premises from ten to twenty minutes, a concession that was welcomed by the industry and drinkers alike. However the 2003 Licensing Act ended standard permitted hours and provides for an unspecified drinking up time determined by the licensee's discretion.

He is in favour of bringing back [[Capital punishment in the United Kingdom|capital punishment]] and spoke out against the [[apartheid]] government of South Africa during the 1980s.

He was deputy [[Chief Whip]] under [[John Major]] between 1993 and 1996 and [[Minister of State]] for Industry at the [[Department of Trade and Industry (United Kingdom)|Department of Trade and Industry]] from 1996 until the Conservative defeat at the 1997 election. He was made a [[Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council|Privy Councillor]] in 1995, entitling him to the style "Right Honourable".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/privy-council/privy-council-members/privy-counsellors/#k|title=Privy Counsellors|publisher=Privy Council Office|access-date=12 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111221115352/http://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/privy-council/privy-council-members/privy-counsellors/#k|archive-date=21 December 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

He served under [[Michael Howard]] as a shadow minister for Environment and Transport until 2005. In the 2005–10 Parliament, he was chairman of the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] [[Procedure Committee]] and on four other House of Commons select committees: the [[Liaison Committee (House of Commons of the United Kingdom)|Liaison Committee]], [[Administration Committee]], the [[Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons|Committee on Modernisation of the House]] and the [[Standards and Privileges Committee]]. He was re-elected unopposed to the chair of the Procedure Committee in 2010.

In 2009, ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' reported that Knight had claimed £2,600 in expenses for "driveway repairs" at his constituency home, though Knight stated that his cars were kept separately and paid for out of his own pocket.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Jamieson|first1=Alistair|title=Greg Knight: MP's driveway repairs on expenses|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5336317/Greg-Knight-MPs-driveway-repairs-on-expenses.html|access-date=26 March 2015|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=17 May 2009}}</ref>

Knight has successfully piloted two of his Private Members Bills into law. In 2011, he was successful in taking through Parliament the [[Estates of Deceased Persons (Forfeiture Rule and Law of Succession) Act 2011]], a bill to make the distribution of estates fairer.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110304/debtext/110304-0001.htm#11030451000004|title=House of Commons Hansard Debates for 04 Mar 2011 (pt 0001)|work=Hansard|publisher = UK Parliament |access-date=12 May 2015}}</ref>

He rejoined the government in September 2012 as a senior whip and Vice Chamberlain of the Royal Household, a position he held until October 2013.

Knight is a [[Eurosceptic]] and is in favour of [[Brexit]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35616946|title=EU vote: Where the cabinet and other MPs stand|date=22 June 2016|access-date=21 December 2019}}</ref>

In 2018, he introduced his second Private Member's Bill, the Parking (Code of Practice) Bill, which mandates the Government to introduce a statutory code of practice for the operators of private car parks, to require transparency and good practice to ensure that motorists are not treated unreasonably. The bill was passed by Parliament and became an Act in March 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://services.parliament.uk/bills/2017-19/parkingcodeofpractice.html|title=Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019|year=2019|website=www.parliament.uk|access-date=28 March 2019}}</ref>

Knight has argued in Parliament for "[[British Summer Time|double summertime]]", which would see the clocks go forward by two hours during summer.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Williams|first1=Rob|title=Time for debate? Don't forget the clocks go back overnight... but should they?|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/time-for-debate-dont-forget-the-clocks-go-back-overnight-but-should-they-8904258.html|access-date=26 March 2015|work=The Independent|date=26 October 2013}}</ref>

He is Secretary of the [[British American Parliamentary Group]], one of the largest and most active all-party groups at Westminster.
An avid motorist, he is critical of initiatives seen as 'anti-car', such as [[congestion charging]], [[pedestrianisation]] schemes, [[speed humps]] and some '[[park and ride]]' proposals. He is chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Historic Vehicles Group<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historicvehicles.org.uk/|publisher=Parliamentary Historic Vehicles Group|title=Officers|access-date=12 May 2015}}</ref> and successfully called on the Government to exempt historic vehicles from [[MOT test]]s.<ref>[http://gregknight.com/2011/11/knight-welcomes-mot-exemption-review/ GregKnight.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130103045636/http://gregknight.com/2011/11/knight-welcomes-mot-exemption-review/ |date=3 January 2013 }}</ref>

In 2011, he was shortlisted as the 'Industry Champion of the Year' by the International Historic Motoring Awards, for his work in supporting the historic and [[classic car]] movement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://historicmotoringawards.com/categories.php?category=company&page=shortlist|title=Category|work=International Historic Motoring Awards|access-date=12 May 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402195454/http://historicmotoringawards.com/categories.php?category=company&page=shortlist|archive-date=2 April 2015}}</ref>

Knight announced in June 2023 that he would stand down at the [[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024 general election]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Conservative MP Sir Greg Knight to step down at next election |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-66037229 |access-date=28 June 2023 |work=BBC News |date=27 June 2023}}</ref>

==Personal life==
He plays the drums and is a founder member of [[MP4 (band)|MP4]]<ref name="MP4">{{cite web|url=http://mp4theband.co.uk|title=MP4 The Band|work=MP4|access-date=12 May 2015}}</ref>—the world's only parliamentary rock group. The others are fellow former MPs [[Kevin Brennan (politician)|Kevin Brennan]] and [[Ian Cawsey]] and [[Pete Wishart|Peter Wishart]] MP. Whilst he was a Leicester councillor, he co-wrote and played on "It's a Leicester Fiesta" (1979).<ref>{{cite web |title="Song for Belper" |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001gk63 |publisher=BBC |access-date=10 January 2023}}</ref>

He has backed several other artists on the drums in live shows including [[George McCrae]] and [[Fergal Sharkey]]<ref>[http://www.gregknight.com/mp4news.php GregKnight.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110205050819/http://www.gregknight.com/mp4news.php |date=5 February 2011 }}</ref> and, in the studio, he played drums backing [[KT Tunstall]], [[Steve Harley]], [[Ricky Wilson (singer)|Ricky Wilson]] and [[David Gray (British musician)|David Gray]] on the charity single "[[You Can't Always Get What You Want]]" released in December 2016 by [[Chrysalis Records]].<ref>[http://www.gregknight.com/1january2011.php GregKnight.com]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110123014518/http://www.gregknight.com/1january2011.php |date=23 January 2011 }}</ref>

==Honours==
* {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} In 1995, he was sworn in as a member of [[Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council]]. This gave him the [[Honorific|Honorific Title]] "[[The Right Honourable]]" for life.
* {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} In [[2013 Special Honours|October 2013]], he was awarded a [[Knight Bachelor|Knighthood]] for political service. This gave him the [[Honorific|Honorific Title]] "[[Sir]]" for life.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 October 2013 |title=Knighthoods conferred: Greg Knight MP and John Randall MP |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/knighthoods-conferred-greg-knight-mp-and-john-randall-mp |access-date=12 May 2015 |website=GOV.UK}}</ref>

==Publications==
*''Westminster Words'' (1988), published by Buchan and Enright
*''Honourable Insults'' (1990), published by Robson Books
*''Parliamentary Sauce'' (1993), published by Robson Books
*''Right Honourable Insults'' (1998), published by Chrysalis Books
*''Naughty Graffiti'' (2005), published by Anova Books
*''Dishonourable Insults'' (2011), published by The Robson Press ({{ISBN|9781849541619}})

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.gregknight.com gregknight.com]
* {{UK MP links | parliament = sir-greg-knight/1200 |hansardcurr = 1343 | hansard = mr-greg-knight | publicwhip = greg_knight | theywork = greg_knight}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|uk}}
{{s-bef |before=[[Phillip Whitehead]]}}
{{s-ttl |title=Member of Parliament for [[Derby North]] |years=[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]–[[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997]]}}
{{s-aft |after=[[Bob Laxton]]}}
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{{s-ttl |title=Member of Parliament for [[East Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)|East Yorkshire]] |years=[[2001 United Kingdom general election|2001]]–[[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024]]}}
{{s-non | reason = Constituency abolished}}

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{{s-ttl|title=[[Chief Whip of the Conservative Party|Conservative Deputy Chief Whip]] in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]]|years=1993–1996}}
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{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Knight, Gregory}}
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:People from Blaby]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1983–1987]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1987–1992]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1992–1997]]
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[[Category:Politics of the East Riding of Yorkshire]]
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[[Category:People educated at Alderman Newton's School, Leicester]]
[[Category:Treasurers of the Household]]
[[Category:Conservative Party (UK) councillors]]
[[Category:Councillors in Leicestershire]]
[[Category:English knights]]
[[Category:British Eurosceptics]]