Peter Viggers

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Sir Peter John Viggers (13 March 1938 – 19 March 2020) was a British Conservative politician and lawyer who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Gosport for 36 years, from 1974 to 2010. He stepped down as a result of the investigation of MPs' expenses.

Early lifeEdit

Born in Gosport, Hampshire, he was the son of John Sidney Viggers. He was educated at Alverstoke School and Portsmouth Grammar School, a public school in Portsmouth. He studied at Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge, receiving an MA in History and Law in 1961. He qualified from the College of Law in Guildford in 1967. He became a solicitor in 1967.

CareerEdit

Military serviceEdit

As part of National Service, Viggers was commissioned into the Royal Air Force on 8 January 1957 as an acting pilot officer.<ref name="LG 1 March 1957">Template:London Gazette</ref> He was regraded to pilot officer on 8 January 1958,<ref name="LG 31 January 1958">Template:London Gazette</ref> and promoted to flying officer on 18 May 1958.<ref name="LG 31 July 1959">Template:London Gazette</ref> On 20 April 1958, he was transferred to the Reserve (national service list), ending his active service.<ref name="LG 18 July 1958">Template:London Gazette</ref> He relinquished his commission in the Royal Air Force on 20 July 1963.<ref name="LG 18 October 1963">Template:London Gazette</ref>

He then joined the Royal Artillery, Territorial Army, on 20 July 1963 as a lieutenant.<ref name="LG 8 October 1963">Template:London Gazette</ref> He was given seniority in that rank from 20 July 1960.<ref name="LG 6 December 1963">Template:London Gazette</ref> He was made acting captain on 13 January 1965 before being promoted to that rank on 13 March 1965.<ref name="LG 9 March 1965">Template:London Gazette</ref> On 1 April 1967, he transferred to the Wessex Brigade, Territorial Army.<ref name="LG 21 July 1967">Template:London Gazette</ref> At his request, he also reverted to the rank of lieutenant and was given seniority in that rank from 18 September 1960.<ref name="LG 21 July 1967" /> He resigned from his commission on 31 March 1969, ending his military career.<ref name="LG 18 April 1969">Template:London Gazette</ref>

PoliticsEdit

Viggers was Member of Parliament for Gosport and lived just a few miles from where he was born. He was first elected in February 1974 and served as industry minister for Northern Ireland under Margaret Thatcher from 1986 to 1989. He left the ministry in 1989 and returned to the backbenches.

In 2002, he made headlines by suggesting that the European Union adopt a "single European language" to cut down on translation costs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Duck island scandalEdit

On 21 May 2009, The Daily Telegraph reported on Viggers' claims as part of its investigation of MPs' expenses, which it said showed Viggers was paid more than £30,000 for gardening expenses over three years. The paper noted in particular that Viggers had attempted to claim for a "pond feature" worth £1,645, which was identified as a "floating duck island". However, it was unclear whether he had been reimbursed as an official had written "not allowable" next to it.<ref name="Telegraph gardening">Template:Cite news</ref> On hearing the details of the story the Telegraph intended to run, Viggers announced late the previous night "at the direct request" of party leader David Cameron his intention to stand down at the next election.<ref name="Standing down">Template:Cite news</ref> He also stood down from his role as spokesman for the Speaker's Committee answering Parliamentary Questions for the Electoral Commission. On his website, however, he said about expenses: "Personally, I have of course always scrupulously observed the rules".<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>

The floating duck house, a symbol of the expenses scandal, was later sold at auction. It raised £1,700, handed over to the Macmillan Cancer charity.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The claim was later referenced in the name of the 2013 farcical political satire The Duck House<ref name="MP">Template:Cite news</ref> based on the UK parliamentary expenses scandal.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

HonoursEdit

Viggers was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours 'for services to Parliament'.<ref name="LG 14 June 2008">Template:London Gazette</ref> He was knighted in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on 14 October 2008 by Queen Elizabeth II.<ref name="LG 18 August 2009">Template:London Gazette</ref>

Business interestsEdit

From 1970 to 1979, Viggers was chairman and director of banking, oil, hotels, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and venture capital companies.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was the chairman of Calgary-based Tracer Petroleum Corporation from 1996 to 1998, and of Lloyd's Pension Fund from 1996. He was a director of Jakarta-based Emerald Energy plc from April 1998 to 2003.

Personal lifeEdit

Viggers was a vice-patron of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. He was also an honorary treasurer of the America All Party Parliamentary Group. He was chairman of governors at St Vincent College for four years.

In 1993, Viggers nearly drowned after being thrown into the English Channel, without a life jacket, in a yacht race in gale force winds. He credited his survival to "closing my eyes and thinking of John Major".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

He died on 19 March 2020 at the age of 82.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

External linksEdit

Official site
Template:UK MP links
Gosport Conservatives
Peter Viggers: Electoral history and profile The Guardian biography
BBC Politics page Template:Dead link
The MiP files: Checking out Big Brother! CBBC Newsround

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