James Spicer

Who is James Spicer?

Sir James Wilton Spicer, known as Jim Spicer, is a British Conservative politician.

Spicer was Member of Parliament for West Dorset from February 1974 until he retired at the 1997 general election, when he was succeeded by Oliver Letwin. He was a vice-chairman of the Conservative Party, and was also an Member of the European Parliament from 1975 to 1984, representing Wessex from 1979 until 1984.

At 14 he was an air raid messenger in London during the Blitz. At 15 he was in a Commando Section of his local Home Guard. Whilst at 16 he worked as a labourer in a scrap metal yard, before joining the army. Commissioned at 18, he served in North West Europe during the remainder of the Second World War and thereafter in Egypt, Kenya, Cyprus and finally in 1956, with the Parachute Regiment in the ill-fated attack on Port Said.

He resigned his commission and moved with his wife, Winfy, to Beaminster, where they farmed. Politics became a consuming interest; and in 1974, he became the MP for his own Constituency of West Dorset.