William van Straubenzee

Who was William van Straubenzee?

Sir William Radcliffe van Straubenzee, MBE was a British Conservative Party politician.

Van Straubenzee was educated at Westminster School and served in the Royal Artillery 1942-47, including two years in the Far East. He became a solicitor in 1952 and a partner in a law firm. He was a governor of the conservative Ashridge think tank until 1954 and national chairman of the Young Conservatives 1951-53. Having been awarded an MBE for political services in 1954, he served as a councillor of Richmond Borough Council 1955-58.

Van Straubenzee contested Clapham in 1955. He was Member of Parliament for Wokingham from 1959 to 1987, when he retired and was succeeded by John Redwood. He served in Edward Heath's government as junior minister for Education and Science from 1970 to 1972, and Northern Ireland minister from 1972 to 1974.

He was a keen churchman and served as Second Church Estates Commissioner from 1979 to 1987.