Fred Silvester

{{Short description|British politician (1933–2025)}} {{For|the organist and composer|Frederick C. Silvester}} {{Use British English|date=July 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}} {{Sources|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Fred Silvester | spouse = Victoria Silvester | children = 2 | image = | alt = | caption = | office = Member of Parliament | constituency = Manchester Withington | term_start = 28 February 1974 | term_end = 18 May 1987 | predecessor = Robert Cary | successor = Keith Bradley | term_start1 = 21 September 1967 | term_end1 = 29 May 1970 | predecessor1 = Edward Redhead | successor1 = Eric Deakins | constituency1 = Walthamstow West | birth_name = Frederick John Silvester | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1933|9|20}} | birth_place = Hackney, London, England | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2025|7|5|1933|9|20}} | death_place = | party = Conservative }}

'''Frederick John Silvester''' (20 September 1933 – 5 July 2025) was a British Conservative Party politician.

==Life and career== The son of William Thomas Silvester and Kathleen Gertrude (née Jones), Silvester was born in Hackney, London on 20 September 1933.<ref name="rayment-w1">{{cite web |url=http://www.leighrayment.com/commons/Wcommons1.htm |title=Historical list of MPs: constituencies beginning with "W", part 1 |work=Leigh Rayment's House of Commons pages |accessdate=4 January 2010 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101231174248/http://www.leighrayment.com/commons/Wcommons1.htm |archive-date=31 December 2010 }}</ref><ref name="Times">{{cite news |title=Fred Silvester obituary: Tory MP and advertising executive |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/obituaries/article/fred-silvester-obituary-tory-mp-and-advertising-executive-62qjtdnll |access-date=15 September 2025 |publisher=The Times |date=15 September 2025}}</ref> He was educated at Sir George Monoux Grammar School, Walthamstow, and Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, where he achieved a first class in Part I of the history tripos and a lower second in Part II of the law tripos, graduating in 1954.<ref>'Tripos Results at Cambridge', ''The Times Educational Supplement'', 26 June 1953, p. 586.</ref><ref>"Examinations at Cambridge", ''The Times'', 23 June 1954, p. 4.</ref><ref name="WW">{{Who's Who | title = SILVESTER, Frederick John | id = U34865 | volume = 2024 | edition = online}}</ref> He was called to the bar at Gray's Inn in 1957, and became a Conservative member of Walthamstow Borough Council four years later.<ref name="WW"/> Having contested the Walthamstow West parliamentary constituency in 1966, Silvester was elected a Member of Parliament (MP) at the Walthamstow West by-election in 1967,<ref name="rayment-w1" /> but lost the seat at the 1970 general election.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge70/i20.htm |title=UK General Election results 1970 |work=Richard Kimber's political science resources |access-date=4 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150616093601/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge70/i20.htm |archive-date=16 June 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was returned to Parliament at the February 1974 general election as MP for Manchester Withington,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge74a/i14.htm |title=UK General Election results February 1974 |work=Richard Kimber's political science resources |accessdate=4 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150127050731/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge74a/i14.htm |archive-date=27 January 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and held that seat<ref name="rayment-w4">{{cite web |url=http://www.leighrayment.com/commons/Wcommons4.htm |title=Historical list of MPs: constituencies beginning with "W", part 4 |work=Leigh Rayment's House of Commons pages |accessdate=4 January 2010 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090810231735/http://www.leighrayment.com/commons/Wcommons4.htm |archive-date=10 August 2009 }}</ref> but he was defeated at the 1987 general election by Labour's Keith Bradley.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge87/i14.htm |title=UK General Election results 1987 |work=Richard Kimber's political science resources |accessdate=4 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924122000/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge87/i14.htm |archive-date=24 September 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

As an Opposition Whip during Harold Wilson's second government (1974–76),<ref name="WW"/> Silvester is a major character in James Graham's play ''This House''.{{cn|date=July 2025}}

Silvester died on 5 July 2025, at the age of 91.<ref>{{cite news |work=The Times |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/0ce21cb0-a3c9-4aca-bcb4-124144d57a65 |url-access=subscription |access-date=17 July 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250717085726/https://www.thetimes.com/article/0ce21cb0-a3c9-4aca-bcb4-124144d57a65 |archive-date=17 July 2025 |date=17 July 2025 |quote=SILVESTER Frederick John died peacefully on 5th July 2025, aged 91. Much-loved husband of Victoria, father of Jessica and Lucy, and grandfather of James, Charlotte, Thomas and Katie. Private family cremation. Thanksgiving service at Southwark Cathedral, London Bridge, London SE1 9DA, on Thursday 28th August at noon. |title=Births, marriages and deaths: July 17, 2025}}</ref><ref name="Times"/>

== References == {{Reflist}}

==Sources== * ''The Times Guide to the House of Commons'', Times Newspapers Ltd, 1966 & 1987

== External links == * {{Hansard-contribs | mr-fred-silvester| Fred Silvester }}

{{S-start}} {{S-par|uk}} {{Succession box | title = Member of Parliament for Walthamstow West | years = 1967–1970 | before = Edward Redhead | after = Eric Deakins }} {{Succession box | title = Member of Parliament for Manchester Withington | years = Feb 1974–1987 | before = Sir Robert Cary, 1st Baronet | after = Keith Bradley }} {{S-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Silvester, Frederick}} Category:1933 births Category:2025 deaths Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Category:Councillors in Greater London Category:UK MPs 1966–1970 Category:UK MPs 1974 Category:UK MPs 1974–1979 Category:UK MPs 1979–1983 Category:UK MPs 1983–1987 Category:Alumni of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge Category:Conservative Party (UK) councillors