{{short description|British politician (1912–2000)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2015}} {{Use British English|date=February 2015}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Right Honourable | name = The Lord Harmar-Nicholls | image = Harmar-Harmar-Nicholls-Baron-Harmar-Nicholls.jpg | caption = Harmar-Nicolls in 1953 | constituency_MP = Peterborough | term_start = 23 February 1950 | term_end = 20 September 1974 | predecessor = Stanley Tiffany | successor = Michael Ward | office1 = Member of the House of Lords | status1 = Lord Temporal | term_label1 = Life peerage | term_start1 = 10 January 1975 | term_end1 = 15 September 2000 | birth_name = Harmar Harmar-Nicholls | birth_date = {{birth date|1912|11|1|df=y}} | birth_place = Walsall, Staffordshire, England | death_date = {{death date and age|2000|9|15|1912|11|1|df=y}} | party = Conservative | children = Sue Nicholls }}
'''Harmar Harmar-Nicholls, Baron Harmar-Nicholls''' (1 November 1912 – 15 September 2000), known as '''Sir Harmar Nicholls, 1st Baronet''', from 1960 to 1975, was a British Conservative Party politician.
==Early life and career== Harmar Nicholls was born in Walsall, the son of Charles Edward Craddock Nicholls and Sarah Ann (''née'' Wesley). He qualified as a barrister, called to the bar by Middle Temple. During World War II, he served in the Royal Engineers in India and Burma and fighting his first election as candidate for Nelson and Colne in 1945 before demobilisation, also contesting Preston in a 1946 by-election. He served as a councillor and chairman of Darlaston Urban District Council. He worked as a surveyor and as chairman of a paint company, serving as President of the Wallpaper and Paint Retailers' Association. He was a Lloyd's of London underwriter, a company director and chairman of Radio Luxembourg Ltd.
Nicholls was Member of Parliament for Peterborough from 1950 to 1974, when he lost in the October election of that year to Labour's Michael Ward, having held on by just 22 votes in the election eight months earlier. This was the second close call during his time as MP for Peterborough – in 1966, he held his seat by just three votes. Nicholls was Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food from 1955 to 1958, and to the Ministry of Works from 1958 to 1961. He was created a '''Baronet''', of Darlaston in the County of Stafford, in 1960,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=42209 |date=2 December 1960 |page=8221}}</ref> and in 1975, after he lost his seat in the House of Commons, he was given a life peerage as '''Baron Harmar-Nicholls''', of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=46465 |date=14 January 1975 |page=537 }}</ref> changing his surname by deed poll to allow his forename to be incorporated into his title.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=46443 |date=31 December 1974 |page=13306 }}</ref> From 1979 to 1984, he served as Member of the European Parliament for Greater Manchester South.
==Personal life== His daughter is the actress Sue Nicholls of ''Rentaghost'' and ''Coronation Street'' fame. He had no sons and the baronetcy became extinct on his death, aged 87, on 15 September 2000.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1355597/Lord-Harmar-Nicholls.html Lord Harmar-Nicholls]. ''The Daily Telegraph'', 16 September 2000.</ref>
According to Alistair Cooke, Baron Lexden, a Conservative member of the House of Lords, Nicholls had an affair with the Russian spy John Vassall. The affair was discovered due MI5 files being declassified in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.alistairlexden.org.uk/news/gay-tory-who-spied-soviets|title=The gay Tory who spied for the Soviets|date=26 February 2024|website=Lord Lexden OBE}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20250613000000/https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/spies-social-climbers-and-suspicious-stories-from-the-files-of-mi5/|title=UK Government Web Archive|website=webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk}}</ref>
==Arms== {{Infobox COA wide |escutcheon = Per pale and per chevron Gules and Sable two arrows with broad heads pilewise the shafts Argent the feathers and heads Or overall a chevron engrailed Gold. |crest = Gules and Sable two keys in saltire wards upwards Argent supporting a Davey lamp Proper all tied about with a Stafford knot the strands Gules and Sable the tassels also Gules. |motto = Perseverantia Vincit <ref>{{cite book|title=Debrett's Peerage |date=1985}}</ref>}}
== References == <references /> {{Refbegin}} *''Times Guide to the House of Commons'', 1950, 1966 and October 1974 *{{Rayment-hc|date=March 2012}} {{Refend}}
== External links == * {{Hansard-contribs | sir-harmar-nicholls | Harmar Nicholls }}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|uk}} {{succession box | title = Member of Parliament for Peterborough | years = 1950 – Oct 1974 | before = Stanley Tiffany | after = Michael Ward }} {{s-reg|uk-bt}} {{s-new|Creation}} {{s-ttl|title=Baronet<br />'''(of Darlaston)''' | years=1960–2000}} {{s-non|reason=Extinct}} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholls, Harmar}} Category:1912 births Category:2000 deaths Category:20th-century American lawyers Category:Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Category:British Army personnel of World War II Category:Conservative Party (UK) MEPs Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Category:Conservative Party (UK) life peers Category:Councillors in the West Midlands (county) Category:MEPs for England 1979–1984 Category:Members of the Middle Temple Category:Ministers in the Eden government, 1955–1957 Category:Ministers in the Macmillan and Douglas-Home governments, 1957–1964 Category:English LGBTQ politicians Category:LGBTQ members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom Category:People from Walsall Category:Royal Engineers officers Category:UK MPs 1950–1951 Category:UK MPs 1951–1955 Category:UK MPs 1955–1959 Category:UK MPs 1959–1964 Category:UK MPs 1964–1966 Category:UK MPs 1966–1970 Category:UK MPs 1970–1974 Category:UK MPs 1974 Category:UK MPs who were granted peerages Category:Life peers created by Elizabeth II