{{Short description|British politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}} {{Use British English|date=August 2016}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = Sir | name = Anthony Durant | honorific_suffix = | image = | image_size = | image_upright = | caption = | office1 = Vice-Chamberlain of the Household | term_start1 = 20 December 1988 | term_end1 = 25 July 1990 | prime_minister1 = Margaret Thatcher | predecessor1 = Michael Neubert | successor1 = David Lightbown | office3 = Member of Parliament<br />for Reading West<br><small>Reading North (1974–1983)</small> | term_start3 = 28 February 1974 | term_end3 = 8 April 1997<ref>https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/22119/anthony_durant/reading_west</ref> | predecessor3 = Constituency recreated | successor3 = Martin Salter | birth_name = Robert Anthony Bevis Durant | birth_date = {{Birth date|1928|1|9|df=yes}} | birth_place = | death_date = {{Death date and age|2016|2|18|1928|1|9|df=y}} | death_place = | party = Conservative | other_party = | spouse = | relations = | children = | education = | alma_mater = | occupation = }} '''Sir Robert Anthony Bevis Durant''' (9 January 1928 – 18 February 2016), also known as '''Tony Durant''', was a British Conservative Party politician.
==Political career== Durant stood unsuccessfully for Rother Valley in the 1970 general election; the seat was retained by Labour's Peter Hardy. In 1971 Durant supported Margaret Thatcher's decision to end free school milk on the grounds that many children did not like it.<ref name="DTO">{{cite news |date=24 February 2016 |title=Sir Anthony Durant, Tory MP – obituary |work=Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/12172083/Sir-Anthony-Durant-Tory-MP-obituary.html |accessdate=25 February 2016}}</ref>
He was the Member of Parliament for Reading North from 1974 to 1983. After Reading's constituencies underwent boundary changes, he was the Member of Parliament for Reading West from 1983 to 1997. During his time in the Commons, he acted as a Whip. Announced in the 1991 New Year Honours,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=52382 |date=28 December 1990 |page=1 |supp=y}}</ref> he was knighted on 14 February 1991.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=52543 |date=28 May 1991 |page=8208}}</ref>
In 1994, he successfully campaigned for the lowering of the homosexual age of consent.<ref name=DTO/> He retired from politics at the 1997 UK general election.<ref>{{cite web | title = Mr Anthony Durant | url = https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/anthony_durant/reading_west | work = TheyWorkForYou.com | publisher = UK Citizens Online Democracy | accessdate = 22 February 2010}}</ref>
Durant served as president of the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust and the River Thames Society, chairman of the Sports Aid Foundation’s southern region, as a governor of the British Film Institute, and a Freeman of the City of London and the Watermen and Lightermen’s Company.<ref name="DTO" /><ref>{{cite Hansard |house=House of Commons |title=National Lottery Etc Bill - Report Stage|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/1993-04-28/debates/d2e59ad8-e6bd-4f5d-a76a-8ca91af05426/CommonsChamber# |date=28 April 1993 |column_start=1065 |column_end=1066}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{succession box | title=Vice-Chamberlain of the Household | before=Michael Neubert | years=1988 – 1990 | after=David Lightbown}} {{s-par|uk}} {{s-new | constituency}} {{s-ttl | title=Member for Reading North | years=1974–1983 }} {{s-non| reason=Constituency abolished}} {{s-new | constituency}} {{s-ttl | title = Member for Reading West | years = 1983–1997 }} {{s-aft | after=Martin Salter}} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Durant, Tony}} Durant, Robert Anthony Bevis Durant, Robert Anthony Bevis Durant, Robert Anthony Bevis Durant, Robert Anthony Bevis Durant, Robert Anthony Bevis Durant, Robert Anthony Bevis Durant, Robert A Durant, Robert A Durant, Robert A Durant, Robert A Durant, Robert A Category:Knights Bachelor Category:Governors of the British Film Institute
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