David Shutt, Baron Shutt of Greetland

David Trevor Shutt, Baron Shutt of Greetland, OBE, PC (16 March 1942 – 30 October 2020) was a British Liberal Democrat politician, who served as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard and Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords between May 2010 and May 2012.

The Right Honourable The Lord Shutt of Greetland OBE PC
Shutt in 2020
Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Lords Captain of the Queen's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard
In office 14 May 2010 – 1 May 2012
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	The Lord Davies of Oldham
Succeeded by	The Lord Newby
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
In office 16 May 2000 – 30 October 2020 Life Peerage
Personal details
Born	David Trevor Shutt 16 March 1942 Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died	30 October 2020 (aged 78)
Nationality	British
Political party	Liberal (before 1988) Liberal Democrats (after 1988)
Spouse(s)	Margaret Pemberton ​ (m. 1965)​
Children	3

Early life

Shutt was born at Farsley, Leeds and attended Pudsey Grammar School in Yorkshire.[1]

Career

After school Shutt trained as an accountant. In 1975 he became a director of the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, of which he later became Chairman. He also became a Trustee of the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. In 1973 he was elected to Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council, now Calderdale Council, as a Liberal councillor, and later represented the Liberal Democrats on this council, serving as Mayor of Calderdale in 1982–83.

He stood unsuccessfully for Parliament at seven general elections between 1970 and 1992. He contested Sowerby in 1970, February 1974, October 1974, and 1979. After the abolition of the Sowerby seat, he contested the new Calder Valley constituency in 1983 and 1987. At the 1992 general election he was the Liberal Democrat candidate in Pudsey.[2]

He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1993 New Year Honours,[3] and on 12 May 2000 was created a life peer as Baron Shutt of Greetland, of Greetland and Stainland in the County of West Yorkshire.[4] He was Liberal Democrat International Development spokesperson in the House of Lords until 2002. Following the 2005 general election, he was appointed the Liberal Democrat Chief Whip in the House of Lords. After the formation of the coalition government headed by David Cameron in May 2010, Shutt was appointed Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard and Government Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords, positions he held until May 2012, when he stepped down as the Liberal Democrats' Lords Chief Whip.

Personal life

In 1965, he married Margaret Pemberton, with whom he had two sons and a daughter.

Lord Shutt died on 30 October 2020, at the age of 78.[5]

References

1. Meadowcroft, Michael (15 November 2020). "Lord Shutt of Greetland obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
2. "Lord Shutt of Greetland". Liberal Democrats website. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
3. "No. 53153". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1992. p. 12.
4. "No. 55850". The London Gazette. 17 May 2000. p. 5419.
5. Valladares, Mark (31 October 2020). "Lord David Shutt (1942–2020)". Liberal Democrat Voice. Retrieved 31 October 2020.