John Russell Carlisle

John Russell Carlisle (born 28 August 1942) is a former Conservative Party Member of Parliament (MP) for the Luton West constituency and later Luton North constituency in Bedfordshire, and was a leading member of the Conservative Monday Club. He was Public Affairs Director of the UK Tobacco Manufacturers' Association from 1997 until 2001.

The son of Andrew and Edith Carlisle, he was educated at Bedford School, and St. Lawrence College, Ramsgate. He married in 1964, Anthea Jane Lindsay May, and had two daughters.

He was a senior executive (1964–1978) of Sidney C.Banks Ltd., Sandy, Bedfordshire, a member of the London Corn Exchange 1970–1979, and 1987–97, and was a Director of Granfin Agriculture Ltd., Stoke Ferry, Norfolk, 1979–83. From 1982–87 he was a consultant to Louis Dreyfus plc., and to Barry Simmons PR, 1987–97. He was a non-executive director of the Bletchley Motor Group, 1988–95, and of Charles Sidney plc, 1995–1997. He was a member of the Baltic Exchange 1991–1997.

John Carlisle was Vice-Chairman (1973–74) and Chairman (1974–76) of the Conservative Party's Mid-Bedfordshire Constituency Association, and was elected MP for Luton West 1979–1983. In 1983 he was elected MP for Luton North, a seat he held until the defeat of the Conservative government in 1997. He was Chairman of the Conservative Parliamentary Committee on Sport, 1981–84, Vice-Chairman of the All-Party Football Committee, Secretary of the Conservative Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee (Africa) 1982–83, and was a member of the International Executive Committee of "Freedom in Sport". He was also Treasurer of the Anglo-Gibraltar Group, 1981–82, and was Secretary (1983–87), and Chairman (1987) of the British-South Africa Group. He was elected Vice-President of the Federation of Conservative Students in 1986 and was Governor of the Sports Aid Foundation (Eastern Region), 1985–1996. He was a member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Agriculture 1985–88.

He was an active member of the Conservative Monday Club and circa 1980-1982 was Chairman of their Foreign Affairs Committee. He was guest-of-honour at the Club's Hampshire and Dorset branch Autumn Dinner on 20 October 1989. On April 4, 1991, the London "Evening Standard" carried a front-page attack by the Monday Club against the proposed appointment of Janet Street-Porter for the position of the BBC's Head of Arts and Culture. The following day, the "Daily Mail" quoted John Carlisle saying that she should not be appointed. Ultimately, she did not get the job. During his tenure as a Member of Parliament, John Carlisle regularly hosted Monday Club meetings in Committee Rooms at the House of Commons.

References

* "Dod's Parliamentary Companion 1992", 173rd edition, East Sussex.
* Black, A & C.,"Who's Who", London. (Various editions).
* "Rhodesia to Zimbabwe - An Assessment", Policy Paper by the Monday Club's Foreign Affairs Committee, Chairman: John Carlisle, MP July 1982.
* Thompson, Cllr.Peter, (Foreword by John Carlisle, MP.), "The United Nations Organisation", Discussion Paper by the Monday Club's Foreign Affairs Committee, October 1988.