John Astor, 3rd Baron Astor of Hever

John Jacob Astor VIII, 3rd Baron Astor of Hever, DL (born 16 June 1946) is a British businessman and Conservative elected hereditary peer in the House of Lords. He is the Opposition Spokesman for Defence.

He is the eldest son of Gavin Astor, 2nd Baron Astor of Hever and Lady Irene Haig. He succeeded his father in 1984.

He has been twice married:
* 1) Fiona Diana Lennox Harvey (1 July 1970- divorced 1990); three children:
** i) The Honourable Camilla Astor (born 8 May 1974)
** ii) The Honourable Tania Jentie Astor (born 18 April 1978)
** iii) The Honourable Violet Magdalene Astor (born 1980)
* 2) The Honourable Elizabeth Mackintosh (1990 to date); two children:
** The Honourable Charles Gavin John Astor (born 10 November 1990)
** The Honourable Olivia Alexandra Elizabeth Astor (born 21 August 1992)

One of his five children is autistic. He is the Secretary of The All Party Group on Autism.He lives in Westerham, Kent.

Patronage/community

Patron of:
*The New School at West Heath
*Edenbridge and District Rifle Club
*The League of Friends of Edenbridge Hospital
*The Durand Group
*The Kent Youth Association
*The Bridge Trust
*Aquarian Opera
*The Edenbridge Music & Arts Trust
*Worldwide Volunteering for Young People

Trustee of:
*The Astor Foundation
*The Astor of Hever Trust
*The Canterbury Cathedral Trust

President of:
*The Motorsport Industry Association
*Sevenoaks Westminster Patrons Club
*The National Association of Valuers and Auctioneers
*The Kent branch of the Royal British Legion
*The Earl Haig branch of the Royal British Legion
*The Kent Federation of Amenity Societies
*The Eden Valley Museum

Chairman of:
*The Rochester Cathedral Trust

Committees:
*The Kent Committee of the Country Land and Business Association

He is also the Grand President's Appointee on the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League and a Deputy Lieutenant of Kent.

He was former President of RoSPA, and Chairman of St John, Kent in the Kent Committee of the Country Land and Business Association from 1987 to 1997.

History

Lord Astor of Hever is the son of the 2nd Baron Astor of Hever and Lady Irene Haig (daughter of Field Marshal the 1st Earl Haig).

He was born in June 1946, and the young John Astor was educated at Eton before serving with the Life Guards (the senior regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry) from 1966 until 1970, where he visited Malaysia, Hong Kong and Northern Ireland as well as ceremonial duties in London.

He worked in France for 11 years, and is now Patron of the Conservatives in Paris.

Political biography

In 1994, Lord Astor of Hever was a British Parliamentary Observer in Johannesburg during the South African General Election. He was a member of the Executive, Association of Conservative Peers from 1996-1998. In 1999 he was elected to the House of Lords.

From 1998-2001, he served as an Opposition Spokesman on Social Security and Health from 1998-2003. From 2001, he has been an Opposition Spokesman for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs, and International Development, and from 2003 to present, Opposition Spokesman for Defence.

Lord Astor is Secretary of:
*The All Party Group on Autism (one of his daughters is autistic)
*The All Party Group on Shooting and Conservation
*The All Party Parliamentary Motor Group
*The British-Swiss All Party Parliamentary Group

He is Treasurer of:
*The British-South Africa Parliamentary Group
*The Franco-British Parliamentary Relations Committee

And also Vice Chairman of the All Party Thames Gateway Group.As well as Hon Vice Chairman of the Conservative Middle East CouncilIn 1995 he piloted through the House of Lords the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act and in 1996 the Trading Schemes Act.

ee also

*Astor family
*Baron#The British Isles
*House of Lords
*Conservative Party (UK)

External links

* [http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.person.page&personID=21700 Lord Astor] on the Conservative Party's website