Eldon Griffiths


Sir Eldon Wylie Griffiths was a British Conservative politician and journalist.

Early life

Griffiths was born on 25 May 1925 in Wigan, Lancashire. His Welsh father was a police sergeant. He attended Ashton Grammar School. After the Second World War service in the Royal Air Force he gained a double first class degree in history from Emmanuel College, Cambridge and an MA from Yale University.

Career

Journalism

After university Griffiths worked in the Conservative Research Department and became a journalist and farmer. He was managing editor of Newsweek.

Political career

He became the MP for Bury St Edmunds after a by-election in 1964, and represented the seat until he retired in 1992. His Telegraph obituary claimed he was "rangy, articulate, but dour, a political loner, and not over-popular on the Tory benches" However it listed many achievements as MP and in other spheres. He served as Minister for Sport during the Edward Heath government of 1970 to 1974. He also served as parliamentary spokesman for the Police Federation. In 1985, he was made a Knight Bachelor for "political service".

Director appointments

Griffiths was a director of one of Gerald Carroll's Carroll Group companies.

Personal life

In June 2013 he announced his third marriage, at the age of 88.
He lived in California and Bury St Edmunds.

Honours

He was a Freeman of the borough of St Edmundsbury.

Title and style of address