David James (politician)

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David Pelham James, MBE, DSC (25 December 1919 – 15 December 1986) was a British Conservative Party politician. In 1979, he took the name David Guthrie-James (Guthrie was his mother's maiden name). He married Jaquetta Mary Theresa (nee Digby) (28 October 1928 - ), daughter of Edward Digby, 11th Baron Digby and sister of Pamela Harriman. They had six children.

James was Member of Parliament for Brighton Kemptown from 1959 to 1964, when he lost by just 7 votes to Labour's Dennis Hobden (the first Labour MP for a Sussex constituency). James was later MP for North Dorset from 1970 to 1979, preceding Nicholas Baker.

His family home was Torosay Castle on the Isle of Mull. James was a diehard believer in the Loch Ness Monster and when he had a free weekend would go up to try to spot it. The Brighton Labour Party used this knowledge to its advantage during the 1964 election, when it ensured that one of its members always raised the issue in questions at James' public meetings, with the intent of making him look ridiculous (James always confirmed his belief). The narrowness of the election result led some to speculate that it was the ridicule of his stance on this issue which was decisive.

[edit] References

• Times Guide to the House of Commons October 1974
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Howard Johnson	Member of Parliament for Brighton Kemptown 1959–1964	Succeeded by Dennis Hobden
Preceded by Sir Richard Glyn	Member of Parliament for North Dorset 1970–1979	Succeeded by Nicholas Baker