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. Carlisle was Public Affairs Director of the UK Tobacco Manufacturers' Association from 1997 until 2001, even though he is a non-smoker himself.
The son of Andrew and Edith Carlisle, he was educated at Bedford School, and St. Lawrence College, Ramsgate. Carlisle married Anthea Jane Lindsay May in 1964; the couple 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 in 1979. 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 4 April 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. He supported the gun lobby after the Dunblane tragedy.
Carlisle announced that he would retire in September 1996, and did not stand at the following General Election in 1997. He has not stood for parliament since.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Brian Sedgemore |
Member of Parliament for Luton West 1979–1983 |
Constituency abolished |
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for Luton North 1983–1997 |
Succeeded by Kelvin Hopkins |