Michael Mates

Michael John Mates (born 9 June 1934) is a Conservative Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of East Hampshire from 1974 to 2010.

Education

Michael Mates was educated at Salisbury Cathedral School, Blundell's School and King's College, Cambridge, where he was a choral scholar.

Army service

Prior to his election to the House of Commons, he served for twenty years in the British Army leaving in 1974 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel with the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards.

Parliamentary career

Michael Mates was first elected to Parliament in October 1974 general election for Petersfield in Hampshire, following the retirement of Joan Quennell.

Between 1983 and 2010 he represented East Hampshire.

From 1992 to 1993, Mates was Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office. He resigned after a scandal involving his links to fugitive businessman Asil Nadir.^[1]

He also served as the Chairman of the Defence (1987–1992) and Northern Ireland (2001–2005) select committees and chaired the All-Party Anglo-Irish Parliamentary Group. He has been a member of the Privy Council since February 2004.

Mates announced on 24 November 2006 that he would stand down effective at the 2010 general election.^[2] His replacement as Conservative Party candidate was Damian Hinds.

Police Commissioner candidacy

In July 2012 Mates was selected as the Conservative candidate in the election for Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire, notwithstanding his links to Asil Nadir.^[3] Senior members of his own Hampshire Conservative Party have called for him to step down.^[4] When confronted by Michael Crick of Channel 4 News, Mates has repeatedly refused to answer questions about a windfall he received having vacated a sitting tenancy at Dolphin Square, central London, when an MP.^[5]

Mates is also known for his affiliation to disgraced former business tycoon Asil Nadir and the Polly Peck Empire.^[6] In the 1990s, when a junior minister in the Northern Ireland Office, Mates expressed his support for Nadir by infamously sending him a watch inscribed with the words "don't let the buggers get you down" - a reference to an ongoing investigation into Nadir's fraudulent financial activities by British authorities.^[7] Mates was forced to resign as a result of his support and links with Nadir.^[8]

Ultimately, in August 2012 Nadir would be found guilty at the Old Bailey of fraud, and convicted of stealing nearly £29 million. Despite this Mates has maintained his support for Nadir, even testifying in his defence at the Old Bailey.^[9][10] Nadir has donated over £400,000 to the Tory party.

Michael Mates has been reported to Hampshire Constabulary for Electoral Fraud under the Fraud Act 2006 by competitor Don Jerrard who is standing for the Justice and Anti-Corruption Party.^[11] The former lawyer wrote to the county’s Chief Constable claiming that Mates breached the 2006 Fraud Act by giving his address as a house where he rents rooms in Winchester. Parallel to this, Hampshire police confirmed two complaints of alleged racist language in Michael Mates' Election Statement^[12] were passed to the Thames Valley Police for investigation.^[13]

Thames Valley Police are said to be getting ready to interview Mates, but it is not known whether this will be done under caution. Michael Mates has denied the allegations, claiming he is the victim of a smear campaign.^[14]

Personal life

He married Mary Rosamund Paton in 1959, whom he divorced in 1980. They had two sons (James, a senior reporter and presenter for ITN, and Rory) and two daughters (Caroline and Emily). In 1982, he married Rosellen Bett in Lambeth, whom he divorced in 1995. They had one daughter (Arabella, born July 1986).

He then married Christine Robinson-Moltke (widow of Petersfield's Lt Cdr Glen Robinson-Moltke who was killed in the Falklands War) in October 1998 in Chichester, having two stepchildren (Michael and Helene). He has eleven grandchildren (Ben, Joe, Maddie, Leo, Jet, Flora, Phoebe, Charlie, Kobi, James and Meetu) and a great-grandson (Aidan).

See also

• Father Patrick Ryan

Bibliography

• Mates, Michael The Secret Service: Is There A Case For Greater Openness? Alliance Publishers, 1989. ISBN 0-907967-07-8
• Hurd, Douglas & Mates, Michael et al. What's Wrong With British Foreign Policy? Tory Reform Group, 2007 ISBN 0-9555426-0-X

References

External links

• Official Website
• Rt Hon Michael Mates Epolitix site
• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Michael Mates MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Michael Mates MP
• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Michael Mates
• Veteran MP announces retirement BBC article
• BBC Politics Profile

Audio clips

• Discussing Iraq in 2004