Members of West Worcestershire Conservative Association Patrons’ Club and West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin welcomed former DEFRA minister Richard Benyon to the historic Birtsmorton Court near Malvern.
Mr Benyon gave a talk on Friday (June 27) at the magnificent medieval moated manor house, which is set against the breath-taking backdrop of the Malvern Hills and has been in the family of owners Nigel and Rosalie Dawes for 40 years.
The former soldier, who was first elected MP for Newbury in 2005, served as Minister for the Natural Environment and fisheries until October 2013 and had previously held the role as Shadow Minister for the Environment, Fisheries and Wildlife. The founder trustee of Help for Heroes has also served on the Home Affairs Select Committee and as Party Whip.
He said: “It was a huge pleasure to visit this beautiful location in Worcestershire and see how well Worcestershire cares for its local environment and heritage.”
Harriett commented: “It was a great pleasure to welcome Richard Benyon MP to Birtsmorton. He is much admired by colleagues and my constituents for his achievements as a Minister, winning the “Fish Fight” reforms to the Common Fisheries Policy which will ban fish discards from 2015.”
Patrons’ Club Chairman and former MP for Weston-Super-Mare, Sir Jerry Wiggin, whose son Bill Wiggin is MP for North Herefordshire, said: “Mr Benyon’s father [Sir William Benyon] and I were in the House of Commons together and he was a close friend of mine. I was very sorry when he died earlier this year.
“I’ve known Richard since he was a young man and watched his progress with interest and acclamation. He worked very hard to win Newbury and he was an excellent minister.
“It was very good of him to take time off to come on a visit to Worcestershire and talk to us at Birtsmorton Court, which was a wonderful setting and Mr and Mrs Dawes were very kind to host us. We had a very good evening and it was a lovely day.”
To join West Worcestershire Conservative Association Patrons’ Club or for more information, contact the office by calling 01684 573469 or email [email protected].
Photo caption: Former DEFRA Minister Richard Benyon MP (centre) is welcomed to Birtsmorton Court by (R-L) Mrs Rosalie Dawes, West Worcestershire Conservative Association President Prue Winton MBE, Harriett Baldwin MP, and Patrons’ Club Chairman, Sir Jerry Wiggin.