Bill Cash
Sir William Nigel Paul Cash CH (born 10 May 1940) is a British politician who has served as a member of Parliament (MP) since 1984. A member of the Conservative Party, he was first elected for Stafford and then for Stone in Staffordshire in 1997. Cash is a prominent Eurosceptic. Following his tenth election victory in the 2019 general election, aged 79, Cash became the oldest sitting member of the House of Commons.
Sir Bill Cash CH MP | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2017 | |
| Chair of the European Scrutiny Committee | |
| Assumed office 8 September 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Michael Connarty |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs | |
| In office 1 July 2003 – 10 November 2003 | |
| Leader | Iain Duncan Smith |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Alan Duncan |
| Shadow Attorney General for England and Wales | |
| In office 14 September 2001 – 10 November 2003 | |
| Leader | Iain Duncan Smith |
| Preceded by | Edward Garnier |
| Succeeded by | Dominic Grieve |
| Member of Parliament for Stone | |
| Assumed office 1 May 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency re-established |
| Majority | 19,945 (40.0%) |
| Member of Parliament for Stafford | |
| In office 3 May 1984 – 8 April 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Hugh Fraser |
| Succeeded by | David Kidney |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 May 1940 Finsbury, London, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse |
Bridget Lee (m. 1965) |
| Children | 3, including William |
| Alma mater | Lincoln College, Oxford |
Cash was the founder of the Maastricht Referendum Campaign in the early 1990s, and is now the elected Chair of the House of Commons' European Scrutiny Committee. He has also served as a vice-president of the Eurosceptic pressure group Conservatives for Britain, and to this day is one of the strongest critics of the European Union from the Conservative Party. In June 2023, he announced his intention to stand down at the next general election.
Cash was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the 2014 Birthday Honours for political services. He was appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour in Boris Johnson's resignation honours.