David Atkinson (politician)

For the Canadian academic, see David W. Atkinson.

David Atkinson
Member of Parliament for Bournemouth East
In office 25 November 1977 – 11 April 2005
Preceded by	John Cordle
Succeeded by	Tobias Ellwood
Personal details
Born	David Anthony Atkinson (1940-03-24)24 March 1940 Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England, UK
Died	UK
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Sue Pilsworth (1968-1992,div.) Robert Reid (2011-2012, his death)
Children	Anthony Katie
Religion	Roman Catholicism

David Anthony Atkinson (24 March 1940 – 23 January 2012) was Conservative British Member of Parliament for Bournemouth East from a 1977 by-election until he stepped down at the 2005 general election.

Early life

Born in Westcliff-on-Sea, Atkinson attended St George's College, Weybridge and Southend College of Technology. He later trained at the College of Automobile and Aeronautical Engineering in Chelsea where he gained a Diploma in Automobile Engineering and Motor Trade Management. From 1963-72, he was Director of Chalkwell Motor Co. Ltd in Leigh-on-Sea, and from 1973-77 he worked for David Graham Studios Ltd in printing, marketing, artwork and design.

Parliamentary career

Atkinson was national chairman of the Young Conservatives from 1970 until 1971, more right-wing than the long line of his moderate predecessors and successors. He contested the Newham North West constituency in February 1974 and Basildon in October 1974.

Atkinson became an MP at the Bournemouth East by-election, 1977, retaining the seat for his party. He served as PPS to Paul Channon and was a vociferous supporter of corporal punishment and was nearly sacked for voting against the Government in its support.

He supported local causes such as AFC Bournemouth during their financial troubles. Atkinson was vocal in his criticism of the Soviet Union and active in a number of international forums aimed at highlighting communist abuse of human rights. He was less critical of South Africa's apartheid regime, calling for the lifting of sanctions. and objected to the pressures being placed upon the South African Government.

The Independent reported that Atkinson was invited on a visit to South Africa by Strategy Network International, the lobby group fronted by Derek Laud, the ex Monday Club member and protege of Michael Brown: "John Carlile, Mr Colvin and David Atkinson, who led an SNI delegation to observe the Angolan peace process in 1992, a year before the firm closed."

Personal life

Atkinson married Susan Pilsworth in 1968. They had a son and a daughter. He came out as gay and entered into a civil partnership in 2011. His wife discovered he had been in a relationship with footballer Justin Fashanu, when Fashanu came out as gay and said he had an affair with an unnamed, married Conservative MP whom he had met in a London gay bar. After confronting Atkinson, he revealed he was gay and had been in a series of gay relationships.

His son, Anthony, at first accused him of being a sexual predator and said Geoffrey Dickens had stayed at the Atkinson family home. He said he believed his father had been named in the missing Westminster paedophile dossier compiled by Dickens.

Anthony Atkinson later qualified his statement to claim his father had not been in engaged in activity that equated to the scope and scale of Jimmy Savile's alleged activities, even saying he had no evidence that his father ever had relations with anyone underaged.

Death

In 2011, Atkinson underwent an operation after he was diagnosed with bowel cancer. He died on 23 January 2012 at the age of 71.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by David Atkinson
• They Work For You - David Atkinson
• Ask Aristotle

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by John Cordle	Member of Parliament for Bournemouth East 1977–2005	Succeeded by Tobias Ellwood