Paul Dean, Baron Dean of Harptree

For other people named Paul Dean, see Paul Dean (disambiguation).

The Right Honourable The Lord Dean of Harptree PC Kt
Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means
In office 11 June 1987 – 6 May 1992
Speaker	Bernard Weatherill
Preceded by	Ernest Armstrong
Succeeded by	Geoffrey Lofthouse
Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Second Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means
In office 28 May 1982 – 11 June 1987
Speaker	George Thomas Bernard Weatherill
Preceded by	Ernest Armstrong
Succeeded by	Betty Boothroyd
Member of Parliament for Woodspring North Somerset (1964–1983)
In office 15 October 1964 – 16 March 1992
Preceded by	Ted Leather
Succeeded by	Liam Fox
Personal details
Born	(1924-09-14)14 September 1924 Northwich, Cheshire, England
Died	1 April 2009(2009-04-01) (aged 84) Banwell, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England
Political party	Conservative
Alma mater	Exeter College, Oxford

Arthur Paul Dean, Baron Dean of Harptree, PC (14 September 1924 – 1 April 2009) was a British politician who held a seat in the House of Commons from 1964 until 1992. He was a member of the Conservative Party.

Early life and Second World War

Paul Dean was born in Northwich, Cheshire, England, on 14 September 1924, and was educated at Ellesmere College and Exeter College, Oxford. He served with the Welsh Guards during the Second World War, being commissioned in that regiment on 28 January 1944, with the service number of 307877. He fought with the regiment's 2nd Battalion, part of the Guards Armoured Division under Major General Allan Adair, in the Battle of Normandy where he was wounded. Shortly after the end of World War II in Europe Dean served in Germany with the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) as aide-de-camp (ADC) to the General Officer Commanding (GOC) I Corps, initially Lieutenant-General Sir John Crocker and then Lieutenant-General Sidney Kirkman before Lieutenant-General Ivor Thomas took over from September 1945. Dean retired from the army in 1949.

Political career

In 1962 Dean was the Conservative candidate in a by-election for the very safe Labour seat of Pontefract; he was defeated by Joseph Harper.

He was Member of Parliament for North Somerset from 1964 to 1983, and after boundary changes, for Woodspring from 1983 until his retirement in 1992, preceding Liam Fox. Dean was a junior minister for Health and Social Security during the 1970–1974 Conservative government. From 1982 until his retirement, he was a Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons firstly under George Thomas and then Bernard Weatherill. He was knighted in the 1985 New Year Honours. When in the chair of the Commons on 21 June 1990, Dean was required to use his casting vote.

House of Lords

On 12 October 1993 he was created a life peer as Baron Dean of Harptree, of Wedmore in the County of Somerset. He served as Deputy Speaker in the House of Lords.

Personal life

Dean was married twice. His first wife, Doris, died in 1979. He married Peggy Dierden in 1980. They lived at Banwell near Weston-super-Mare in Somerset.

External links

• British Army Officers 1939–1945
• Times Guide to the House of Commons 1987
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
• Guardian obituary