Matthew Parris

Matthew Parris
Born	(1949-08-07) August 7, 1949 Johannesburg, South Africa
Occupation(s)	Commentator, broadcaster, former politician, journalist, author
Years active	1979–present
Known for	Political writing, broadcasting, former Conservative MP for West Derbyshire (1979–1986), founding Stonewall

Matthew Francis Parris (born 7 August 1949) is a British commentator, broadcaster, and former politician known for his political writing. He represented West Derbyshire as a Member of Parliament from 1979 until 1986. Identifying with liberal conservatism, he is affiliated with the Conservative Party.

Born in South Africa to British parents, Parris pursued higher education at Clare College, Cambridge and later at Yale University. Before entering the House of Commons, he worked within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Conservative Research Department. He resigned from Parliament in 1986 to embark on a journalism career, notably hosting the television programme Weekend World. Following the show's conclusion in 1988, he became a freelance columnist for The Times. A prominent supporter of gay rights during the 1980s, he was among the founders of the gay rights organisation Stonewall in 1989.

During the 1990s, Parris compiled his columns into published collections and released his autobiography in 2002. His insights on politics gained considerable influence within Westminster circles. Throughout the 2010s and into the 2020s, he expressed open criticism of certain Conservative leaders such as Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, as well as questioning Stonewall’s advocacy related to trans rights. In 2024, he concluded his Saturday political column for The Times.

Early life and education

Parris was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, as the eldest sibling among six children. His upbringing spanned multiple British territories including South Africa, Cyprus, Rhodesia, Swaziland, and Jamaica due to his father’s profession as an electrical engineer. Eventually, his family settled in Catalonia, Spain.

At age nineteen, he undertook a journey driving a Morris Oxford from Africa to Europe—a challenging experience he detailed in his 2002 memoir.

He attributes his early adoption of conservative values to reading George Orwell's Animal Farm, appreciating its depiction of intelligence and order despite disliking its characters.

His education included attendance at Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa near Mbabane, Sessions School in Cyprus, and later achieving a first-class honours law degree at Clare College, Cambridge, where he was active in the Cambridge University Liberal Club. Awarded a Paul Mellon scholarship, he studied international relations at Yale University. However, he did not complete his Master’s degree there, citing distractions such as sports and social engagements. During this period, he developed a friendship with writer Peter Ackroyd.

Early and parliamentary career

Although offered a position with MI6, Parris opted to join the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, where he served for two years. In 1976, seeking a more dynamic role, he left to pursue election to Parliament. He then worked with the Conservative Research Department and served as correspondence secretary to then-Leader of the Opposition, Margaret Thatcher.

In the late 1970s, Parris received an award from the RSPCA, presented by Thatcher herself, for rescuing a dog from the River Thames. He later credited this event as influential in securing his selection as a parliamentary candidate.

From 1979 until 1986, Parris represented West Derbyshire as a Conservative MP, contending against notable figures such as Peter Lilley and Michael Howard. Throughout his political tenure, he advocated for gay rights, authoring columns that challenged homophobic attitudes—most notably "Stop being Beastly to Tatchell" published in The Times. He ultimately left parliamentary politics to concentrate on journalism.

Radio and television

Parris shifted his career towards broadcasting, becoming a radio and television host, a columnist for The Times, and a political commentator. During his tenure as an MP, he took part in a 1984 World in Action documentary where he lived in Newcastle on £26.80—the government social security benefit at the time—until his electricity credit expired. He revisited this social experiment two decades later in 2004 with For the Benefit of Mr Parris, Revisited.

In 1986, Parris left Parliament by accepting the Crown appointment of Steward of the Manor of Northstead, taking over from Brian Walden as the presenter of ITV's Sunday political program Weekend World. He remained at the helm until the show's cancellation in 1988.

He currently hosts BBC Radio 4’s biographical series Great Lives, has appeared as a guest on Have I Got News for You, and served as presenter for After Dark. In 2007, he presented two Radio 4 documentaries examining political catchphrases titled Not My Words, Mr Speaker.

During the July 2011 scandal involving alleged misconduct by journalists at News of the World, Parris publicly commended the newspaper and acknowledged what he viewed as notable accomplishments by Rupert Murdoch.

In December 2017, he made a brief appearance in the special anniversary edition of BBC’s The League of Gentlemen.

Writing and journalism

Parris is an accomplished author with an extensive portfolio covering political analysis and travel. In 1991, a collection of his articles from The Times was published under the title So Far, So Good, with subsequent anthologies following. His edited volume Scorn, featuring a compilation of quotations on curses and invective, was released in October 1994. Known for his parliamentary sketches and opinion columns, he served as parliamentary sketch writer for The Times between 1988 and 2001, while also maintaining weekly columns for both The Times and The Spectator. Recognition for his work includes being named Writer of the Year at the Granada Television What the Papers Say Awards in 2004, partly due to his election reporting from Iraq and Afghanistan. He also received Columnist of the Year honors at the British Press Awards in both 1991 and 1993, along with Outstanding Reporter of the Year from the London Press Club in 1990.

His memoir, Chance Witness: An Outsider's Life in Politics, was published by Viking in 2002. In 2005, he authored A Castle in Spain, chronicling his family’s restoration efforts on a sixteenth-century Catalonian mansion.

In 2011, Total Politics described Parris’s column as indispensable reading within Westminster circles, highlighting his often contrarian perspectives such as criticism of the localism policy and his shifting views on PMQs.

Parris’s writings have provoked broader discussion. A satirical piece published in The Times in 2007 mocking cyclists generated considerable controversy and led to an official apology. That same year, Alastair Campbell referred to him disparagingly as "a little shit" in his diaries; Parris responded with defiance.

Prior to the 2014 Clacton by-election, Parris advised Conservatives to ignore local voter sentiment in Clacton-on-Sea, which he disparaged sharply. This stance elicited strong reactions from local residents and criticism from former MP Douglas Carswell as well as political commentators who cautioned that such attitudes could harm electoral prospects. UKIP leader Nigel Farage incorporated quotes from Parris into party campaign materials.

He expressed opposition to the expanded voting eligibility rules during the Labour leadership contest, which allowed low-cost participation. Following Jeremy Corbyn's re-election as leader in 2016, Parris alongside Michael Dobbs suggested this development might lead to a split within Labour.

In 2024, Parris advocated legalizing assisted dying, contending that societal pressures encouraging hastened death are not inherently negative.

As one of the founders of gay rights organization Stonewall, he later voiced criticism over its inclusion of transgender rights issues and called for distinct groups to represent these causes separately.

In May 2021, Parris called for removing ethnic minority status from Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities, arguing they represent "not a race" but rather "a doomed mindset," while urging tighter enforcement against unauthorized encampments. His position was condemned by anti-racism group Hope not Hate, which labeled it racist.

By June 2021, he publicly questioned the validity of fundamental human rights as a concept he regarded as deeply flawed.

Parris has been outspoken about Conservative leadership: in 2020 he described Boris Johnson as lacking foresight or sound judgment, branding him "a shallow opportunist." In 2022, he characterized Liz Truss as excessively confident to an extreme degree.

In July 2024, just before turning seventy-five years old, Parris concluded his long-standing Saturday opinion column for The Times, which predominantly focused on British political affairs. Nonetheless, he continues contributing a diary column every Wednesday for the publication.

Travel writing

Parris has embarked on numerous international journeys, including ascents of Mount Kilimanjaro in both 1967 and 1989, explorations of Zaire (currently the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1973, ventures into the Sahara Desert in 1978, as well as visits to Peru and Bolivia. His experiences in Peru culminated in the 1990 publication of Inca-Kola, which chronicles his travels there.

In 2000, he endured the Antarctic winter on Grande Terre, one of the Kerguelen Islands located in the Indian Ocean, primarily alongside scientific researchers. During this period, a fatal shooting incident took place, which Parris covered for The Times.

Personal life

By 2024, Parris describes his political stance as aligned with liberal conservatism.

In 1984, during a late-night debate in the House of Commons, he attempted to reveal his sexuality but was overlooked. Subsequently, he openly declared his homosexuality through a weekly newspaper column and admitted to seeking sexual encounters at Clapham Common. In a Newsnight interview amid the 1998 Ron Davies controversy, he disclosed that two gay members were part of the then Labour Cabinet, including Peter Mandelson, and estimated that between 30 and 60 MPs had not publicly announced their sexuality.

In August 2006, after an eleven-year partnership, Parris formalized his relationship with Julian Glover—a speechwriter for David Cameron and former political journalist at The Guardian—through a civil partnership.

Parris holds residences in Spain, Derbyshire—where he keeps alpacas—and London's Docklands. He also acts as honorary patron of Clare Politics at Clare College, Cambridge. An avid marathon runner during the early 1980s, he completed the first five London Marathons from 1981 to 1985, achieving a personal best time of 2:32:57 in 1985—a record among British MPs that still stands. He eventually ceased marathon running due to health reasons.

Reception and influence

In October 2017, commentator Iain Dale placed Parris at number 84 on his list titled 'The Top 100 Most Influential People on the Right', describing him as "the foremost columnist of his generation." Earlier, in August 2010, the Independent on Sunday ranked Parris as the 49th most influential LGBT individual in Britain.

Bibliography

• Scorn: The Wittiest and Wickedest Insults in Human History Matthew Parris (Profile Books Ltd, 2016)
• Parting Shots: Undiplomatic Diplomats – the ambassadors' letters you were never meant to see Matthew Parris, Andrew Bryson (Penguin Books Ltd, 2010)
• Mission Accomplished!: A Treasury of the Things Politicians Wish They Hadn't Said Matthew Parris, Phil Mason (JR Books Ltd, 2007)
• A Castle in Spain (Viking, 2005)
• Chance Witness: An Outsider's Life in Politics (Viking, 2002)
• The King's English (Oxford Language Classics Series) Henry Fowler, Frank Fowler, Matthew Parris (introduction) (Oxford University Press, 2002)
• Off Message: New Labour, New Sketches (Robson Books, 2001)
• I Wish I Hadn't Said That: The Experts Speak – and Get It Wrong! Matthew Parris (foreword), Christopher Cerf, Victor Navasky (HarperCollins, 2000)
• Against the Law: The Classic Account of a Homosexual in 1950s Britain Peter Wildeblood, Matthew Parris (introduction) (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1999)
• The Great Unfrocked: Two Thousand Years of Church Scandal (Robson, 1998)
• Scorn with Extra Bile Matthew Parris (editor) (Penguin Books, 1998)
• I Couldn't Possibly Comment: More Sketches from the Commons (Robson Books, 1997)
• Read My Lips: A Treasury of Things Politicians Wish They Hadn't Said (Parkwest Publications, 1997)
• Great Parliamentary Scandals: Four Centuries of Calumny, Smear and Innuendo (Robson Books, 1995)
• Scorn with Added Vitriol (Hamish Hamilton, 1995)
• Scorn: A Bucketful of Discourtesy, Disparagement, Invective, Ridicule, Impudence, Contumely, Derision, Hate, Affront, Disdain, Bile, Taunts, Curses and Jibes (Hamish Hamilton, 1994)
• Look Behind You!: Sketches and Follies from the Commons (Robson, 1993)
• So Far So Good...: Selected Pieces (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1991)
• Inca Kola: A Traveller's Tale of Peru (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1990)
• Coping with the Soviet Union Peter Blaker, Julian Critchley, Matthew Parris (Conservative Political Centre Bookshop, 1977)

External links

• Archives of Matthew Parris's columns on The Times Online
• Podcast series titled The Matthew Parris Pol-Cast on The Times Online, covering the 2006 Party conference season
• Collection of articles by Matthew Parris from his journey to the Kerguelen Islands on The Times Online
• Recorded C-SPAN Q&A interview with Matthew Parris, dated 12 December 2010
• Archived audio interview
• Feature on Matthew Parris as Policy-Maker for a Page in Ethos Journal