View source for Robert Cooke (Conservative politician)

{{Other people|Robert Cooke}}
{{Short description|British politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2016}}
'''Sir Robert Gordon Cooke''' (29 May 1930 – 6 January 1987)<ref>{{Rayment-hc|date=March 2012}}</ref> was a British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] politician.

==Early life==
Cooke was born in [[Cardiff]] to Walter R. Cooke and Maud Cowie.<ref>General Register Office — Births in April, May and June 1930 Vol: 11a 570</ref>

Cooke was educated at [[Downs Preparatory School|The Downs School]] in [[Wraxall, Somerset]], [[Harrow School]] and [[Christ Church, Oxford]].

==Career==
He served as a councillor on [[Bristol City Council]] 1954–57 and was a teacher of [[English language|English]] at a [[Bristol]] public school.<ref name=tg>''Times Guide to the House of Commons'', 1955, 1966 & October 1974</ref>

While a councillor and teacher, Cooke contested [[Bristol South East]] in 1955.
He was [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Bristol West]] from a 1957 by-election until 1979. He introduced the Fatal Accidents Act 1959, the direct forerunner to the [[Fatal Accidents Act 1976]] which provides for investigation and compensation in cases of work-related deaths. He was knighted in the [[1979 Birthday Honours]]. Cooke died in January 1987 at the age of 56 of motor neurone disease.<ref name=tg/>

==Film location owner==
He was the owner of [[Athelhampton]] House in Dorset, location of the 1972 film ''[[Sleuth (1972 film)|Sleuth]]'', starring [[Michael Caine]] and [[Laurence Olivier]], as well as the 1976 ''[[Doctor Who]]'' serial ''[[The Seeds of Doom]]''.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Hansard-contribs | mr-robert-cooke | Robert Cooke }}
*[https://archives.parliament.uk/collections/getrecord/GB61_COO Parliamentary Archives, Papers of Sir Robert Cooke  MP, 1930–1987]

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{{succession box 
  | title  = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Bristol West]]
  | years  = [[1957 Bristol West by-election|1957]]–[[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]
  | before = [[Walter Monckton]]
  | after  = [[William Waldegrave, Baron Waldegrave of North Hill|William Waldegrave]]
}}
{{succession box
  | title  = [[Baby of the House]]
  | years  = [[1957 Bristol West by-election|1957]]–1958
  | before = [[Marcus Kimball]]
  | after  = [[Basil de Ferranti]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Babies of the House}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooke, Robert}}
[[Category:1930 births]]
[[Category:1987 deaths]]
[[Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies]]
[[Category:Councillors in South West England]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:People educated at Harrow School]]
[[Category:Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1955–1959]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1959–1964]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1964–1966]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1966–1970]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1970–1974]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1974]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1974–1979]]


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