Sir Julian Michael Gordon Critchley was a British journalist, author and Conservative Party politician.
13 Facts About Julian Critchley
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Julian Critchley was the member of parliament for Rochester and Chatham from 1959 to 1964 and Aldershot from 1970 to 1997.
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Julian Critchley returned to London to take his Higher Certificate and was rejected from National Service after contracting polio.
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Julian Critchley served as a Conservative Member of Parliament, first for Rochester and Chatham from 1959 to 1964 and then for Aldershot from 1970 until his retirement in 1997.
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Julian Critchley was considered to be on the left wing of the Conservative Party and never attained ministerial rank.
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Julian Critchley became identified as a prominent Tory critic of Margaret Thatcher.
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Julian Critchley memorably referred to Thatcher as "the great she-elephant" and claimed responsibility for the currency of the phrase "one of us", which she used privately to refer to any colleague whom she saw as loyal and supportive of her policies.
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Julian Critchley was a long-standing friend of Michael Heseltine, having met him first at preparatory school.
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Julian Critchley then became an infrequent attender at the House of Commons until his retirement in 1997.
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Julian Critchley's health declined steadily and he died in hospital at Hereford on 9 September 2000, at the age of 69.
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Julian Critchley was buried in the parish churchyard at Wistanstow near Craven Arms.
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Julian Critchley became highly regarded as a witty and acerbic political writer and journalist, increasingly so towards the end of his life.
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Julian Critchley wrote two mystery novels set in Parliament, Hung Parliament and Floating Voter, which feature an MP turned sleuth apparently based on Critchley himself along with a mixture of real and invented MPs, the latter providing the victims and suspects.