Former Newbury MP Richard Benyon: Out of politics and back to nature
Life during lockdown and away from Parliament
In November 2019, Richard Benyon stepped down as MP for Newbury after serving his constituency for 14 years. He tells GERALDINE GARDNER what life is like after politics, that he doesn’t miss being on the naughty step and how his new unstructured life has never been busier
RICHARD Benyon is looking relaxed and happy as we chat in his study at Englefield House. He absentmindedly strokes his dog Willa’s ear as he looks back on what has been an extraordinary year for everyone, but one which has been the start of a new chapter for him personally.
“I never thought of politics as a job for life, but I have always been fascinated by it and feel very privileged to have been involved as Newbury’s MP – and for so long,” he says.
After a career in the army in the early 1980s, he studied at the Royal Agricultural University, then worked as a land agent and qualified as a chartered surveyor. His political career began in 1991 when he stood as a councillor.
“I had no ambitions then of becoming an MP, but when the opportunity arose, I felt it was the right time and the right place.
“Just as standing down in 2019 felt right – although had the General Election been held in a couple of years’ time, as it should have been, I would have hung on.”
His last few months as an MP were not without controversy.
When, in September 2019, he could not support the Government and sided with 20 other Tory rebels on a crucial Brexit vote he was “put on the naughty step” for a while, although he did eventually have the whip reinstated.
“That is something I will not miss,” he says. “Those 10pm calls from the whips office telling you to come in now for a vote.
“Especially on your wedding anniversary,” he adds ruefully – another naughty step moment.
During his 14-year career as an MP, he was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Natural Environment, Water and Rural Affairs, but was more recently happy to find a niche on the security committee, where his previous military experience came into its own.
Does he miss anything about the cut and thrust of politics?
“Honestly? Generally speaking, no, although I enjoyed tackling issues and just occasionally get a bout of FOMO – fear of missing out.
“I am reminded of a song from the musical Hamilton – ‘I want to be in the room where it happens’.
“I did enjoy sitting in the COBRA meetings where decisions were made, hearing all the arguments for and against, visiting GCHQ, MI6 and the like.
“But I think the biggest thing I miss – and this is going to sound a bit of a cliché – is the range of people I got to meet on a daily basis within the constituency.
“It’s something I’ve often talked about with Laura [Farris, who succeeded him as Newbury’s MP].
“You meet such amazing people, from the lollipop lady who has been quietly getting on with her job, to the charity stalwart who is recognised in the honours list and all the incredible companies and organisations.
“It really is a huge privilege.”
And what about personal achievements – what is he most proud of from his time in Parliament?
“I think – and I hope – that I helped many people on a local level, but on a national level it would have to be the Natural Environment White Paper which was published in 2012.
“It will take a generation to bear fruit, but it fundamentally showed a way to change our approach to conservation and instil a better understanding of the importance of nature and of looking after our natural resources.”
The environment and nature is evident in the many new projects he is now involved in.
“When I first decided to retire as an MP, I didn’t really have a plan as to what was next. I knew I would get involved in charity work and I am now on the board of three close to my heart – Plantlife UK, Blue Marine Foundation and Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust – and an adviser to two environmental consultancies.”
He has long been an advocate of cleaning up the rivers and waterways and during his time as an MP wrote a report on marine conservation.
“I now have a new friend – Feargal Sharkey – who is passionate about the importance of preserving our chalk streams and holding the big water companies to account.”
Feargal Sharkey was the lead singer of punk rock band The Undertones, before having a solo career. He then went on to become chief executive of UK Music.
A keen angler, he has now turned his attention to cleaning up our water.
“The Environment Agency does what it can, but it’s all about priorities and Feargal’s voice is a tremendous asset to the campaign – and adds a bit of street cred!
“My youngest son, who is 14, is very passionate about environmental issues and like many young people wants it all to change right now.
“It’s great to have that enthusiasm and of course he is right, we do need to change our attitude, but I do have to point out to him that it can’t all happen in an instant – he wants me to re-wild the whole estate, and I have to rein his enthusiasm in a little, while at the same time listening to the voices of the next generation.”
Educating future generations about the environment and nature is something else that he has advocated strongly, particularly through the work done on his estate.
The Englefield Estate covers some 14,000 acres and is a thriving community consisting of farms, woodlands and residential and commercial properties.
“Earlier this year we appointed an education and community engagement officer.
“We have always encouraged school visits, particularly primary school age children, but we were keen to widen the appeal to secondary schools, university students and community groups such as the U3A [University of the Third Age] and Rotary and other organisations.
“Of course nobody foresaw the extraordinary events of 2020, but during lockdown we produced a series of worksheets for schools and families to download and work on and we know that thousands did just that.
“It’s so important to make sure that the next generation learns about nature.
“The approach to education has already changed a great deal, most schools now have ‘outdoor classrooms’, and there is a real appetite for it.
“Many inner city children never get to see a field or farm animals or indeed birds, other than pigeons or magpies.
“So we encourage school visits to give them an opportunity to experience rural life.”
And if that isn’t enough to keep him occupied, he is also in the process of planning an eco-friendly homes scheme from scratch.
“I want to build houses and create sustainable communities that take a responsible approach to the environment and how people want to live in the decades ahead.”
He recently returned from Cornwall where he visited some of the projects set up by the Duchy under the auspices of Prince Charles.
“I am now on the Duchy of Cornwall board and they are a good model for sustainable living and community planning for the future.”
He is also president of the Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE), a two-year post which has come about in extraordinary times, but again he is keen to push innovation in science in order to create credible sustainable blueprints.
“The agricultural community has been through a lot of change and like many other industries has suffered as a result of coronavirus.
“And of course we also have to deal with what Brexit will bring – it is going to affect the agricultural community a great deal and we have to be ready for that – although there is little guidance and it’s hard to prepare for something when you’re not quite sure how it’s going to play out.”
So how did he handle his time in lockdown?
“I don’t think we really expected it to be so invasive – there have been pandemics before, such as SARS and the like, but they’ve never really impacted this country and certainly not West Berkshire.
“And now here we are, all in the same boat – a global problem.
“Obviously I am lucky, living on this estate and so I was able to appreciate my surroundings – I spent more time here during those three months, than I have since I was about seven years old.
“It was great having the family here in our bubble and we all pitched in with the cooking and enjoyed daily walks.
“I’ve definitely got fitter since leaving politics. There was no excuse for it before really, but I just didn’t do much exercise.
“One of the biggest changes to my life is the lack of structure.
“When I was in Parliament, I would spend Monday morning working on estate issues, then I would go up to London and stay there until Thursday, then the weekend would be devoted to the constituency – running my surgery and going out and meeting people.
“I love the fact that now I don’t know what I’ll be doing or where I’ll be from one week to the next – it makes my life more varied.
“The one constant is my PA Michele, who has been with me for 26 years, working in my constituency office and now organising my diary and making sure I’m in the right place at the right time.
“My family say I’m more relaxed and I am certainly relishing the challenges ahead and enjoying the variety of projects I am involved in.”
For now at least, it looks like Richard Benyon is happy to stay off the naughty step.
