Fred Silvester

For the organist and composer, see Frederick C. Silvester.

Frederick John Silvester (20 September 1933 – 5 July 2025) was a British Conservative Party politician.

Fred Silvester
Member of Parliament
In office 28 February 1974 – 18 May 1987
Preceded by	Robert Cary
Succeeded by	Keith Bradley
Constituency	Manchester Withington
In office 21 September 1967 – 29 May 1970
Preceded by	Edward Redhead
Succeeded by	Eric Deakins
Constituency	Walthamstow West
Personal details
Born	Frederick John Silvester (1933-09-20)20 September 1933 Hackney, London, England
Died	5 July 2025(2025-07-05) (aged 91)
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Victoria Silvester
Children	2

Life and career

The son of William Thomas Silvester and Kathleen Gertrude (née Jones), Silvester was born in Hackney, London on 20 September 1933.^[1][2] He was educated at Sir George Monoux Grammar School, Walthamstow, and Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, where he achieved a first class in Part I of the history tripos and a lower second in Part II of the law tripos, graduating in 1954.^[3][4][5] He was called to the bar at Gray's Inn in 1957, and became a Conservative member of Walthamstow Borough Council four years later.^[5] Having contested the Walthamstow West parliamentary constituency in 1966, Silvester was elected a Member of Parliament (MP) at the Walthamstow West by-election in 1967,^[1] but lost the seat at the 1970 general election.^[6] He was returned to Parliament at the February 1974 general election as MP for Manchester Withington,^[7] and held that seat^[8] but he was defeated at the 1987 general election by Labour's Keith Bradley.^[9]

As an Opposition Whip during Harold Wilson's second government (1974–76),^[5] Silvester is a major character in James Graham's play This House.^{[citation needed]}

Silvester died on 5 July 2025, at the age of 91.^[10][2]