Tim Renton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Lord Renton of Mount Harry PC DL
Renton in Parliament, 2013
Ministerial offices 1984–1992 Minister of State for the Arts In office 28 November 1990 – 11 April 1992 Prime Minister John Major Preceded by David Mellor Succeeded by David Mellor (as Secretary of State for National Heritage) Government Chief Whip in the House of Commons Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury In office 24 July 1989 – 28 November 1990 Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher Preceded by David Waddington Succeeded by Richard Ryder Minister of State for Immigration In office 13 June 1987 – 25 July 1989 Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher Preceded by David Waddington Succeeded by Peter Lloyd Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs In office 2 September 1985 – 13 June 1987 Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher Preceded by Richard Luce Succeeded by David Mellor Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs In office 11 September 1984 – 1 September 1985 Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher Preceded by Ray Whitney Succeeded by Tim Eggar
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Life peerage 8 June 1997 – 14 April 2016
Member of Parliament for Mid Sussex
In office 28 February 1974 – 8 April 1997
Preceded by	Constituency created
Succeeded by	Nicholas Soames
Personal details
Born	Ronald Timothy Renton (1932-05-28)28 May 1932 London, England
Died	25 August 2020(2020-08-25) (aged 88) Offham, East Sussex, England
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Alice Fergusson ​ (m. 1960)​
Children	5, including Alex and Polly
Education	Eton College
Alma mater	Magdalen College, Oxford

Ronald Timothy Renton, Baron Renton of Mount Harry (born May 28, 1932 – died August 25, 2020) was a British politician. He was a member of the Conservative Party. He held important roles in the government and later became a member of the House of Lords.

About Ronald Renton

Ronald Timothy Renton was often known as Tim Renton. He was born in London, England. He had a very successful education.

His Early Life and Education

Tim Renton earned scholarships to two famous schools. First, he went to Eton College. After that, he studied at Magdalen College, Oxford. He graduated from Oxford with a top degree in History.

His Family Life

In 1960, Tim Renton married Alice Blanche Helen Fergusson. They lived in a place called Offham in East Sussex. They also had a holiday home on the island of Tiree.

They had five children. Their four surviving children are Alex Renton, who is a journalist, Christian Louise, Daniel Charles Antony, who works to protect the environment, and (Katherine) Chelsea, an artist. Sadly, their youngest daughter, Polly Renton, who made documentary films, passed away in 2010. Tim Renton died at his home in Offham in 2020, at the age of 88.

Renton's Political Journey

Tim Renton had a long and important career in British politics. He served as a Member of Parliament for many years. Later, he became a member of the House of Lords.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

After trying to become an MP in 1970, Tim Renton was successfully elected. He became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Mid-Sussex. He held this position from 1974 until 1997. An MP represents the people of their area in the UK Parliament.

Roles in Government

Tim Renton held several important jobs in the government. He was a Minister of State in the Foreign Office. He also worked in the Home Office. These roles involve helping to manage different parts of the country's affairs.

From 1989 to 1990, he was Margaret Thatcher's Chief Whip. The Chief Whip makes sure that members of their political party vote in Parliament as the party wants them to.

After Margaret Thatcher left office in 1990, Tim Renton worked for John Major's government. He served as the Minister for the Arts from 1990 to 1992. In this role, he helped look after the arts and culture in the UK.

Idea for the National Lottery

During his time as Minister for the Arts, Tim Renton had a big idea. He suggested creating a National Lottery for the United Kingdom. This idea was later adopted by the government. The National Lottery helps to raise money for good causes across the country.

He also helped start National Music Day (UK) with the famous musician Mick Jagger. This event celebrated music and ran from 1992 to 1997.

Joining the House of Lords

After leaving the House of Commons in 1997, Tim Renton was given a special honour. He was made a life peer. This meant he became Baron Renton of Mount Harry and could take a seat in the House of Lords. The House of Lords is the second chamber of the UK Parliament. He retired from the House of Lords in 2016.