Tory veteran from Marlborough stunned by PM’s salute (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Tory veteran from Marlborough stunned by PM’s salute

9:12am Thursday 14th October 2010 in Local By Nigel Kerton

Prime Minister David Cameron used his first conference speech as the country’s leader to single out 96-year-old Harry Beckhough from Marlborough as shining example to all.

Mr Beckhough, who lives in River Park, is believed to be the party’s longest serving member, having joined at the age of 15.

He still goes in to Devizes MP Claire Perry’s constituency office in Marlborough High Street most days and in the run-up to the general election in May he manned the loudhailer on the Tory battlebus in the town.

He had been surprised to receive an invitation to the Conservative annual conference and to have a car laid on to take him to Birmingham.

“I was not going to the conference this year,” said the former wartime code breaker who was born in Bristol.

Then he was surprised to find himself asked for lunch with Mr Cameron and Mrs Perry at which the prime minister asked him all about his 81 years of support for the party. Mr Beckhough said: “I told him I had my own gang of boys and I used to march around the centre of Bristol with an old broom handle with a blue flag on top and singing songs like Down with Stafford Cripps.”

In the afternoon Mr Beckhough listened to the MP’s speech and said he was ‘completely shocked’ to hear Mr Cameron talking about him and then the cameras of the TV and press zooming in on him.

Mr Cameron told delegates Mr Beckhough joined the party as a teenager. He went on: “Since then, across 81 years and 21 general elections Harry has been with us and I am delighted to say that Harry is with us here today.

“I tell you something ... this is a party for all generations. Harry, without people like you we would not be here and our party would not be in government.”

Mr Beckhough said he felt obliged to stand to take a bow for the cameras.