Remembering Philip Bushill-Matthews

Philip was an MEP and Leader of Conservative MEPs. After Malvern, Philip read English at Oxford University where he threw himself into acting. He then became a pea salesman driving around in a Birds Eye frozen pea van.

He moved on from van driving and became the youngest director of Birds Eye Wall’s Ltd at the age of 38. He went on to become Managing Director of a series of food manufacturing companies, gaining a place on Harvard’s Advanced Management Program along the way.

Increasingly frustrated by EU regulations, Philip decided to quit his successful 30-year career in business to become a Member of the European Parliament (MEP).

He applied to be on the Conservative MEP selection shortlist at the same time as Winston Churchill MP (grandson of Sir Winston Churchill), Nick Budgen MP and Norman Lamont MP. The selection panel discarded their applications – yet interviewed Philip. He passed and, following a successful campaign, was elected as the Conservative MEP for the West Midlands.

Philip’s main European Parliament committee was the Employment and Social Affairs Committee where he was appointed Conservative Spokesman. He made it his mission to stop the mounting burden of bureaucracy and was particularly excited by his negotiation of amendments to the Chocolate Directive, which finally enabled British Dairy Milk chocolate to be sold throughout the EU.

He played an active part in MEP delegations to Pakistan and Syria, and in the West Midlands spoke at events held in a plethora of venues. Philip stood down as an MEP in 2009, briefly coming out of political retirement in 2016 to campaign for Remain.

In 2019, unimpressed by the direction the Conservative Party was going in and believing it was no longer the party he joined, he switched allegiance, joining the Liberal Democrats.

Aged 70, Philip undertook a degree in Archaeology and then embarked on a third career as an Arts lecturer, both on cruise ships and dry land, speaking based on his research.

He leaves behind a wife, Angela, three children and eight grandchildren.

Philip died on 10th December 2023, aged 80.