Jeremy Hanley

Sir Jeremy James Hanley KCMG was a British politician, chartered accountant, and public servant whose warmth, quick wit, and genuine dedication to those he served defined a life richly lived. Born on 17 November 1945 in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, he grew up in a family steeped in the performing arts — his father was the beloved actor Jimmy Hanley, and his mother the celebrated Dinah Sheridan. His sister Jenny Hanley would follow their parents onto the screen, while Jeremy charted a different course: one of public life, professional rigour, and quiet humour. Educated at Rugby School, Jeremy qualified as a chartered accountant after training at Peat Marwick Mitchell & Company — the firm now known as KPMG — between 1963 and 1969. He went on to lecture in Law and Accountancy at the Financial Training Company, eventually rising to deputy chairman. It was a grounding in precision, detail, and argument that would serve him well in politics. In the 1983 general election, Hanley won the Conservative seat of Richmond and Barnes by a majority of just 74 votes, one of the narrowest margins of that election. He would hold the seat for fourteen years, earning a reputation as an approachable and candid MP. Under Prime Minister John Major he rose steadily through government: Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 1990, Minister of State for the Armed Forces from 1993, and then, in July 1994, Chairman of the Conservative Party and Cabinet Minister without Portfolio — a demanding role he occupied during one of the most turbulent periods in modern Conservative history. He later served as Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, with responsibilities covering Hong Kong and the Middle East, until the party's defeat in 1997. That same year, John Major rewarded his loyal service with a knighthood in the farewell honours list. After leaving Parliament, Jeremy turned to business and the broader civic world — joining company boards, chairing the internet chess company Brain Games Network, and serving as a Director of the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce. A proud Member of Mensa, a Freeman of the City of London, and Master of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Accountants, he carried his many distinctions lightly. Sir Jeremy Hanley passed away on 22 May 2026 after a short illness. He is survived by his wife, Verna, Viscountess Villiers, three children, and five grandchildren, who knew him not as a statesman but as a husband, father, and grandfather of unfailing kindness.