Denis Keegan

Denis Michael Keegan (26 January 1924 – 9 October 1993) was a British barrister and company manager who served a single term as a Conservative Party Member of Parliament. He became known as a moderate politician who opposed capital punishment and restrictions on immigration. He left Parliament to represent small retailers who sold television and radio sets.

Early life Keegan was the only son of Denis Francis Keegan, a member of the Indian Civil Service born in London (although both father and son would identify themselves as Irish). His mother, born in Newfoundland as Armine Gosling, was a Bermudian (a member of the family famous for the company Gosling Brothers Ltd, Bermuda's best-known wines and spirits importer, distributor and retailer), and he spent most of his childhood in Bermuda.

Education Keegan was sent to Oundle School in Northamptonshire; When he finished at school, instead of a British university Keegan went to Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario. His permanent residence at the time was Paget, Bermuda. In 1944 he travelled to the UK from Canada to join the Fleet Air Arm as a pilot, with a petty officer rank. He practised mainly in Nottingham, where he became politically active in the Conservative Party. Keegan was elected as a Conservative to Nottingham City Council in 1953. Keegan's responsibilities on the council included serving on the National Council of Social Service. He also became a member of the Home Office advisory panel on juvenile delinquency. In fact, Keegan went on to record a surprising victory Keegan was in a minority in the Conservative Party in supporting abolition. Silverman's Bill was passed but rejected by the House of Lords; when the Government then brought in the compromise Homicide Bill restricting the use of capital punishment, Keegan felt he could support it. Keegan also spoke to oppose restrictions on Commonwealth immigration in principle. He found that this job took up an increasing amount of his time, but it was profitable work with the increase in television production during the 1950s. Keegan eventually decided to leave Parliament to concentrate on his business career. He criticised Sidney Bernstein of Granada Television for arguing against 625 line colour television because ITA stations were restricted to 405 lines, arguing that Bernstein should instead campaign for an early changeover of ITA programmes to 625 lines so that television did not become obsolete. In 1967 he speculated that constant expansion of the BBC would lead to the corporation applying for permission to run advertising.

Later life In 1975, Keegan became general manager of the Mercantile Credit Company, a post he held for eight years. He also set up a public relations firm dealing with hire purchase called HP Information. He became chairman of this company in 1984. In later life he returned to the Bar. He suffered from ill health in retirement and died from cancer.