Ian Taylor

Ian Colin Taylor MBE (born 18 April 1945)

He was during his first two terms appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) at the Foreign Office, Department of Health and Cabinet Office. He served as Minister for Science and Technology for most of the Second Major ministry: from 1994 to 1997. He became a Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland in 1997, tracking the peace process. He resigned in November 1997 after disagreeing with William Hague's increasing euro-scepticism. See his chapter in 'The Conservatives in Crisis' by Mark Garnett (Editor), Philip Lynch (Editor).

He supported bids for leadership and main policies of Kenneth Clarke except in the 2005 Conservative leadership contest when he backed David Davis.

Taylor was the Chairman of the European Movement (2000–2005) and a member of the Britain in Europe Council until 2005. He chaired the Conservative Group for Europe 2007–11. His views became increasingly challenged by the Conservative Party. In December 2000 he comfortably overcame an attempted de-selection campaign by eurosceptics in his constituency.

He specialised in science and technology issues. He was Minister for Science, Technology and Space at the DTI during 1994–1997 in a Conservative Government. During this time he dealt with a wide variety of issues, including providing support for the next phase of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, increasing awareness of the importance of access to the early internet revolution and coordinating Government support for the Roslin Institute which led to the Cloning of Dolly the Sheep and the creation of the Human Genetics Advisory Commission] in February 1997. See this background interview on his technology policies: https://archivesit.org.uk/interviews/ian-taylor-mbe/

He also published in January 1997 the first major Ministerial policy document on UK Space covering both Government and private sector activity.

In 2003, he was one of only 15 Conservative MPs who voted against the Iraq War.

He was Chairman of the Conservative Policy Task-force on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics 2005–2009. He chaired the all-Party Parliamentary and Scientific Committee (the oldest all-party committee), which includes the Parliamentary Engineering Group. He was also an officer of several all-party Parliamentary committees, including the Office of Science and Technology, the Information Society Alliance (EURIM), PITCOM (Information Technology Committee) and the Corporate Social Responsibility Group. For his comments on science roles, see https://portlandpress.com/biochemist/article/44/1/2/230733/Government-science-ambitions-require-greater

He was a member of the Commission on National Security 2007–09. He was a Visiting Parliamentary Fellow at St. Antony's College Oxford in the Hilary Term 2007, lecturing on energy security. He chaired the European Movement 2000–05 and the Conservative Europe Group 2007-11 and also in 1985–88. He also chaired the Cuba Initiative 2006–2011.

From 1997 until 2010, he was a non-executive director of or adviser to various companies, according to the Register of Members Interests. In 2008, Taylor gained the (Sir) Arthur C. Clarke Award for Individual Achievement in Promoting Space and Science. He was co-chair of the Parliamentary Space Committee and in 2009 he chaired the European Inter-Parliamentary Space Conference.

He decided not to re-stand as an MP in the run up to the 2010 election.

After Parliament Taylor has become chairman of tech-related ventures, on the board or advisory board of others. He was a strategic Advisor to the major satellite company Inmarsat 2013-2019. He was on the Government's Science and Technology Facilities Council 2011–2018, on an ESA (European Space Agency) Advisory Board, chaired the National Space Academy steering group until 2018 and was chair and now President of The League of Remembrance. He chaired the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund UKI2S 2012-2019. He chaired the Space Working Committee of D Group 2019-2024. https://www.dgroup.co.uk/

A podcast interview on his Space roles: https://www.thekarmanline.co.uk/ian-taylor-to-protect-satellites-in-space-find-your-friends-and-stick-with-them/

During the 2019 general election campaign, he declared that he had become an Independent Conservative and explained in an open letter why on balance he supported the Liberal Democrat candidate in Esher and Walton. In 2024 he gave his endorsement to the Lib Dem candidate Monica Harding, and welcomed her general election victory. He has recently supported Prosper UK, an independent group of mainly moderate Conservatives. www.ian-taylor.eu

Personal life Taylor married Carole Alport in 1974 (daughter of the late Lord Alport), and they have two sons and 5 grandchildren.