Former MP Sir Adam Butler, who won the Bosworth constituency in Leicestershire from the Labour Party in a shock election victory, died aged 76 on 9 January, 2008.

Sir Adam, who won the seat in 1970, was the first Conservative to hold the Bosworth constituency since the 1920s.

He was the son of Richard "Rab" Butler, the former Conservative Deputy Prime Minister.

Born in 1931, he was educated at Eton and in 1955 joined the family firm, Courtaulds, as an executive.

As an MP he went on to become Margaret Thatcher's parliamentary secretary before she became Prime Minister in 1979. He also served as a junior minister during her first eight years as Prime Minster.

Sir Adam, who lived and farmed in Warwickshire, was a member of the RSPCA council and of the Countryside Animal Welfare Group. He was knighted in 1986.

After retiring from Parliament in 1987 he resumed his business career, becoming deputy chairman of the CMW Group. Later he served as chairman of the British Hallmarking Council and as chairman of the Samuel Courtauld Trustees, which manages the Courtauld art collections.

He was a keen hunter and chairman of the Warwickshire Hunt for 23 years.

David Tredinnick, Conservative MP for Bosworth, said: "He was very widely respected in the constituency as a caring member and within the Conservative community for winning the seat from Labour and holding it in subsequent elections."

Sir Adam was survived by his wife, Felicity, two sons and a daughter.