Education
Hirst, from a Yorkshire military family, was educated at Charterhouse School and Street John"s College, University of Cambridge.
Hirst, from a Yorkshire military family, was educated at Charterhouse School and Street John"s College, University of Cambridge.
He went into industry, becoming President of the Leeds Chamber of Commerce. He was also Chairman of the East and West Ridings Yorkshire Regional Council of the Federation of British Industries. He remained on the backbenches, although he did become Chairman of the Conservative ary Trade and Industry Committee.
He often raised the issue of the textiles industry.
Hirst was a right-winger and supported an aggressive policy over the Suez Canal in 1956. He did not go through with this idea, but his constituency association gave backing to him.
In June 1963, Hirst called for "a new and younger leadership" for the government before the next general election, an indirect call for Harold Macmillan to resign. During the Alec Douglas-Home government, Hirst objected to Edward Heath"s bill to abolish resale price controls, and jibed that the reason the negotiations for the United Kingdom to join the European Economic Community had failed was that there was no room in Europe for two de Gaulles.
With Heath as Conservative Party leader after 1965, Hirst became even more disillusioned.
Following the 1966 general election, he launched a single-handed campaign against the Wilson government"s Prices and Incomes Bill. On 10 July 1966 he announced that he would no longer receive the Conservative whip because the party would not vote against the Bill. He sat through the rest of the as an Independent Conservative, but did not attempt to retain his seat at the 1970 general election.
39th United Kingdom. 40th United Kingdom. 41st United Kingdom.
42nd United Kingdom. 43rd United Kingdom. 44th United Kingdom
During the Second World War, Hirst served with the Royal Artillery (he had been a member of the Territorial Army before it).
At the 1950 general election, Hirst was elected as Conservative Member of for Shipley.