Beverley Baxter

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Sir Arthur Beverley Baxter, often known as Beverley Baxter, was a Canadian-born British journalist and Conservative politician. He was born on 8 January 1891 in Toronto and died on 26 April 1964 in London. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1935 until his death in 1964, first for Wood Green and later for the Southgate constituency. He was knighted in 1954.

Early life and war service
Baxter left school at 15 and worked selling pianos. He joined the Canadian Army in World War I and served as a signals lieutenant in France. After the war, he moved to London in 1919 and began a journalism career.

Journalism career
He joined the Daily Express and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming managing editor of the Sunday Express in 1922 and then editor-in-chief of the Daily Express in 1924. Under his leadership, the paper’s circulation grew substantially. He left the Daily Express in 1933 and worked in public relations for Gaumont British and other roles. Baxter also wrote a London-based political column and became theatre and music critic for the Evening Standard during the war years, continuing in that role after leaving Parliament.

Political career
Baxter was elected as a Conservative MP for Wood Green in 1935. In 1950, he moved to the new Southgate seat and remained an MP until his death in 1964. He was known as a loyal government supporter, championed the British Empire, and campaigned for the abolition of capital punishment. In the late 1930s he supported appeasement of Germany. He also contributed a regular London Letter to Maclean’s magazine in Canada from 1936 to 1960.

Personal life
In 1924, Baxter married Edith Christina Letson. They had a son, Clive, and a daughter, Meribah. Baxter’s career spanned journalism, theatre criticism, and politics, and he remained active in public life until his health declined.