FORMER Conservative MP Lord Eden of Winton is to retire from Parliament after 61 years.

The former John Eden represented Bournemouth West in the House of Commons for 29 years and has spent almost 32 years in the House of Lords.

Lord Eden, 89, has announced he will retire from the House of Lords on June 11 and will make a valedictory speech on Tuesday, June 2.

He was elected to represent Bournemouth West in a by-election in February 1954, becoming the youngest member of the House of Commons at the time. He defended the seat at eight general elections.

He is the nephew of Sir Anthony Eden, who was Foreign Secretary at the time of his election and succeeded Winston Churchill as Prime Minister soon after.

John Eden went on to become a minister of state for industry in Ted Heath’s Conservative government in 1970. He was minister of posts and communications from 1972-74 and became chairman of the energy select committee after Margaret Thatcher came to power in 1979.

He has remained active in the House of Lords and told the Daily Echo last year: “It’s ridiculously overlooked by most commentators and most people.

“It’s a very important revising chamber, it does very significant work in improving legislation out of all recognition. It represents the people often more effectively than does the House of Commons.”