Sir John Anthony Kershaw MC (14 December 1915 – 29 April 2008) was a British Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for 32 years, from 1955 to 1987.

He was also a barrister, World War II cavalry officer, amateur rugby player and company director.

Kershaw read law at Balliol College, Oxford, where he befriended his contemporary Edward Heath.

At the beginning of World War II, Kershaw served with the Thames River police, then was commissioned second lieutenant in the 16th/5th Lancers on 15 June 1940.

He served with tanks, and was awarded the Military Cross (MC) for his actions north of the Kasserine Gap in Tunisia in 1943.

After the Conservatives returned to power following the 1970 general election, Kershaw became a junior minister during the 1970–1974 Conservative government, first as Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Public Building and Works (1970), then, after the death of Iain Macleod, as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (1970–1973), and finally Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Defence with responsibility for the Royal Air Force (June 1973 – January 1974), replacing Lord Lambton who resigned after a sex scandal.

[13][14] In 1984, he was forwarded information received by Tam Dalyell relating to the sinking of the General Belgrano in the Falklands War, which showed that the full facts had not been released to the public.

Kershaw sent the information to the Ministry of Defence, which identified the leak as originating with Clive Ponting, who was tried (but acquitted) for an offence under section 2 of the Official Secrets Act 1911.

[15] Kershaw joined the National Committee for Electoral Reform in 1976, and served as a vice-chairman of the British Council from 1974 to 1987.