Sir John Daniel Wheeler PC DL JP KStJ (born 1 May 1940) is a British Conservative politician who served as Security Minister in Northern Ireland.
Wheeler was also Director-General of the British Security Industry Association (1976–88), who made him an honorary member in 1990, and director of the National Supervisory Council for Intruder Alarms (1977–88).
He was hoping and expecting to continue this role after 1992, but found that the Conservative whips had made a rule that no member may serve on a Select Committee for more than three terms.
It was suggested in the press that this rule was designed to get rid of Nicholas Winterton, who had been a troublesome chair of the Health Select Committee, and that Wheeler was regarded as 'collateral damage'.
[2] Friendly with John Major because of entering Parliament together and being ideologically close, Wheeler was subsequently appointed to the government, serving as Security Minister at the Northern Ireland Office; he was also made a member of the Privy Council in 1993.
His prediction of losing his old seat was indeed right, as Karen Buck of the Labour Party became the new MP for Regent's Park & Kensington North, which covered most of Wheeler's old constituency.
Since leaving Parliament, Wheeler has undertaken a review of airport security for the United Kingdom and Australian governments in the light of the 11 September 2001 attacks.
He was non-executive director of security equipment companies Jasmin Plc from 1997 to 1998, Norbain from 1998 to 1999, and corporate intelligence firm Merchant International Group from 2003.