Sir Peter James Bottomley (born 30 July 1944) is a British Conservative Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1975 until 2024, last representing Worthing West.

Before university, he worked around Australia, including three weeks teaching at Geelong Grammar School deputising for the explorer and teacher John Béchervaise, and unloading trucks in Melbourne docks.

[3] In the early 1970s, he co-founded the Neighbourhood Council in South Lambeth, resulting in the creation of football pitches and other facilities at Larkhall Park.

Hamling died on 20 March 1975, and in the space of 18 months, Bottomley faced the electors of Woolwich West for a third time at the by-election on 26 June 1975.

In 1978, as a member of the Parliamentary Human Rights Group,[6] he campaigned to prevent or to delay the anticipated assassination of Archbishop Óscar Romero[7] and represented the British Council of Churches at the Saint’s funeral in El Salvador in 1980 when 14 people died around him.

[4] At the 1979 general election, Bottomley was re-elected as MP for Woolwich West with a decreased vote share of 47.3% and an increased majority of 2,609.

[9] He has been chairman of the Church of England's Children's Society, a trustee of Mind and of Nacro and on the policy committee of One Parent Families.

He led the United Kingdom delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

[10] In 1982, he became the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Cranley Onslow.

At the 1983 general election, Bottomley's constituency of Woolwich West was subject to boundary changes and was renamed Eltham; he won the new seat with 47.9% of the vote and a majority of 7,592.

[11] Following the election, Peter Bottomley became the PPS to the Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Security, Norman Fowler.

[39] His great-grandfather Sir Richard Robinson led the Municipal Reformers to victory in the 1907 London County Council election.

In 1989, Bottomley successfully sued The Mail on Sunday, the Daily Express and News of the World for allegations connected with his support of the union membership of a social worker in his constituency accused of misbehaviour in a children's home.

In 1995, he was awarded £40,000 against the Sunday Express for an article which accused him of betraying the paratrooper Private Lee Clegg, who was in jail for the murder of a joyrider in Northern Ireland, by appearing at a meeting with Martin McGuinness.