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Norman Tebbit
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Norman Tebbit
Norman Beresford Tebbit, Baron Tebbit (29 March 1931 – 7 July 2025), was a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in Margaret Thatcher's Cabinet from 1981 to 1987 as Secretary of State for Employment (1981–1983), Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1983–1985), and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Chairman of the Conservative Party (1985–1987). He was a member of Parliament (MP) from 1970 to 1992, representing the constituencies of Epping (1970–1974) and Chingford (1974–1992).
In 1984, Tebbit was injured in the bombing of the Grand Hotel in Brighton, where he was staying during the Conservative Party Conference, by the Provisional IRA. His wife Margaret was left permanently disabled after the explosion. He left the Cabinet following the 1987 general election to care for his wife.
Tebbit considered standing for the Conservative leadership following Thatcher's resignation in 1990 but decided not to as he had earlier made a commitment to his wife to retire from front-line politics. He did not seek re-election as MP for Chingford in 1992 and was given a life peerage as Baron Tebbit, of Chingford. He retired from the House of Lords in 2022.
Born in Ponders End, Middlesex, on 29 March 1931, to working-class parents Leonard and Edith Tebbit, he went to Edmonton County Grammar School, which was then an academically selective state school in north London.
At the age of 16, Tebbit got a job with the Financial Times and had to join NATSOPA. Disliking rules that caused members who criticised union officials to be fined or expelled (and thus lose their jobs), he recalled vowing to "break the power of the closed shop".
In 1949, Tebbit joined the Royal Air Force for national service. After training, he was commissioned in the rank of pilot officer in November 1950. He transferred to the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) in November 1951, to continue his national service on a part-time basis. During his time in the air force, Tebbit flew Meteor and Vampire jets. In July 1954, at RAF Waterbeach near Cambridge, he had to escape from a burning Meteor 8 which had crashed off the end of the runway by breaking open the canopy. After completing his national service, he transferred to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) in April 1952, and was promoted to flying officer.
From 1951 to 1953, Tebbit worked in publishing and advertising. In 1953, Tebbit joined British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) as a navigator and pilot. Initially, between 1952 and 1955, continued to fly in RAuxAF the with 604 (County of Middlesex) Squadron at North Weald in Essex. Of his airline navigation training, he later said: "In those days it was a considerable academic syllabus. You had to be up to speed on spherical trigonometry to get through it". During his time at BOAC, he was an official in the British Airline Pilots' Association.
Tebbit was elected as MP for Epping in 1970 and then for Chingford in February 1974. He is recorded as an MP member of the Conservative Monday Club in 1970.
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Norman Tebbit
Norman Beresford Tebbit, Baron Tebbit (29 March 1931 – 7 July 2025), was a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in Margaret Thatcher's Cabinet from 1981 to 1987 as Secretary of State for Employment (1981–1983), Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1983–1985), and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Chairman of the Conservative Party (1985–1987). He was a member of Parliament (MP) from 1970 to 1992, representing the constituencies of Epping (1970–1974) and Chingford (1974–1992).
In 1984, Tebbit was injured in the bombing of the Grand Hotel in Brighton, where he was staying during the Conservative Party Conference, by the Provisional IRA. His wife Margaret was left permanently disabled after the explosion. He left the Cabinet following the 1987 general election to care for his wife.
Tebbit considered standing for the Conservative leadership following Thatcher's resignation in 1990 but decided not to as he had earlier made a commitment to his wife to retire from front-line politics. He did not seek re-election as MP for Chingford in 1992 and was given a life peerage as Baron Tebbit, of Chingford. He retired from the House of Lords in 2022.
Born in Ponders End, Middlesex, on 29 March 1931, to working-class parents Leonard and Edith Tebbit, he went to Edmonton County Grammar School, which was then an academically selective state school in north London.
At the age of 16, Tebbit got a job with the Financial Times and had to join NATSOPA. Disliking rules that caused members who criticised union officials to be fined or expelled (and thus lose their jobs), he recalled vowing to "break the power of the closed shop".
In 1949, Tebbit joined the Royal Air Force for national service. After training, he was commissioned in the rank of pilot officer in November 1950. He transferred to the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) in November 1951, to continue his national service on a part-time basis. During his time in the air force, Tebbit flew Meteor and Vampire jets. In July 1954, at RAF Waterbeach near Cambridge, he had to escape from a burning Meteor 8 which had crashed off the end of the runway by breaking open the canopy. After completing his national service, he transferred to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) in April 1952, and was promoted to flying officer.
From 1951 to 1953, Tebbit worked in publishing and advertising. In 1953, Tebbit joined British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) as a navigator and pilot. Initially, between 1952 and 1955, continued to fly in RAuxAF the with 604 (County of Middlesex) Squadron at North Weald in Essex. Of his airline navigation training, he later said: "In those days it was a considerable academic syllabus. You had to be up to speed on spherical trigonometry to get through it". During his time at BOAC, he was an official in the British Airline Pilots' Association.
Tebbit was elected as MP for Epping in 1970 and then for Chingford in February 1974. He is recorded as an MP member of the Conservative Monday Club in 1970.
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