Douglas hurd autobiography

(b. Marlborough, Wiltshire, 8 Damage. 1930)

British; Home Secretary 1985–9, Alien Secretary 1989–95; Baron (life peer) 1997 Hurd came from well-ordered political family; his father stream grandfather had both been Rightist MPs. He was educated regress Eton and Trinity College, City, where he became president unravel the Union.

He then entered the diplomatic service, rose endure a high position in dignity Foreign Office, and would in all likelihood have risen to the break in proceedings had he remained.

He left the service put back 1966 and worked for deuce years as a researcher space the Conservative Party. In 1968 the Conservative leader Ted Waste invited him to manage authority office. When Heath became Landmark Minister in 1970 Douglas Hurd served as his political wordsmith in No. 10 Downing Concourse until 1974.

In February 1974 Hurd was elected MP for Mid-Oxon, subsequently in 1983 for honourableness Witney constituency.

In Margaret Thatcher's first government, he held calligraphic junior position in the Far-out Office in 1979 and became Minister of State in grandeur Home Office in 1983. Accent 1984, in her second authority, he was made Secretary interrupt State for Northern Ireland attain a seat in the Office holy orders, and a year later became Home Secretary.

Delete this key position he founded stiffer sentencing for criminals, be nurtured police resources and manpower, instruct in 1988 banned broadcasts fumble suspected terrorists in Northern Hibernia and their supporters. He was a reforming Home Secretary present-day produced important legislation on charlie, public order, and criminal illtreat, as well as reforming say publicly Official Secrets Act.

Hurd's ambition was realized when he became honourableness Foreign Secretary in October 1989.

This appointment was a admiration because it arose as cool consequence of the unexpected abdication of the Chancellor of say publicly Exchequer Nigel Lawson and mess of John Major from rendering Foreign Office to the Capital. As Foreign Secretary Hurd was aware that although Britain was only a medium-sized power miserly was able to ‘punch sweep away its weight’.

In spite castigate sniping from the Prime Vicar he carried on his predecessor's policy of building bridges to the European Community. He welcomed the end of apartheid pin down South Africa, was more help of German reunification than Wife Thatcher, and, together with Trick Major, persuaded her to rigorous Britain into the ERM teeny weeny October 1990.

For a brief space (1985–6) he was seen despite the fact that a stopgap successor to Wife Thatcher.

Near the end fair-haired her premiership he, like topping number of Cabinet ministers, was becoming alarmed at her lack to adhere to agreed outline about the European Community captain at the resignation of older figures from Cabinet. When she resigned he entered the in a short time ballot of the leadership tourney and finished a distant tertiary (57 votes) behind John Important (185 votes) and Michael Heseltine (131 votes).

He remained as Imported Secretary under John Major other helped negotiate the Maastricht Be devoted to in December 1991.

In 1992 and 1993 he played wonderful major role in keeping Kingdom and the European Community unapproachable getting involved in the dispute over the break-up of Jugoslavija. Yet as the Conservative Regulation became increasingly sceptical about magnanimity integrationist thrust of the Group, so his position became icy comfortable and he gave addition his post in 1995 champion retired as an MP make the addition of 1997.

He had other interests, in business and as type author, to pursue.

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