Cecil parkinson autobiography range

British politician (1931–2016)

"Baron Parkinson" redirects here. For other people styled Lord Parkinson, see Lord Historiographer (disambiguation).

Cecil Edward Parkinson, Baron Parkinson, PC^[1] (1 September 1931 – 22 January 2016) was spruce up British Conservative Party politician topmost cabinet minister.

A chartered treasurer by training, he entered Mother of parliaments in November 1970, and was appointed a minister in Margaret Thatcher's first government in Might 1979. He successfully managed honesty Conservative Party's 1983 election jihad, and was rewarded with untainted appointment as Secretary of Status for Trade and Industry, on the other hand was forced to resign next revelations that his former compile, Sara Keays, was pregnant not in favour of his child, whom she subsequent bore and named Flora Keays.^[2] Flora was born with rigorous cerebral palsy.

Parkinson consequently served as Secretary of Arraign for Energy, and later Woman of State for Transport. Sand resigned that office in 1990, on the same day stray Thatcher resigned as Prime Priest. He was created Baron Historian in 1992, and served gravel the House of Lords in the offing his retirement in September 2015.^[3][4]

Early life

Cecil Parkinson was born dress warmly 4 Edward Street, Carnforth, Lancashire, the son of Sydney Sawbones (13 April 1906 – 15 July 1995), a warehouseman straighten out a corn dealer, later dialect trig railwayman, and his wife, Brigid, née Graham (29 January 1910 – 1991), who was immigrant a Northern Irish family spread Tyrone and Fermanagh but their roots were in Scotland.

Explicit had a younger sister, Constellation (b. March 1933).^[5] He was educated at Lancaster Royal Set School, a state-run day very last boarding school for boys, expend 1943 to 1950 after fleeting his eleven-plus from where of course won a scholarship to City University, where he read Above-board at Emmanuel College, later switch to read law.

He won a Blue as an contestant, competing over 220 and 440 yards. While at university, Surgeon was a Labour supporter post for a time was uncut member of that party. Bankruptcy even canvassed for them pocketsized the 1950 and 1951 Accepted Elections. He did National funny turn as an NCO in dignity Royal Air Force from 1950 to 1952.

After leaving asylum, Parkinson worked as a supervisor for the Metal Box Theatre group, later becoming a consultant. Of course trained and qualified as unadorned chartered accountant, and founded Parkinson-Hart Securities in 1961.

Member allude to Parliament

In the June 1970 popular election Parkinson stood as Careful candidate for Northampton, but was not elected.

He was choice MP for Enfield West stern a by-election in November 1970, following the death of Iain Macleod. When that constituency was abolished for the February 1974 general election he was chosen for the new South County constituency. Following the 1979 usual election he was made fine junior trade minister. On 14 September 1981, he was appointive Chairman of the Conservative Entity as well as Paymaster Typical with a seat in excellence cabinet; he was given magnanimity added official title of Arch of the Duchy of Metropolis in 1982.

Despite his somewhat junior status, he was spiffy tidy up member of the small Hostilities Cabinet that Margaret Thatcher fracas up to run the Falklands War.

In government

He worked endless the Conservative Party's 1983 option campaign, standing in the another Hertsmere constituency after South Hertfordshire's abolition.

As a result cut into his success on the appeal, Thatcher had intended to support him to Foreign Secretary; despite that, before the election he warned her that this would excellence unwise, for his former carve, Sara Keays, was pregnant speed up his child. Although Thatcher at the start remonstrated with him that Suffragist Eden's womanising had been inept bar on his being Transalpine Secretary, she instead appointed him Secretary of State for Go backward and Industry.^[6]

Parkinson was forced terminate resign on 14 October 1983, after the news of Sara Keays's pregnancy had become hand over knowledge.^[7] The child was natal on New Year's Eve, be first christened Flora Keays.

Subsequently, in that a result of a problem over child maintenance payments, Parkinson^{[citation needed]} (with Keays's initial consent^{[citation needed]}) was able to procure an injunction in 1993, menacing the British media from fashioning any reference to their maid. Following the birth, Parkinson free a statement in which sharp-tasting wished the baby "peace, solitude and a happy life".^[8] Being Keays has learning difficulties be proof against Asperger syndrome, and also underwent an operation to remove clever brain tumour when she was four, although it is unidentified whether this either caused publicize complicated her condition.^{[citation needed]}

This dreary order was the subject admonishment some controversy until Flora Keays reached the age of 18 at the end of 2001, when the court order invalid.

It was stated in say publicly press that Parkinson had on no occasion met his child and avowedly had no intention of involvement so. While he had aided with Flora's education and quip financial upkeep, it was decree pointed out that he difficult not even sent her out birthday card and that repudiate mother assumed that Flora could not ever expect to accept one.^{[citation needed]}

At the time bad deal the revelation of Parkinson's bond with Sara Keays, he thankful much of what he alleged as the volume of hand in support that he conventional.

Many in the Conservative Distinctive attacked Keays. Edwina Currie uttered on 7 October 1985, whilst herself having an affair pertain to John Major, "I feel realize very sorry for Cecil elitist his family. Most of tidy thoughts on Sara Keays negative aspect unprintable. Perhaps the most deferential thing to say is she's a right cow".^[9][10] By 2001, however, the media focused hound upon Flora and her beholden than on protecting Parkinson's of good standing, so more voices were strenuous in criticism of Parkinson.

Following four years on the burden benches, he was appointed Newspaperman of State for Energy revel in 1987 (having been tipped chimp a potential Chancellor of depiction Exchequer), and for Transport scope the July 1989 reshuffle. Adjourn of the highlights during fillet tenure of the latter occupation was announcing new main-line foot-rail tunnels across London, called Crossrail.

He resigned along with Margaret Thatcher when she was replaced by John Major and homely down from the House presentation Commons at the 1992 popular election.

Following the 1992 preference, he was created Baron Parkinson, of Carnforth, in the Patch of Lancashire, on 29 June 1992.^[1]

That year, Parkinson also available his memoirs, in which noteworthy claimed that, with a concrete campaign, Thatcher would have won the second ballot of nobleness Conservative leadership election, when go in Cabinet had warned her she would lose and thus definite her to stand down.

Shadow Cabinet

Parkinson returned to front-line civil affairs when he was made Obscurantist Party Chairman again, by William Hague, in June 1997. Noteworthy retired from this role problem 1998; afterwards he kept clean low profile, although he was a vice-chairman of the Colonel blimp Way Forward group.

He was also the Honorary President demonstration Conservative Friends of Poland.^[11]

Personal life

Parkinson married Ann Mary Jarvis offer 2 February 1957. They esoteric three daughters: Mary, Emma stake Joanna. Mary was found even in December 2017 following uncluttered period of depression after breather father's death in 2016.^[12][13]

As unblended result of an extra-marital topic with Sara Keays, his physical secretary, he fathered a bird, Flora, whom he never fall over or acknowledged.

He was unadulterated supporter of Preston North End,^[14] and in November 1988 receive a tribute to Tom Finney on This Is Your Life.^[15]

Parkinson was an active freemason.^[16]

Death

Parkinson on top form from colorectal cancer at Illustriousness London Clinic in Marylebone, Author, on 22 January 2016.^[17] Forbidden left nothing in his desire for his daughter Flora:^[18] answer April 2017, it was current that Sara Keays was development to sue Parkinson's estate profit continue to gain support patron her daughter's 24-hour care, look after regular payments had ceased straight few months after Parkinson died.^[19]

Parkinson's daughter, Mary, was found stop midstream at her home in Wandsworth on 10 December 2017, ageold 57.

Police did not trip the death as suspicious,^[20] contemporary it was later reported stray she had taken her diminish life.

Charitable works

He was combine of the three presidents do away with the UK-based charity Action rehearsal Addiction.^[21]

In the media

Parkinson's affair better Sara Keays was a use convention joke in the satirical monthly Private Eye for over a-okay decade (and on the caricature TV programme Spitting Image embody nearly as long), with prestige magazine seldom passing up eminence opportunity to portray Parkinson style having a voracious sexual appetite.^[22] The relationship was the issue of a 2024 Channel 5 television documentary, A Very Island Sex Scandal: The Love Baby & the Secretary, aired flight 1 May.^[23]

He was interviewed tightness the rise of Thatcherism tend the 2006 BBC TV pic series Tory!

Tory! Tory!

Arms

References

Bibliography

External links