Ex-Tory minister Norman Tebbit who served in Margaret Thatcher's government dies

Norman Tebbit, the erstwhile Tory curate who served successful Margaret Thatcher's government, has died astatine the property of 94.

Lord Tebbit died "peacefully astatine home" precocious connected Monday night, his lad William confirmed.

One of Mrs Thatcher's astir loyal furniture ministers, helium was a starring governmental dependable passim the turbulent 1980s.

Politics latest: Tributes paid to 'icon' Norman Tebbit

He held the posts of employment secretary, commercialized secretary, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Conservative enactment president earlier resigning arsenic an MP successful 1992 aft his woman was near disabled by the Provisional IRA's bombing of the Grand Hotel successful Brighton.

He considered lasting for the Conservative enactment aft Mrs Thatcher's resignation successful 1990, but was committed to taking attraction of his wife.

Tory person Kemi Badenoch called him an "icon" successful British authorities and said helium was "one of the starring exponents of the doctrine we present cognize arsenic Thatcherism".

"But to galore of america it was the stoicism and courageousness helium showed successful the look of terrorism, which inspired america arsenic helium rebuilt his governmental vocation aft suffering unspeakable injuries successful the Brighton bomb, and cared selflessly for his woman Margaret, who was gravely disabled successful the bombing," she wrote connected X.

"He ne'er buckled nether unit and helium ne'er compromised. Our federation has mislaid 1 of its precise champion contiguous and I talk for each the Conservative household and beyond successful recognising Lord Tebbit's tremendous intellect and profound consciousness of work to his country.

"May helium remainder successful peace."

Tory grandee David Davis told Sky News Lord Tebbit was a "great moving people Tory, ever acceptable to situation constitution accepted contented for the bogus nonsense it often was".

"He was 1 of Thatcher's bravest and strongest lieutenants, and a large friend," Sir David said.

"He had to woody with the agony that the IRA visited connected him and his wife, and helium did truthful with diagnostic unflinching courage. He was a large man."

Reform person Nigel Farage said Lord Tebbit "gave maine a batch of assistance successful my aboriginal days arsenic an MEP".

He was "a large man. RIP," helium added.

Born to working-class parents successful northbound London, helium was made a beingness adjacent successful 1992, a presumption helium held until helium retired successful 2022.

Lord Tebbit was commercialized caput erstwhile helium was injured successful the Provisional IRA's bombing successful Brighton during the Conservative Party league successful 1984.

Five radical died successful the onslaught and Lord Tebbit's wife, Margaret, was near paralysed from the cervix down. She died successful 2020 astatine the property of 86.

Before entering politics, his archetypal job, aged 16, was astatine the Financial Times wherever helium had his archetypal acquisition of commercialized unions and vowed to "break the powerfulness of the closed shop".

He past trained arsenic a aviator with the RAF - astatine 1 constituent narrowly escaping from the burning cockpit of a Meteor 8 pitchy - earlier becoming the MP for Epping successful 1970, past for Chingford successful 1974.

As a furniture minister, helium was liable for authorities that weakened the powers of the commercialized unions and the closed shop, making him the governmental embodiment of the Thatcherite ideology that was successful afloat swing.

His pugnacious attack was enactment to the trial erstwhile riots erupted successful Brixton, southbound London, against the backdrop of precocious rates of unemployment and mistrust betwixt the achromatic assemblage and the police.

He was often misquoted arsenic having told the unemployed to "get connected your bike", and was often referred to arsenic "Onyerbike" for immoderate clip afterwards.

What helium really said was helium grew up successful the '30s with an unemployed begetter who did not riot, "he got connected his motorcycle and looked for work, and helium kept looking 'til helium recovered it".