James Prior

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James Prior is a Conservative peer.[1]

Prior held the following positions during his career as an MP:

MP (Conservative) for: Lowestoft 1959-83, Waveney 1983-87; PPS: to President of the Board of Trade 1962-63, to Minister of Power 1963-64, to Edward Heath as Leader of the Opposition 1965-70; Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1970-72; Lord President and Leader of the House 1972-74; Opposition Spokesperson for Employment 1974-79; Secretary of State for: Employment 1979-81, Northern Ireland 1981-84.[2]

Northern Ireland

Prior served as Northern Ireland Secretary from 14 September 1981 to 11 September 1984.[3]

Considered one of the 'wets' in Mrs Thatcher's Cabinet, Prior brought three close political allies to Northern Ireland with him, Lord Gowrie, Nicholas Scott and John Patten. [4]

His proposals for 'rolling devolution' led to the election in 1982, which was however boycotted by the SDLP. [5]

GEC

After stepping down from ministerial office, Prior became chairman of GEC.[6]

House of Lords

He was raised to the peerage as Baron Prior, of Brampton in the County of Suffolk in 1987.[7]

Affiliations

Notes

  1. Lord Prior, www.parliament.uk, accessed 25 June 2010.
  2. Lord Prior, www.parliament.uk, accessed 25 June 2010.
  3. David Butler and Gareth Butler, Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900-2000, Macmillan, 2000, p.41.
  4. W.D Flackes, & Sydney Elliott, Northern Ireland: A Political Directory 1968-88, Blackstaff Press, 1989, p.224.
  5. W.D Flackes, & Sydney Elliott, Northern Ireland: A Political Directory 1968-88, Blackstaff Press, 1989, p.225.
  6. W.D Flackes, & Sydney Elliott, Northern Ireland: A Political Directory 1968-88, Blackstaff Press, 1989, p.225.
  7. Lord Prior, www.parliament.uk, accessed 25 June 2010.