James Prior
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
- Conservative Party Vice-Chair 1965, Deputy Chairman 1972-1974
- Arab-British Chamber of Commerce Chair 1996-2004
Notes
- ↑ Lord Prior, www.parliament.uk, accessed 25 June 2010.
- ↑ Lord Prior, www.parliament.uk, accessed 25 June 2010.
- ↑ David Butler and Gareth Butler, Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900-2000, Macmillan, 2000, p.41.
- ↑ W.D Flackes, & Sydney Elliott, Northern Ireland: A Political Directory 1968-88, Blackstaff Press, 1989, p.224.
- ↑ W.D Flackes, & Sydney Elliott, Northern Ireland: A Political Directory 1968-88, Blackstaff Press, 1989, p.225.
- ↑ W.D Flackes, & Sydney Elliott, Northern Ireland: A Political Directory 1968-88, Blackstaff Press, 1989, p.225.
- ↑ Lord Prior, www.parliament.uk, accessed 25 June 2010.
