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

External resources

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.