Francis Cockfield, Baron Cockfield

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Francis Arthur Cockfield, Baron Cockfield (born 28 September 1916) was a Conservative politician who was Secretary of State for Trade from 1982 until 1983 and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from 1983 until 1984.

He was educated at the London School of Economics and was a member of the bar. He began his early career at the Inland Revenue and was created Baron Cockfield, of Dover in the County of Kent in April 1978. On the election of Margaret Thatcher to office in May 1979, he became Minister of State at the Treasury, a post he held until April 1982. He then became the last Secretary of State for Trade before it was merged with the Department for Industry in 1983.

After the 1983 UK general election Lord Cockfield became Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster where he remained until September 1984. Lord Cockfield resigned to go to the Commission of European Communities as commissioner for Internal Market Tax Law and Customs as well as being Vice-President of the European Commission. He now sits as a backbencher. Since leaving the commission he has published work on the Single Market and has been given a number of honorary fellowships from British and also American universities.

Preceded by: John Biffen	Secretary of State for Trade 1982–1983	Succeeded by: see Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
Preceded by: Cecil Parkinson	Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1983–1984	Succeeded by: The Earl of Gowrie