Peter Walker, Baron Walker of Worcester

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Peter Edward Walker, Baron Walker of Worcester, MBE PC (born March 25, 1932) was Conservative MP for Worcester between March 1961 and April 1992, and the founder of the Tory Reform Group. He was a close ally of Edward Heath, and was dismissed by Margaret Thatcher when she became leader in February 1975 because he objected to her social and economic policies.

He rose very quickly through the ranks of the Conservative Party, and entered the Shadow Cabinet in 1965, and served as Minister of Housing and Local Government (1970), Secretary of State for the Environment (1970-72), and Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1972-74). Although he did not serve under Mrs Thatcher in opposition, he accepted her offer to return to the Cabinet as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in 1979 later serving as Secretary of State for Energy (1983-87) and Secretary of State for Wales (1987-90). He stood down from the Cabinet shortly before Mrs Thatcher herself was ousted in 1990.

In common with the late Edward Heath, he is a Pro-European Conservative and is a Patron of the Tory Reform Group. Upon his retirement from Parliament in 1992, he was appointed a Life peer, as Baron Walker of Worcester, of Abbots Morton in the County of Hereford and Worcester.

During the 1960s he was the junior partner in Slater Walker, an asset-stripping vehicle used by Jim Slater to generate immense paper profits until 1973. An ill-timed attempt to take over Hill Samuel resulted in the loss of city confidence in Slater Walker and Jim Slater became for a time a "minus millionaire". Peter Walker's political career survived and after retirement from politics he returned to the City as Chairman of Kleinwort Benson.

He is now Chairman of Allianz Cornhill Insurance plc, Vice Chairman of Dresdner Kleinwort and a non-executive director of ITM Power plc.

Peter Walker's son, Robin Walker, has been selected as the Conservative Party candidate for the Worcester constituency.


Preceded by
George Ward
MP for Worcester
1961–1992
Succeeded by
Peter James Luff
Preceded by
Secretary of State for the Environment
1970—1972
Succeeded by
Geoffrey Rippon
Preceded by
John Davies
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
1972—1974
Succeeded by
Peter Shore
Preceded by
John Silkin
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
1979—1983
Succeeded by
Michael Jopling
Preceded by
Nigel Lawson
Secretary of State for Energy
1983—1987
Succeeded by
Cecil Parkinson
Preceded by
Nicholas Edwards
Secretary of State for Wales
1987—1990
Succeeded by
David Hunt