David Hunt

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other persons named David Hunt, see David Hunt (disambiguation).

David James Fletcher Hunt, Baron Hunt of Wirral, PC, MBE (born 21 May 1942), is an English Conservative politician, and was a member of the Cabinet during the Margaret Thatcher and John Major administrations.

He became Member of Parliament for Wirral after winning a by-election in 1976. The seat was broken up and Hunt became Member of Parliament for the new Wirral West constituency in 1983.

In government he served as a whip and junior minister under Margaret Thatcher, who made him Secretary of State for Wales in 1990, shortly before her resignation later that year. He remained at the Welsh Office until 1993, then served as Secretary of State for Employment from 1993 to 1994 and as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from 1994 to 1995. He briefly returned to the Welsh Office, whilst remaining Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, for two weeks during the leadership election in the summer of 1995 as acting Secretary of State for Wales after the incumbent, John Redwood stepped down in order to be a candidate.

He lost his seat in the Labour landslide at the 1997 general election.

He was made a life peer as Baron Hunt of Wirral, in 1997. Lord Hunt was senior partner at his national law firm - Beachcroft Wansbroughs (now Beachcroft LLP) - between 1996-2005. He is now chairman of the firm's financial services division and is regarded as a major figure in the world of insurance and financial services. On certain Bills he occasionally steps back up to the opposition front bench in the House of Lords, on an ad hoc basis.

Hunt was awarded an honourary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Bristol on 21st February 2008. He is vice-president of the Holocaust Educational Trust.^[1]

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Selwyn Lloyd	Member of Parliament for The Wirral 1976–1983	Succeeded by constituency abolished
Preceded by new constituency	Member of Parliament for Wirral West 1983–1997	Succeeded by Stephen Hesford
Political offices
Preceded by John Cope	Treasurer of the Household 1987–1989	Succeeded by Tristan Garel-Jones
Preceded by Peter Walker	Secretary of State for Wales 1990–1993	Succeeded by John Redwood
Preceded by Gillian Shephard	Secretary of State for Employment 1993–1994	Succeeded by Michael Portillo
Preceded by William Waldegrave	Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1994–1995	Succeeded by Roger Freeman
Preceded by John Redwood	Secretary of State for Wales 1995	Succeeded by William Hague