Francis Pym
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Francis Leslie Pym, Baron Pym MC, PC (13 February 1922 – 7 March 2008) was a British Conservative Party politician who, during his political career, held several Cabinet positions.
He was born at Penpergwm Lodge, near Abergavenny in Monmouthshire, and was educated at Eton and Magdalene College, Cambridge. For much of World War II he served in North Africa and Italy as a Captain and regimental adjutant in the 9th Lancers and he was awarded the Military Cross; he ended his military service as a Major.
He was a managing director and landowner, and became a Councillor on Herefordshire County Council.
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[edit] Political career
Pym contested Rhondda West without success in 1959 and entered Parliament in 1961 at a by-election as Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire. He held the seat until 1983, and was MP for Cambridgeshire South East 1983–1987.
Pym was an Opposition whip from 1964 and served under Edward Heath as Government Chief Whip (1970–1973) and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1973–1974), and Margaret Thatcher as Defence Secretary (1979–1981), Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council (1981–1982). He took up the role of Tory foreign secretary during the Falklands War in 1982 following Lord Carrington's resignation, but was removed from this role by Margaret Thatcher in 1983 after her second election victory (see also Conservative Government 1979-1997).
He was regarded as a leading member of the Wets during the Thatcher administration. During the 1983 general election campaign he stated on the BBC's Question Time programme that he thought that "Landslides don't on the whole produce successful governments".[1] This was publicly repudiated by his party leader Margaret Thatcher.
Shortly afterwards, he launched a new pressure group called Conservative Centre Forward specifically to argue for more centrist, One Nation policies. But with Mrs Thatcher now at the height of her powers, it was unsuccessful.
He stood down at the 1987 election and was created a life peer as Baron Pym, of Sandy in the County of Bedfordshire. Pym was not a descendant of the 17th century Parliamentarian John Pym as has been commonly held. See Pym's own published family history. His father, Leslie Pym, was also a Member of Parliament; his grandfather, Rt. Rev. Walter Pym, was Bishop of Bombay.
[edit] Portrayal on Television
In the controversial television drama, the Falklands Play, the character of Pym was portrayed by Peter Childs. In 1989, Jonathan Lynn revealed that Pym had been the touchstone for the role of Chief Whip played by Peter Cartwright in Yes, Prime Minister.
[edit] Death
He died on 7 March 2008 after a prolonged illness, aged 86. [2]
[edit] References
- Obituary, The Guardian, 7 March 2008
- Obituary, The Times, 8 March 2008
- Obituary, The Independent, 8 March 2008
- Obituary, The Daily Telegraph, 8 March 2008
