Tom King, Baron King of Bridgwater
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| The Right Honourable The Lord King of Bridgwater, PC |
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| In office 24 July 1989 – 11 April 1992 |
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| Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher John Major |
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| Preceded by | George Younger |
| Succeeded by | Malcolm Rifkind |
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| In office 3 September 1985 – 24 July 1989 |
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| Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher |
| Preceded by | Douglas Hurd |
| Succeeded by | Peter Brooke |
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| In office 16 October 1983 – 2 September 1985 |
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| Preceded by | Norman Tebbit |
| Succeeded by | David Young |
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| In office 11 June 1983 – 16 October 1983 |
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| Preceded by | David Howell |
| Succeeded by | Nicholas Ridley |
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| In office 6 January 1983 – 11 June 1983 |
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| Preceded by | Michael Heseltine |
| Succeeded by | Patrick Jenkin |
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| Born | 13 June 1933 Rugby, Warwickshire, UK |
| Political party | Conservative |
Thomas Jeremy King, Baron King of Bridgwater, CH, PC (born 13 June 1933), is a British Conservative politician who was Member of Parliament for Bridgwater in Somerset, from 1970 until 2001.
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[edit] Early life
Educated at Sheriff House, Rugby School; King was elected to Parliament at a by-election in 1970, following the death of sitting MP Sir Gerald Wells.
[edit] In government
He held the posts of Employment Secretary and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland at a time when these were high-profile roles with the potential for controversy, but was not very well-known.
King also served as Defence Secretary under Prime Minister John Major during the Gulf War in 1991. After retirement to the back benches, he became chairman of the Intelligence and Security Select Committee, during which time KGB agent Vasili Mitrokhin defected to reveal 87-year-old Melita Norwood as a Soviet spy[1].
He is now a life peer as Baron King of Bridgwater, and sits in the House of Lords.
[edit] Personal life
He is married to Jane Tilney, now Lady King; and has one son Rupert (married to media and entertainment solicitor Alice Rayman), and one daughter Elisa.
[edit] References
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
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| Preceded by Sir Gerald Wills |
Member of Parliament for Bridgwater 1970–2001 |
Succeeded by Ian Liddell-Grainger |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Michael Heseltine |
Secretary of State for the Environment 1983 |
Succeeded by Patrick Jenkin |
| Preceded by David Howell |
Secretary of State for Transport 1983 |
Succeeded by Nicholas Ridley |
| Preceded by Norman Tebbit |
Secretary of State for Employment 1983–1985 |
Succeeded by The Lord Young of Graffham |
| Preceded by Douglas Hurd |
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 1985–1989 |
Succeeded by Peter Brooke |
| Preceded by George Younger |
Secretary of State for Defence 1989–1992 |
Succeeded by Malcolm Rifkind |
| New creation | Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee 1994–2001 |
Succeeded by Ann Taylor |
