Former UK Cabinet Minister Norman Tebbit Passes Away at Age 94.
Obituary
On July 7, 2025, Lord Norman Tebbit, the outspoken Conservative politician and key ally of Margaret Thatcher, died peacefully at his home in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. His death at age 94 marks the end of a political career defined by strong convictions, dramatic reforms, and personal resilience.
- Tebbit had a distinguished parliamentary career spanning from 1970 to 1992, first serving as MP for Epping and later Chingford before being elevated to the House of Lords in 1992, officially retiring in 2022.
- Within Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet, he held several high-profile roles: Employment Secretary (1981–83), Trade and Industry Secretary (1983–85), Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and Conservative Party Chairman (1985–87).
- He was instrumental in shaping the Thatcher-era economic agenda, championing significant reforms to curb trade union power under the 1982 Employment Act, dismantle subsidies to failing industries, and introduce a free-market ethos in the UK. His famous "get on your bike" remark during unemployment debates encapsulated his philosophy of resilience and self-reliance.
Main Point :- (i) Tebbit survived the 1984 IRA bombing at the Brighton Grand Hotel, where he and his wife Margaret sustained serious injuries—she was left permanently paralysed and he carried lifelong physical reminders of the attack. He stepped down from Cabinet in 1987 to care for his wife, dedicating himself to her well-being until her passing in 2020.
(ii) Despite retirement, Tebbit remained politically active as a life peer, voicing strong Eurosceptic views—most notably opposing the Maastricht Treaty—and advocating conservative principles into his later years.
(iii) Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and former PM David Cameron praised Tebbit’s enduring impact, while Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called him a “titan of Conservative politics”.
____________________________
