492
Parliamentary Profiles
'87; visited Brussels and Strasbourg as guest of European Commission Sep '87; his plans for a Scottish constitutional convention leading to an elected legislature were adopted by the Campaign for a Scottish Assembly Dec '87; spoke up for low-strength whisky (as manufactured by Co-op and Glen Catrine) in Scotch Whisky Bill debate Dec '87; again visited Miami as guest of West India Committee Dec '87; co-nominated BBC External Services for Nobel Peace Prize Feb '88; introduced Bill to control smoking in work places Mar '88; was on IPU trip to Guatemala Apr '88; was rebuked by feminist Harriet Harman for calling Mrs Thatcher a "fishwife" rather than a "fishperson" May '88; was cited in survey by the INDEPENDENT as having a 100% voting record May '88; visited UN and El Salvador June '88; returning from Hongkong, urged a rethink on Basic Law July '88; led delegation to US Embassy protesting renewed aid to Contras July '88; visited China as guest of its Communist Party July '88; on return from Chile, urged monitoring of October plebiscite Sep '88; revisited Chile as guest of UK Chile Committee of Human Rights Oct '88; pressed for guarantees on proposed flights of radioactive plutonium through Prestwick Oct '88; accused Mrs Thatcher of "the most mistaken intervention" in Poland since Adolf Hitler Nov '88; urged UK's use of its 'special relationship' to avoid a trade war over EEC's ban on hormone-treated meat from USA Dec '88; led resistance to down-grading of Prestwick airport Feb '89;
Born 21 January 1942 Oswestry
Family S late George Foulkes, ex-engineer, and Jessie 'Netta' (Rhind), former District Nurse and Chief Nursing Officer of Barnet; m '70 Elizabeth Anna (Hope); 2s Roderick '71, Alexander '75, 1d Jennifer '73;
Education Keith Grammar School, Keith, Banffshire (with James Naughtie); Haberdashers' Aske's, West Hampstead; Edinburgh University (President of Student Representative Council; BSc '64;);
Occupation Sponsored: by Co-operative Party (£1,400pa to constituency, 80% of election expenses) '79-; Author: Eighty Years On: History of Edinburgh University SRC, (1964); ex: Consultant to Walton Markham Associates Ltd (PR) '79-80; Director: Age Concern, Scotland '73-79, Enterprise Youth '71-73, British Students Travel Centre, European League for Economic Co-operation '69-70; Organizer, for Scotland of European Movement '68-69; Manager, Fund for International Student Co-operation '67-68;
Traits Happy warrior; round-faced; cleft-chin; curly hair; genial; deft; probing; very bright; bouncy; publicity-clever ("terminally rentaquote" - GUARDIAN); one-man ginger group; convivial (banned from driving for a year Sep '83); likes boating, fishing, watching Heart of Midlothian Football Club;
Address 8 Southpark Road, Ayr KA7 2TL;
Telephone 0292 265776 (home); 0290 2055 (constituency); 01 219 3474/4003/6492 (H of C);
KEEP US ON THE TV
Can we expect pride of place on the TV set, as the Commons follows the trail blazed by the Lords? Our hope is that seeing MPs in action will persuade more people to be more widely interested in a greater number of MPs. Whether what an MP says is attractive or repulsive, it is better to set his words in their full context.
។
Parliamentary Profiles
Rt Hon (Peter) Norman FOWLER
Th
493
Conservative SUTTON COLDFIELD '74(Feb)- Majority 21,183 over Liberal 3-way; Former Seat Nottingham South '70-74(Feb); Constituency A prosperous dormitory area surrounding pleasant, leafy, rural Sutton Park; among the safest Conservative seats; Position Secretary of State for Employment '87-; ex: Secretary of State for Social Services '81-87, Transport '81; Minister of Transport '79-81; Spokesman on: Transport '76-79, Social Services '75-76, Home Affairs '74-75; on Select Committee on Race Relations and Immigration '70-74; PPS to: David Howell, William van Straubenzee '72-74; Vice Chairman '74, Secretary '70-71 Conservative MPs' Home Affairs Committee;
Outlook Flexible, able, competent, ambitious, resilient but cautious Centre Tory "man of office" (Peter Riddell, FINANCIAL TIMES); recently an effective conference performer; revels in being a "safe pair of hands"; "the greatest survivor of Mrs Thatcher's Government" (Keith Harper, GUARDIAN); his good fortune was to leave Social Security before the impact of his benefits reforms was understood, reaching Employment as jobless totals fell; has seemed more Rightwing at Employment than before ("on some issues - industrial policy and trade union reform - he is aggressively Thatcherite" - Philip Stephens, FINANCIAL TIMES); he bent to Thatcher's economic theories without becoming a monetarist; only began to fight his corner in defence of the NHS in '83-84, seeing himself as the keeper of party conscience on the social services who also believed in a cost-effective NHS; was no believer in privatization of the essential health services - unlike his talk of the "Lakers of the buses" when at Transport; History Joined Young Conservatives '55; was Chairman, Cambridge University Conservative Association '60; joined Bow Group '62; joined editorial board of CROSSBOW '63; was adopted for marginal Nottingham South (beating Leon Brittan) Feb '68; although then anti-hanging, at Tory conference said he agreed a "great deal" with bring-back-hanging amendment, but opposed committing the party Oct '69; worried about "most disturbing increases in crime" in Midlands and North in his pamphlet 'Police in the Seventies' May '70; captured Nottingham South June '70; in Maiden urged more money and regional drugs squad to combat growing drugs problem July '70; joined 'One Nation' dining club Oct '71; criticized Peter Hain for having South African cricket tour cancelled Jan '71; investigated private security industry June '71; backed friend Ken Clarke's efforts to reform pub opening hours July '71; unenthusiastically supported EEC entry Oct '71; backed right of local papers to join in local commercial radio Apr '72; became PPS to David Howell and William van Straubenzee Nov '72; first supported restoration of capital punishment; with abolition of Nottingham South was shortlisted for Rushcliffe, Sutton-Plymouth, Henley, Chertsey, Reigate, Pudsey; adopted for super-safe Sutton Coldfield Dec '72; worried about increased use of firearms in 'The Cost of Crime' Mar '73; urged British Gas to pay people for period without gas during strike Apr '73; introduced Bill to license security firms July '73; elected for Sutton Coldfield Feb '74; urged regulation of rogue estate agents '74; asked for more money for Race Relations Board '74; was named Assistant Spokesman on Home Affairs (under Sir Keith Joseph) by Heath Oct '74; campaigned for Sir Geoffrey Howe for Leader Feb '75; Mrs Thatcher named him
CPPSL 1989 Unauthorised Copying Prohibited
OPPSL 1989 Unauthorised Copying Prohibited
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.