John Nott facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir John Nott
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Nott in 1982
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| Secretary of State for Defence | |
| In office 5 January 1981 – 6 January 1983 |
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| Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher |
| Preceded by | Francis Pym |
| Succeeded by | Michael Heseltine |
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| In office 4 May 1979 – 5 January 1981 |
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| Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher |
| Preceded by | John Smith |
| Succeeded by | John Biffen |
| Member of Parliament for St Ives |
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| In office 31 March 1966 – 13 May 1983 |
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| Preceded by | Greville Howard |
| Succeeded by | David Harris |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John William Frederic Nott
1 February 1932 Bideford, Devon, England |
| Died | 6 November 2024 (aged 92) |
| Political party | Conservative (1968–2016) |
| Other political affiliations |
National Liberal (1966–1968) |
| Spouse |
Miloska Sekol
(m. 1959) |
| Children | 3, including Julian and Sasha |
| Education | Bradfield College |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
| Military service | |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Service years | 1952–1956 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | 2nd Gurkha Rifles |
Sir John William Frederic Nott (1 February 1932 – 6 November 2024) was a British politician. He was a member of the Conservative Party. Sir John was an important politician in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He was the Secretary of State for Defence during the Falklands War in 1982. This was a conflict between the United Kingdom and Argentina over the Falkland Islands.
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Early Life and Education
John Nott was born in Bideford, Devon, England. His parents were Richard and Phyllis Nott. He went to Bradfield College for his education.
After school, he joined the army. He was an officer in the 2nd Gurkha Rifles from 1952 to 1956. He served during the Malayan Emergency, which was a conflict in Malaysia.
Later, he left the army to study at Trinity College, Cambridge. There, he studied law and economics. He was also the leader of the Cambridge Union Society, which is a famous debating club. In 1959, he became a lawyer.
Political Career
John Nott became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1966. He represented the area of St Ives in Cornwall. He was an MP until 1983.
When he first became an MP, he was part of the National Liberal Party. This party later joined with the Conservative Party in 1968. After that, John Nott was a Conservative MP.
In 1968, he voted against a law called the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1968. He believed it was wrong to take away British passports from people who had them.
Working in Government
In the early 1970s, John Nott worked in the government of Prime Minister Edward Heath. He was a Minister of State at the Treasury, which deals with the country's money.
In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister. John Nott joined her top team, called the Cabinet. He first became the Secretary of State for Trade. This job involved looking after trade, prices, and consumer protection.
He helped to end rules that controlled prices and incomes. He also played a big part in stopping Exchange Control, which limited how much money people could take out of the country. His department also handled shipping and aviation. He helped to privatize British Airways, meaning it became a private company instead of being owned by the government.
In January 1981, he was given a new role. He became the Secretary of State for Defence.
Role in the Falklands War
As Defence Secretary, John Nott made some decisions about cutting spending on the Royal Navy. These cuts included plans to reduce the number of ships and aircraft carriers. He wanted to spend more money on nuclear submarines and air defence instead.
When Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands in March 1982, John Nott offered to resign. However, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher did not accept his resignation. He stayed as Defence Secretary throughout the four-month Falklands War.
After the war, he announced a big plan to rebuild the navy. This plan included building new ships and replacing aircraft lost during the conflict. He also oversaw the upgrade of Britain's nuclear weapons system to the Trident system.
Leaving Politics
John Nott decided not to run for re-election in 1983. He left his role as Defence Secretary in January 1983 and was replaced by Michael Heseltine. In 1983, he was given the title of Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, which means he was called "Sir John Nott."
Life After Politics
After leaving politics, Sir John Nott became the chairman of a banking company called Lazard Brothers in 1985. He retired from this role in 1989. He also held leadership positions in other companies, including a food company and an insurance company.
Sir John Nott supported Brexit, which was the decision for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. In 2016, he even stopped being a member of the Conservative Party for a while because he was unhappy with the debate about the EU.
Personal Life
Sir John Nott met his wife, Miloska, while they were at University of Cambridge. Lady Nott was recognized for her humanitarian work in 2012.
They had three children. Their son, Julian Nott, is a film composer. He is known for writing music for the Wallace and Gromit and Peppa Pig animated films. Their daughter, Sasha, is a journalist. Sir John Nott lived on his farm in St Erth, Cornwall.
Books Written by Sir John Nott
Sir John Nott wrote several books:
- His autobiography, Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, was published in 1989. The title comes from a TV interview where he was called a "here-today and gone-tomorrow politician." He famously walked off the set during that interview.
- His second book, Mr Wonderful Takes a Cruise, came out in 2004.
- In 2007, he published a book about his family's history called Haven't We Been Here Before.
- His fourth book, Mr Wonderful Seeks Immortality, was published in 2014.
In the Media
Sir John Nott was interviewed for a 2006 BBC TV show called Tory! Tory! Tory!. This documentary looked at the rise of Thatcherism, which was the political style of Margaret Thatcher.
See also
- "Rejoice", a famous remark made by Margaret Thatcher after the Falklands War.
