Norman Tebbit facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Lord Tebbit CH PC
Official portrait, 2020
Chairman of the Conservative Party
In office 2 September 1985 – 13 June 1987
Leader	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	John Gummer
Succeeded by	Peter Brooke
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
In office 2 September 1985 – 13 June 1987
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	The Earl of Gowrie
Succeeded by	Kenneth Clarke
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry President of the Board of Trade
In office 16 October 1983 – 2 September 1985
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	Cecil Parkinson
Succeeded by	Leon Brittan
Secretary of State for Employment
In office 14 September 1981 – 16 October 1983
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	Jim Prior
Succeeded by	Tom King
Minister of State for Industry
In office 5 January 1981 – 14 September 1981
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	The Viscount Trenchard
Succeeded by	Norman Lamont
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade
In office 4 May 1979 – 5 January 1981
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	Michael Meacher
Succeeded by	The Lord Trefgarne
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
In office 9 July 1992 – 31 March 2022 Life peerage
Member of Parliament for Chingford Epping (1970 – Feb 1974)
In office 18 June 1970 – 16 March 1992
Preceded by	Stan Newens
Succeeded by	Iain Duncan Smith
Personal details
Born	Norman Beresford Tebbit (1931-03-29) 29 March 1931 (age 94) Ponders End, Middlesex, England
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Margaret Daines ​ ​ (m. 1956; died 2020)​
Children	3
Residences	Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Occupation	Politician Journalist Pilot
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch/service	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1950–1956
Rank	Flying Officer

Norman Beresford Tebbit, Baron Tebbit (born 29 March 1931) is a retired British politician. He was a member of the Conservative Party. He held important government jobs from 1981 to 1987.

He was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1970 to 1992. He represented areas called Epping and Chingford.

In 1984, a bomb attack happened at a hotel in Brighton. Mr. Tebbit was staying there for a political meeting. He was hurt in the attack. His wife, Margaret, was seriously injured and became disabled. After the 1987 election, he left his government role to care for her.

He thought about becoming the leader of the Conservative Party in 1990. But he had promised his wife he would step back from top politics. So, he decided not to run. In 1992, he stopped being an MP. He was then made a life peer, which means he became a member of the House of Lords. He was known as Baron Tebbit. He retired from the House of Lords in 2022.

Early Life and Career Before Politics

Norman Tebbit was born in Ponders End, Middlesex, England. His parents, Leonard and Edith, were working-class. He went to Edmonton County Grammar School. This was a state school in north London that chose students based on their academic ability.

At 16, Tebbit started working for the Financial Times newspaper. He had to join a trade union called NATSOPA. He didn't like how the union worked. He felt that members who criticized union officials could be fined or lose their jobs. This made him want to change how unions operated.

In 1950, Tebbit joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) for his national service. He became a pilot officer and later a flying officer. During his time in the RAF, he flew jet planes like the Meteor and Vampire. In 1954, he had an accident in a Meteor jet. He had to break open the plane's roof to escape, which caused him to fracture two bones in his back.

After leaving the RAF in 1953, he joined BOAC. He worked as a navigator and pilot for the airline. He also continued to fly with the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. He flew different types of aircraft, including the Boeing 707. While at BOAC, he was also an official in the British Air Line Pilots' Association.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

Tebbit was first elected as an MP for Epping in 1970. Then, in 1974, he became the MP for Chingford. He was part of the Conservative Monday Club, a group within the Conservative Party.

His first action as an MP was to ask a question about a plane crash. This was on 6 July 1970, concerning a Comet-4 plane crash in Spain that killed 112 people.

In 1975, six men lost their jobs because of a "closed shop" rule. This rule meant all workers had to join a specific union. The men were also denied unemployment benefits. Norman Tebbit strongly criticized this. He called it "pure undiluted fascism" and said it went against freedom and liberty.

During a workers' strike at Grunwick, the owner refused to recognize their union. This caused disagreements within the Conservative Party. Tebbit was known for his strong views. He once compared himself to a "hawk" and another politician, Jim Prior, to a "dove." He said, "I'm a hawk—but no kamikaze. And Jim's a dove—but he's not chicken."

In a debate in 1978, another MP, Michael Foot, called Tebbit a "semi-house-trained polecat." This was after Tebbit questioned if forcing people to join a union was like fascism. When Tebbit became a Lord in 1992, he even chose a polecat as a symbol on his coat of arms.

Working in Margaret Thatcher's Government

Tebbit (left) with the Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, Gijs van Aardenne, in 1981.

After the Conservative Party won the 1979 election, Norman Tebbit became an Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Trade.

In 1981, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher made him Secretary of State for Employment. This meant he was in charge of jobs and workers' rights. He was seen as someone who would take a firm approach with trade unions. He introduced a law in 1982 that made it harder for unions to force people to join. It also made unions responsible for any illegal actions they took. Tebbit later said this law was his "greatest achievement in Government."

In 1983, Tebbit became the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. This was another very important role in the government.

The Brighton Bombing and Its Impact

In 1984, Norman Tebbit was injured in the bombing of the Grand Hotel in Brighton. This attack was carried out by the IRA. His wife, Margaret, was left permanently disabled.

In 1985, he was given two new roles: Chairman of the Conservative Party and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Margaret Thatcher wanted him to stay in her team. During this time, he disagreed with Thatcher on some issues. For example, he was against a US company taking over a British aircraft company. He also didn't like that Thatcher didn't fully discuss the bombing of Libya with her Cabinet.

Tebbit and his team tried to improve the Conservative Party's image. They found that people saw Thatcher as stubborn. They suggested she take a lower profile before the 1987 election. However, Thatcher disagreed.

Many people saw Tebbit as a possible future leader of the Conservative Party. He was very popular among Conservative voters.

During the 1987 election campaign, Tebbit led the Conservative effort. He focused on the economy and defense. He had already told Thatcher that he would leave the government after the election to care for his wife. Thatcher later said she "bitterly regretted" losing him from her team.

In 1987, he was given a special honour called the Order of the Companions of Honour.

After Leaving the Cabinet

After leaving the Cabinet, Tebbit became a director of British Telecom. He had helped privatize the company when he was Trade and Industry Secretary.

He also worked with another politician, Michael Heseltine, to get rid of the Inner London Education Authority. They succeeded in this goal.

Tebbit also spoke out on other issues. In 1988, he criticized those who spoke against apartheid in South Africa. He said they were not speaking out against violence among black tribes there. Archbishop Desmond Tutu asked Thatcher to disagree with Tebbit, but she defended him.

In 1990, he suggested the "Cricket test." He said that whether people from ethnic minorities in Britain supported the England cricket team (instead of their country of origin's team) could show if they felt truly British. He believed some immigrant groups did not want to fully join British society.

When Margaret Thatcher resigned in 1990, she asked Tebbit to return to the government. He refused because he was caring for his wife. He helped Thatcher's campaign to stay leader. But when she withdrew, he supported John Major to become the new leader.

After Leaving Parliament

Norman Tebbit chose not to run in the 1992 election. He wanted to spend more time caring for his wife. After the election, he was made a life peer and joined the House of Lords. He became Baron Tebbit, representing Chingford. His old parliamentary seat was later taken by his political student, Iain Duncan Smith. Tebbit famously said, "If you think I'm right-wing, you should meet this guy."

Views on Europe

Tebbit was a strong critic of the Maastricht Treaty. This treaty led to the creation of the European Union. In 1992, at a Conservative Party conference, he held up a copy of the treaty. He asked the audience if they wanted a single European currency or to be citizens of a European Union. The audience shouted "No!" after each question. He received a huge cheer.

Later, Prime Minister John Major accused Tebbit of being disloyal. Major said Tebbit had supported an earlier European law but was now against the Maastricht Treaty.

In 2007, Tebbit became a supporter of the "Better Off Out" campaign. This group wanted Britain to leave the European Union.

Involvement with the Conservative Party After 1992

Tebbit continued to share his opinions on the Conservative Party. In 1995, he supported John Redwood for party leader.

In 2000, he said he regretted not running for the Conservative leadership after Thatcher resigned. He felt he might have prevented Tony Blair from becoming Prime Minister.

In 2002, Tebbit called for changes within the Conservative Party. He criticized some "modernisers" in the party. The party leader, Iain Duncan Smith, said Tebbit would not be expelled. Margaret Thatcher also publicly supported Tebbit.

In 2003, Tebbit gave a speech urging journalists to avoid "political correctness." He believed politicians were too "timid" in allowing certain ideas to take hold.

He supported David Davis for party leader in 2005. In 2006, he criticized the new leader, David Cameron, for moving the party too much to the "Left."

In 2007, Tebbit said the Conservatives lacked a strong leader like Thatcher. He felt that Cameron's team, while clever, lacked real-world experience.

Tebbit is a vice-president of the Conservative Way Forward group. He believes the party's shift away from traditional right-wing views has helped the UK Independence Party (UKIP) grow.

He retired from the House of Lords on 31 March 2022.

Other Political Views

Overseas Aid

In 1996, Lord Tebbit criticized aid sent to Africa. He said that most of it went into "corruption and violence" and did not help the poor. A charity called Oxfam said his view was too simple.

Immigration

In 2014, Tebbit wrote that he was not surprised by reports of an alleged plot to influence schools in Birmingham. He said he had warned about such issues for over 20 years. He believed that too many immigrants came to Britain to create their home societies, rather than to live in British society.

"Foreigners" Speech

In 2017, Lord Tebbit spoke during a debate about the Brexit bill. He criticized an amendment that would guarantee the rights of EU citizens in the UK after Brexit. He said the House of Lords was "thinking of nothing but the rights of foreigners." He felt they should look after British citizens instead. His comments surprised many people in the Lords.

Personal Life

Norman Tebbit lives in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. He describes himself as an agnostic, meaning he is not sure if God exists. He has two sons and a daughter. He enjoys cooking and has written a book about cooking game meat.

In 2013, Tebbit had a heart problem. He praised the NHS (National Health Service) for their quick help. He later found out he had had a heart condition for over 40 years. He thought this condition might have caused his RAF jet crash in 1954.

His wife, Baroness Margaret Tebbit, passed away in 2020 at the age of 86. She had suffered from depression and a type of dementia.

In the Media

In the late 1980s, comedian Ben Elton often made jokes about Tebbit. The satirical TV puppet show Spitting Image showed him as a tough, leather-clad character. This show often made fun of politicians.

In 2010, Tebbit was involved in an unusual incident during a Chinese New Year parade in Bury St Edmunds. He was said to have "kicked the rear of a child who was dressed in the traditional costume of a dragon." Tebbit later explained he didn't know it was Chinese New Year. He said he tried to quiet a drum and was then "barged by the dragon." He "barged it back and might have done something like kick it." He apologized to a local councillor the next day.

In 2009, Tebbit encouraged people to vote for smaller parties in the European Parliament election. He suggested voting for the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) or the Green Party. He advised against voting for the British National Party.

Work as a Columnist

Norman Tebbit has written columns for several newspapers. He wrote for The Sun from 1995 to 1997. He also wrote for The Mail on Sunday from 1997 to 2001, and The Daily Telegraph since 2010. He has also written for The Guardian and New Statesman.

Books

• Britain's Future: A Conservative Vision (1985) ISBN: 0-85070-743-9
• Britain in the 1990s (1986) ISBN: 0-86048-006-2
• Values of Freedom (1986) ISBN: 0-85070-748-X
• New Consensus (1988) ISBN: 1-871591-00-7
• Upwardly Mobile (Futura, 1991) ISBN: 0-297-79427-2
• Unfinished Business (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1991) ISBN: 0-297-81149-5
• Lindsay Jenkins Disappearing Britain: The EU and the Death of Local Government (Britain in Europe) (2005) ISBN: 0-9657812-3-2. (Foreword).
• The Game Cook (2009) ISBN: 978-1-906779-11-5

Images for kids

• 

  Coronet of a British Baron

• 

  Tebbit Escutcheon