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James Michael Leathes Prior, Baron Prior, PC, known as Jim Prior, (born 11 October 1927) is a British politician, and was Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Lowestoft and for the renamed constituency of Waveney.
He was educated at Charterhouse School and Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a BA degree in Estate Management, getting first class honours. He did military service as an officer in the Royal Norfolk Regiment of the British Army, serving in Germany and India.
He was first elected to Parliament in 1959, and was Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food from 1970-1972, then Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council until February 1974.
Under Margaret Thatcher he was Secretary of State for Employment from May 1979 to 14 September 1981. During this period, he is believed to have angered the right-wing of his party and the Prime Minister for not pressing far enough with anti-trade union legislation. In September 1981, Prior became Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and was in this office until 10 September 1984. This transfer was widely seen as a move by Thatcher to isolate Prior, who disagreed with her on a number of economic issues because he was seen as one of the cabinet 'wets'. The post of Secretary of State for Northern Ireland was created during Thatcher's reign and was seen as a dumping ground to marginalise ministers. However when Prior resigned, Thatcher revealed that she was going to offer him another Cabinet post during the reshuffle, which would have very likely been a non-economic one.
He retired from Parliament in 1987 and was later created a life peer as Baron Prior, of Brampton in the County of Suffolk.
He is Vice President and was Chairman of the Rural Housing Trust.
In the media
Prior was interviewed about the rise of Thatcherism for the 2006 BBC TV documentary series Tory! Tory! Tory!.
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by James Prior
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Edward Evans |
Member of Parliament for Lowestoft 1959 – 1983 |
Constituency abolished |
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for Waveney 1983 – 1987 |
Succeeded by David Porter |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Cledwyn Hughes |
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1970 – 1972 |
Succeeded by Joseph Godber |
| Preceded by Robert Carr |
Lord President of the Council 1972 – 1974 |
Succeeded by Edward Short |
| Leader of the House of Commons 1972 – 1974 |
||
| Preceded by Albert Booth |
Secretary of State for Employment 1979 – 1981 |
Succeeded by Norman Tebbit |
| Preceded by Humphrey Atkins |
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 1981 – 1984 |
Succeeded by Douglas Hurd |
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