Douglas Hurd

Who is Douglas Hurd?

Douglas Richard Hurd, Baron Hurd of Westwell, CH, CBE, PC, is a British Conservative politician and novelist, who served in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major between 1979 and his retirement in 1995.

Born in the market town of Marlborough in Wiltshire, Hurd first entered Parliament in February 1974, as MP for the Mid Oxfordshire constituency. His first government post was as Minister for Europe, from 1979-83, and served in several Cabinet roles from 1984 onwards, including Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary. He stood unsuccessfully for the Conservative Party leadership in 1990, but retired from frontline politics during a Cabinet reshuffle in 1995.

In 1997, Hurd was elevated to the House of Lords and is one of the Conservative Party's most senior elder statesmen. He is a Patron of the Tory Reform Group and remains an active figure in public life.