Margaret Thatcher and Norman Tebbit (Image: Getty)

       Norman Tebbit, one of the giants of British politics who played a huge role in the Conservative Government of Margaret Thatcher, has died at the age of 94. He was the employment minister who famously said his father, during a period of high unemployment in the 1930s, "didn't riot. He got on his bike and looked for work, and he kept looking till he found it."

       The comment became symbolic of the Thatcher era in the late 1970s and 1980s, when Conservatives attempted to end a culture of reliance on the state, and instead encouraged self-reliance and work. To the party's opponents, it was emblematic of what they saw as an uncaring attitude, but it helped propel Lady Thatcher to two landslide election victories in addition to her first victory in 1979. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Norman Tebbit “was an icon in British politics and his death will cause sadness across the political spectrum”.

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       Norman Tebbit being rescued following the IRA attack on the Grand Hotel, Brighton in 1984 (Image: -)

       The aftermath of the Brighton hotel bombing in 1984 (Image: Getty)

       Lord Tebbit was also known for his bravery during the IRA bombing of the Grand Hotel in Brighton, as the Conservatives held their 1984 Conservative Party conference. His wife, Margaret, was injured and left permanently disabled.

       His son William said he had died “peacefully at home”.

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       His opponents called him the Chingford Skinhead, referring to the constituency he represented and his supposedly tough approach. However the nickname was also adopted by some of his admirers. The satirical programme Spitting Image portrayed him as a leather-clad bovver boy with metal chains.

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       Lord Tebbit served as employment secretary, President of the Board of Trade (the equivalent of Business Secretary) and party chair, a key role in the Conservative government in those days. In 1992 he became a member of the House of Lords.

       Lord Tebbit was born in Middlesex to working-class parents, and became a symbol of Margaret Thatcher's appeal to working class voters. He went to Edmonton County Grammar School. In November 1950, he was commissioned into the Royal Air Force for national service in the rank of pilot officer and was later promoted to flying officer.

       He was loved by Conservatives and loathed by his political opponents. During a debate in Parliament in 1978, Labour MP Michael Foot, later to become Labour leader, called Tebbit a "semi-house-trained polecat". When he joined the House of Lords, Lord Tebbit chose a polecat as one of the symbols on his coat of arms.

       Norman Tebbit with Margaret Thatcher celebrating an election win (Image: Getty)

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       In a statement, Lord Tebbit’s son William said: “At 11.15pm on 7th July 2025 Lord Tebbit died peacefully at home aged 94.

       “His family ask that their privacy is respected at this time and a further statement regarding funeral arrangements will be made in due course.”

       Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: “Our Conservative family mourns the loss of Lord Tebbit today and I send my sincerest condolences to his loved ones.

       “Norman Tebbit was an icon in British politics and his death will cause sadness across the political spectrum.

       “He was one of the leading exponents of the philosophy we now know as Thatcherism and his unstinting service in the pursuit of improving our country should be held up as an inspiration to all Conservatives.

       “As a minister in Mrs Thatcher’s administration he was one of the main agents of the transformation of our country, notably in taming the trade unions.

       “But to many of us it was the stoicism and courage he showed in the face of terrorism which inspired us as he rebuilt his political career after suffering terrible injuries in the Brighton bomb, and cared selflessly for his wife Margaret, who was gravely disabled in the bombing – a reminder that he was first and foremost a family man who always held true to his principles.

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       “He never buckled under pressure and he never compromised.

       “Our nation has lost one of its very best today and I speak for all the Conservative family and beyond in recognising Lord Tebbit’s enormous intellect and profound sense of duty to his country.

       “May he rest in peace.”

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