Global InformationMichael Heseltine information
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The Right Honourable The Lord Heseltine CH PC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Official portrait, 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 5 July 1995 – 2 May 1997 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | John Major | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Geoffrey Howe[a] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | John Prescott | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First Secretary of State | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 5 July 1995 – 2 May 1997 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | John Major | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Barbara Castle[b] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | John Prescott[c] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary of State for Trade and Industry President of the Board of Trade | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 11 April 1992 – 5 July 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | John Major | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Peter Lilley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Ian Lang | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary of State for the Environment | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 28 November 1990 – 11 April 1992 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | John Major | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Chris Patten | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Michael Howard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 5 May 1979 – 6 January 1983 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Peter Shore | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Tom King | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary of State for Defence | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 6 January 1983 – 9 January 1986 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | John Nott | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | George Younger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine 21 March 1933 Swansea, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Non-affiliated (2019–present)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other political affiliations | Conservative (1951–present)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse |
Anne Williams (m. 1962) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 3, including Annabel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Pembroke College, Oxford | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Signature |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Military service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Branch/service |  British Army | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years of service | 1959 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Second lieutenant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unit | Welsh Guards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, Baron Heseltine, CH, PC (/ˈhɛzəltaɪn/; born 21 March 1933)[3] is a British politician. Having begun his career as a property developer, he became one of the founders of the publishing house Haymarket. Heseltine served as a Conservative Member of Parliament from 1966 to 2001. He was a prominent figure in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major, and served as Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State under Major.
Heseltine entered the Cabinet in 1979 as Secretary of State for the Environment, where he promoted the "Right to Buy" campaign that allowed people to purchase their council houses. He was considered an adept media performer and a charismatic minister, although he was frequently at odds with Thatcher on economic issues. He was one of the most visible "wets", whose "One Nation" views were epitomised by his support for the regeneration of Liverpool in the early 1980s when it was facing economic collapse; this later earned him the award of Freeman of the City of Liverpool in 2012. As Secretary of State for Defence from 1983 to 1986, he was instrumental in the political battle against the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. He resigned from the Cabinet in 1986 over the Westland affair and returned to the backbenches.
Heseltine became a vocal critic of Thatcher, mostly because of her Eurosceptic views and confrontational approach in Parliament. Following Geoffrey Howe's resignation speech in November 1990, Heseltine challenged Thatcher for the leadership of the Conservative Party, polling well enough to deny her an outright victory on the first ballot. Following Thatcher's subsequent resignation, Heseltine lost to John Major on the second ballot, but returned to the Cabinet in his former post Environment Secretary when Major became Prime Minister.
As a key ally of Major, Heseltine was appointed President of the Board of Trade and Secretary of State for Trade and Industry following the 1992 general election. He supported Major when his leadership was challenged in 1995, and was promoted to Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State in return for his support. He declined to seek the leadership of the party following Major's 1997 election defeat, and served in Major's shadow cabinet as Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry while the leadership election to succeed him was taking place.
Heseltine was created a life peer in 2001 and has remained a vocal advocate for modernisation within the party. He has continued to make political interventions, criticising Brexit and Boris Johnson following the 2016 Brexit referendum result. In 2019, Heseltine had the whip suspended after saying he would vote for the Liberal Democrats, rather than the Conservatives, at the 2019 European Parliament election.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ "Lord Heseltine - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament". members.parliament.uk.
- ^ "I'm still a Tory part member". Tarzan turns 90, The Oldie, issue 424 (April 2023), p. 19
- ^ "Mr Michael Heseltine (Hansard)". api.parliament.uk. Retrieved 10 May 2021.