Mourners will gather today for the funeral of Conservative grandee Lord Norman Tebbit at St Edmundsbury Cathedral in Bury St Edmunds. The former Cabinet minister, who was one of Margaret Thatcher's closest political allies, died on 7 July aged 94.
The service will remember the life of a man who became known as one of the most formidable figures in British politics during the 1980s. Lord Tebbit served as employment secretary, taking on the trade unions, and later as Conservative Party chairman from 1985 to 1987.
Political bruiser and Thatcher ally
His reputation as a political bruiser helped Mrs Thatcher secure her third general election victory in 1987. He also served as trade secretary and was instrumental in implementing the Conservative government's economic reforms.
Lord Tebbit's life was dramatically changed by the IRA bombing during the Conservative Party conference in Brighton in 1984. The attack left his wife Margaret paralysed from the neck down, whilst he himself was injured in the blast.
Devoted husband and family man
After the 1987 election success, he left his post as Tory chairman to help care for Margaret, who died in 2020. His son William said his father died "peacefully at home" surrounded by family.
He left the Commons in 1992 and became a member of the House of Lords, continuing to contribute to political debate well into his later years. Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith is due to give a reading at today's funeral service.
Tributes from across politics
The eulogy will be delivered by Tory peer and author Lord Michael Dobbs. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Lord Tebbit was an "icon in British politics", adding that his death would cause "sadness across the political spectrum".
Former prime minister Boris Johnson described him as "a hero of modern Conservatism" and "great patriot" whose values were needed "today more than ever". Lord Tebbit's family have asked that any donations go to St Nicholas Hospice and the East Anglian Air Ambulance charity.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
