50 Facts About Geoffrey Howe

Geoffrey Howe was born in 1926 at Port Talbot, Wales, to Benjamin Edward Howe, a solicitor and coroner, and Eliza Florence Howe.

Geoffrey Howe was to describe himself as a quarter Scottish, a quarter Cornish and half Welsh.

Geoffrey Howe was educated at three independent schools: at Bridgend Preparatory School in Bryntirion, followed by Abberley Hall School in Worcestershire and by winning an exhibition to Winchester College in Hampshire.

Geoffrey Howe did a six-month course in maths and physics.

Geoffrey Howe was called to the bar by the Middle Temple in 1952 and practised in Wales.

On 28 August 1953, Howe married Elspeth, daughter of P Morton Shand.

Geoffrey Howe served on the Council of the Bar from 1957 to 1962 and was a council member of the pressure group JUSTICE.

Geoffrey Howe represented Bebington in the House of Commons from 1964 to 1966 with a much-reduced majority.

Geoffrey Howe became a chairman of the backbench committee on social services, being quickly recognised for promotion to the front bench as HM Opposition spokesman on welfare and labour policy.

Geoffrey Howe participated in the 1966 Aberfan Disaster Tribunal, representing the colliery managers.

Geoffrey Howe sat as deputy chairman of Glamorgan quarter sessions.

Geoffrey Howe returned to the House of Commons as the MP for Reigate from 1970 to 1974 and East Surrey from 1974 to 1992.

Geoffrey Howe was responsible for the Industrial Relations Act that caused immediate retaliatory union strikes.

Geoffrey Howe was promoted in 1972 to Minister of State at the Department of Trade and Industry, with a seat in the Cabinet and Privy Council membership, a post he held until Labour was returned to government in March 1974.

Geoffrey Howe contested the second ballot of the 1975 Conservative leadership election, in which Margaret Thatcher was elected as party leader.

Geoffrey Howe saw him as a like-minded right-winger, and he was appointed Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Geoffrey Howe masterminded the development of new economic policies embodied in an Opposition mini-manifesto The Right Approach to the Economy.

In 1978, Healey said Geoffrey Howe's criticism was "like being savaged by a dead sheep".

Nevertheless, when Healey was featured on This Is Your Life in 1989, Geoffrey Howe appeared and paid warm tribute.

Geoffrey Howe's tenure was characterised by an ambitious programme of radical policies intended to restore the public finances, reduce inflation and liberalise the economy.

Geoffrey Howe later stated that he had not advocated the "managed decline" policy and that he had merely been warning of the danger of concentrating excessive resources on one area of need.

Geoffrey Howe was closely involved in the negotiations leading up to the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration on the future of Hong Kong, and developed a good working relationship with the United States Secretary of State, George Shultz, mirroring the close connection between Thatcher and President Ronald Reagan.

Geoffrey Howe supported the ERM because of his general support of European integration and because he had become convinced as chancellor of the need for more exchange rate stability.

Geoffrey Howe turned increasingly for advice to her No 10 private secretary Charles Powell, a career diplomat who contrasted to Howe's mandarin-style.

One historian has suggested that the government would have survived even the ructions over Europe had Geoffrey Howe remained her ally.

Geoffrey Howe became Leader of the House of Commons, Lord President of the Council and Deputy Prime Minister.

Geoffrey Howe then had to give up the Foreign Secretary's country residence Chevening.

Geoffrey Howe was one of those who persuaded Michael Heseltine that on balance, it was probably better that he, rather than she, resign during the Westland Affair in 1986.

At the Scottish Party Conference in Perth in 1987, Geoffrey Howe spelt out his position for the European single market and the proposed Delors Plan.

Geoffrey Howe forced her to give conditions for entering the proposal for entry to the ERM in June 1989.

Geoffrey Howe resented having to give up the state residence of Chevening in Kent on being effectively demoted to Lord President of the Council.

Geoffrey Howe deeply resented leaving the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, a job he had always coveted.

Geoffrey Howe repeated the "no, no, no" message in the House of Commons on her return to Westminster.

Geoffrey Howe had told Brian Walden on ITV's Weekend World that the "government did not oppose the principle of a single currency", which was factually inaccurate.

Geoffrey Howe later contended that the Community Charge was incompetently implemented, but it was the direction of European policy rather than domestic rioting that tipped the balance.

Geoffrey Howe represented a moderate whiggery in the party, being educated, lawyerly, and diligent; while direct, he was conciliatory and collegial in style.

Geoffrey Howe wrote a cautiously worded letter of resignation in which he criticised the Prime Minister's overall handling of UK relations with the European Community.

Geoffrey Howe criticised her for undermining the policies on EMU proposed by her own chancellor and governor of the Bank of England.

Geoffrey Howe offered a cricket simile for British negotiations on EMU in Europe:.

Geoffrey Howe ended his speech with an appeal to cabinet colleagues:.

Sir Geoffrey Howe was an outstanding member of the Prime Minister's Administration since 1979 and his decision to leave reveals a fatal flaw in the management of our affairs.

Geoffrey Howe retired from the House of Commons in 1992 and was made a life peer on 30 June 1992 as Baron Geoffrey Howe of Aberavon, of Tandridge in the County of Surrey.

Geoffrey Howe published his memoirs Conflict of Loyalty soon after.

Geoffrey Howe retired from the House of Lords on 19 May 2015.

Lord Geoffrey Howe was a patron of the UK Metric Association and the Conservative Foreign and Commonwealth Council.

Geoffrey Howe was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Companions of Honour in the 1996 Birthday Honours.

Geoffrey Howe was a close friend of Ian Gow, the former MP, parliamentary private secretary, and personal confidant of Margaret Thatcher.

Geoffrey Howe delivered the principal appreciation of Gow at the latter's memorial service after the IRA murdered Gow in July 1990.

Geoffrey Howe was interviewed in 2012 as part of The History of Parliament's oral history project.

Geoffrey Howe died aged 88 on 9 October 2015 following a suspected heart attack.