Norman Fowler

Norman Fowler began his career as a journalist on The Times and covered the 1967 war in the Middle East. He was elected to the House of Commons for the first time in 1970 and remained an MP for the next thirty-one years.

He was a member of Margaret Thatcher’s first Cabinet and from 1979–1981 was a reforming Transport Secretary. Fowler was also Health and Social Services Secretary for a record-breaking six years, during which time he fought a high-profile campaign to prevent Aids. From 1987–1990 he served as Employment Secretary and worked to reduce unemployment and improve training for jobseekers. In 1990, he resigned from the Cabinet to devote more time to his young family.

After the fall of Thatcher, Fowler was recalled to front-line politics and appointed as Conservative Party Chairman by the new Prime Minister, John Major. It was a tumultuous period with Britain leaving the ERM and the Conservative parliamentary party divided over Europe. Later in his career, Norman Fowler was appointed to the House of Lords where he became a much-praised Lord Speaker.

His two previous books, A Political Suicide and Aids: Don’t Die of Prejudice, were both shortlisted for awards.