Francis Pym
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Francis Leslie Pym, Baron Pym, MC and Bar, PC (born 13 February 1922) is a British Conservative Party politician and former member of the Cabinet.
Educated at Eton and Magdalene College, Cambridge, he served in the army during World War II and was awarded the Military Cross and Bar. He was a managing director and landowner, and became a councillor on Herefordshire County Council.
Pym contested Rhondda West without success in 1959 and entered Parliament in 1961 at a by-election as Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire. He held the seat until 1983, and was MP for Cambridgeshire South East 1983–1987.
Pym was an Opposition whip from 1964 and served under Edward Heath as Government Chief Whip (1970–1973) and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1973–1974), and Margaret Thatcher as Defence Secretary (1979–1981), Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council (1981–1982) then Foreign Secretary (1982–1983). He was regarded as a leading member of the Wets during the Thatcher administration. During the 1983 general election campaign he publicly stated that he didn't think a landslide majority would produce a good government; this was publicly repudiated by his party leader, Margaret Thatcher.
After winning a landslide, Thatcher sacked him. Shortly afterwards, Pym launched a new pressure group called Conservative Centre Forward specifically to argue for more centrist, One Nation policies. But with Mrs Thatcher now at the height of her powers, it flopped.
He stood down at the 1987 election and was created a life peer as Baron Pym, of Sandy in the County of Bedfordshire. He is on leave of absence from the House of Lords.
Pym is a descendant of the 17th century Parliamentarian John Pym. His father, Leslie Pym was also a Member of Parliament; his grandfather, Rt. Rev. Walter Pym, was Bishop of Bombay.
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