Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2012/January 2013 | Page 21

INTERVIEW

Lord Fowler: my
baptism of fire!
Interview by Peter White

Norman Fowler loves the tranquillity
of life in Seaview. It’s a world away
from the hustle, bustle and turmoil
that were integral parts of his life as
a Conservative MP for more than 30
years.
Although the sea is barely a pebble’s
throw from the front door of the
house where he lives with his wife
Fiona, Norman admits he has never
been one for sailing. Maybe a bit more
nautical experience would have helped
him ride out some of the political
storms he found
himself immersed
in during his time
in Government
under Margaret
Thatcher and John
Major.
Now an active
member of the
House of Lords
as Lord Fowler of Sutton Coldfield,
Norman openly admits: “I like a
challenge, but I don’t think anyone
likes the heat of criticism that can
come with it at the time.”
During his time in the Commons
there were plenty of controversial, but
hugely satisfying times as he accepted
a variety of roles within Transport,
Social Services and Employment, as
well as serving as Chairman of the
Conservative Party and Shadow Home
Secretary.
Although he always had designs
on a career in politics he became a

journalist on the Times newspaper
for nine years after graduating at
Cambridge, where coincidentally
he was part of a young Tory ‘mafia’
that also included Leon Britton,
Ken Clarke, Michael Howard, John
Gummer and others.
He recalls: “I joined the Times as
Home Affairs correspondent hoping
it would be a step towards becoming a
politician. Then rather surprisingly, I
was selected for Nottingham South in
1968, and won. But the first statement

Margaret Thatcher to become leader
of the Conservative Party. She gave me
Health and Social Security. It was a
baptism of fire!”
He was later moved by Maggie to
‘Transport’ when the Tories won the
1979 Election he became Transport
Minister. One of the first things he did
was privatise the ferry service across
the Solent, which used to belong to
British Rail.
The most significant change though
was the introduction of compulsory
wearing of
seat belts. He
recalls: “I felt
it was going to
be extremely
difficult to
enforce the law,
but Parliament
should have the
right to determine
it once and for all. We had spent more
than a decade avoiding the decision on
seat belts, but I was instrumental in
allowing that decision to be taken.”
In 1981 Norman moved to Health
and Social Security, and stayed six
years, longer than anyone since the
war. He reflected: “In those days it
was a hell of a fight. We had a health
strike, and any change you made
inside the health service was fought all
the way.
“I suppose the thing I look back on
with most satisfaction was what we
did with regard to HIV Aids in 1986.

'I like a challenge, but I don't think
anyone likes the heat of criticism
that can come with it at the time.'
I heard in the Common was the
Queen’s Speech which implemented
the Boundary Review, and my seat
disappeared off the face of the earth
– there was no longer a Nottingham
South.”
So for two years he was MP for
Nottingham South and candidate
at the next election for Sutton
Coldfield. Norman served as Sutton
Coldfield MP for 27 years, taking his
overall Commons career to 31 years.
Margaret Thatcher put him into her
Shadow Cabinet. He smiled: “It was
a surprise. I hadn’t even voted for

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