Tory grandee Norman Tebbit who took on the trade unions and survived IRA blast dies aged 94

Lord Tebbit was one of Margaret Thatcher’s most loyal supporters during her years of power.

When Mrs Thatcher became party leader in 1975, he strongly backed her agenda of free market reforms and curbing the power of the unions which had brought down Edward Heath’s Tory government. She in turn encouraged him to harass Labour ministers from the backbenches.

Following the Tories’ general election victory of 1979, she made him a junior trade minister, promoting him to the cabinet as employment secretary two years later.

As employment secretary, he piloted key legislation which diluted the power of the trade union “closed shop” and weakened the unions’ immunity from civil damages.

Certainly he was cut from a very different cloth than a previous generation of Conservative ministers – the patrician Harold Macmillan once remarked: “Heard a chap on the radio this morning talking with a cockney accent. They tell me he is one of Her Majesty’s ministers.”

It was following inner city riots in Handsworth and Brixton in 1981 that he made the infamous remark which led to him being dubbed “Onyerbike”.

Rejecting suggestions the violence was a natural response to rising unemployment, he retorted: “I grew up in the Thirties with an unemployed father. He didn’t riot. He got on his bike and looked for work, and he kept looking till he found it.”

Such comments fuelled his hardline “Nasty Norm” reputation – the satirical puppet show Spitting Image memorably portrayed him as a leather-jacketed thug brutally beating up political opponents and fellow ministers alike.

Once memorably described by Labour’s Mr Foot as a “semi-house-trained polecat”, Lord Tebbit revelled in his reputation as a political bruiser as the government drove through its controversial programme of free market reforms.

In 1984, he was a victim of the IRA’s bombing of the Grand Hotel in Brighton and lay trapped for hours under the rubble.

Lord Tebbit and his wife, Margaret, were lying in bed when their ceiling collapsed. Lady Tebbit was left paralysed from the attack.

Speaking of the incident years later, Lord Tebbit said there was "no possibility of any forgiveness" for the terrorist who planted the bomb, Patrick Magee.

After masterminding Mrs Thatcher’s third general election victory in 1987, Mr Tebbit stepped down from the government so that he could spend more time caring for his wife.

He nevertheless remained politically active, proving to be a thorn in the side of her successor, John Major, as wrangling over Europe tore the Tories apart in the 1990s.

He was given a seat in the House of Lords after stepping down as an MP in 1992.

He sparked controversy with his advocacy of the so-called “cricket test” – suggesting which side British Asians supported in internationals should be seen as an indicator of their true loyalties – leading to accusations of racism.

Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch paid tribute to Lord Tebbit, calling him "an icon in British politics".

Writing on X, she said: "He was one of the leading exponents of the philosophy we now know as Thatcherism and his unstinting service in the pursuit of improving our country should be held up as an inspiration to all Conservatives."

Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade Andrew Griffiths wrote on X: "Sad to learn of the death of Lord Tebbit, a great Conservative whose values Britain could use a great deal more of today."

Former Tory minister Nadhim Zahawi said: "Rest in eternal peace great man. Norman Tebbit was a giant of Conservative politics & Conservative ideals.

"A man who looked after his beloved wife beautifully after the horrific terror attack by the IRA. A man who nurtured and befriended young conservatives like me. He was great company on a weekend in the country. RIP."

Former minister Robert Halfon said: "Very sad to learn about the passing of Lord Tebbit.

"He represented Harlow as an MP, helped me often when I was Harlow MP & wrote in his memoirs that "the road to Westminster lies through Harlow". R.I.P. to a great @Conservatives."

Lord Tebbit is survived by two sons and a daughter.