Tributes to Tory former home secretary Lord Waddington

Former prime minister Sir John Major has led tributes to the Conservative ex-home secretary Lord Waddington, who has died at the age of 87.

David Waddington was Margaret Thatcher’s last home secretary, serving in her Cabinet during the final year of her premiership from 1989-90, before Sir John appointed him Leader in the Lords.

He led the Home Office at the time of the poll tax riots and the Strangeways prison disturbances in the spring of 1990, and was also responsible for the decision to send the case of the Birmingham Six to the Court of Appeal, where their convictions for IRA pub bombings were eventually quashed.

But he was best known as a hard-line, no-nonsense right-winger who delighted Tory traditionalists with his support for capital punishment.

He joined the Thatcher government as a whip in 1979, later serving as a junior minister in the Department of Employment and Home Office and becoming chief whip in 1987.

After her removal from office, he was created a life peer in 1990 as Baron Waddington of Read in the County of Lancashire, serving in the Major Cabinet until 1992, when he was appointed governor of Bermuda.

Born in Burnley and educated at Oxford, Lord Waddington served in the Royal Lancers, achieving the rank of 2nd lieutenant, before taking up a legal career. He was called to the bar in 1951 and made a QC in 1971.

He was elected Tory MP for Nelson and Colne in 1968, after three failed attempts in Lancashire constituencies. He lost his seat in 1974 and came back in as MP for Clitheroe in 1979 and later Ribble Valley from 1983-90

He retired from the House of Lords in 2015.

Lord Waddington is survived by wife Gillian, three sons and two daughters.

David Waddington served in Margaret Thatcher’s Cabinet.