Tribute is paid to Horsham’s former MP Sir Peter Hordern
Peter Hordern, the widely respected former MP for Horsham, died after a short illness last Thursday with his family by his bedside. It was the evening of his 95th birthday.
Even for those who did not knowhimfromhis33yearlong service as MP for Horsham he remained a familiar and avuncular presence around the town.
Descended from a long line of Vicars (a vocation he once considered)Petermaintaineda life long commitment to public service.HewasborninAlexandria,hischildhoodwasspentin India,SouthAfricaandAustralia before returning to England to undertake national service in the Kings Royal Rifle Corps (his father’s regiment), attend Christ Church, Oxford and become a member of the Stock Exchange.
As the 1950s developed, Peter’s professional career in the City enabled him to focus on understandingcompaniesand what British Industry needed to do to succeed. He was also deeply enthused by the 1957 Treatylaunchingthepredecessor of the EEC. His father had been wounded and gassed in the Great War and a Europe in whichsuchtraditionalenemies as France and Germany could makecommoneconomiccause he found inspiring. This was a passion he retained and took with him in 1964 when he was elected to parliament.
The impending retirement of Freddie Gough as MP for Horsham created a dilemma for Peter – he had already been selected to fight Greenwich andswitchingseatswasnotthe “done thing”. However Peter wasthegrandsonofaBishopof Lewes(whohadstartedasacurateatStMargaret’s,Warnham) and relatives had married into the Lucas family from Warnham and included the Sandemans (whose Horsham home made way for Sandeman Way).
He knew that Sussex was wherehisheartlay.Itwascharacteristic of Peter’s charm and decency that among his supporters in making the move wasnotonlyAnthonyEdenbut theChairmanoftheGreenwich Conservative Association who made the trip to Horsham to speak on his behalf!
As was expected in that era Petercombinedhisparliamentarycareerwithadistinguished secondcareeralongside.AsDirector and then Chairman of Petrofina U.K. and Chairman ofForeignandColonialSmaller Companies Investment Trust, among others, he had a reputation in the City of being hard headedandeffective.Whilsthe recognisedtherewerealsodisadvantages he saw a great deal of merit in MPs retaining practical outside interests which helped inform the deliberations of the Commons.
His City experience led to his focus on economics. He was extremely prescient in foreseeing the risk of inflation in the 1970s, criticising the expansionary economic policies ofTedHeathandAnthonyBarbour. A monetarist before Mrs Thatcher he was well ahead of the curve and pushed for a policydirectionthatwouldbesuccessfully deployed not only in the U.K. but further afield.
Hisheadfornumbersmade him a natural for one of Parliament’s toughest committees: PublicAccounts.The“PAC”,establishedbyGladstone,focusses on stopping Government waste and improving delivery. Itwasthenunquestionablythe “senior”selectcommittee(with the Chairman, like Ministers, beingquestionedonthefloorof the Commons). He served on it from 1970 to 1997, the last nine years as Chairman.
Heisregularlyreferencedas one of the ablest and most outstanding of his generation and the best Tory MP not to serve as a Minister. When offered a ministerial role he declined
for family reasons – though he also confided that he enjoyed the independence of the backbenches.
He loved his constituency role where his kindness and willingness to serve was so apparent. He was a fount of common-senseandevennowIhave theoccasionalconstituentwho visits my constituency surgery because of the help once received from Peter! He combined enjoying the success of otherswhilehavingfullsympathywiththefallibilityofthehumancondition.Hehadaglintin his eye and could collapse with laughter.
In one of our many chats at his home we compared notes on the Horsham General Election“Hustings”.Herecalledarriving to an absolutely packed hall.Oneofthosecraningtosee the forthcoming proceedings through the open door didn’t recognise Peter on his arrival andsaidbluntly“sorrymate,it’s full, you won’t get in” to which Peter with his customary politenessreplied“well,Idohope so.”
He concluded his first bus trip with a pensioner’s bus pass in some style. The C1 was duetoterminateatParliament Square but the driver was delighted to pick up on the risqué suggestion of his one remainingpassengerandwiththeconnivance of the police passed throughthegatestodropPeter off at the members’ entrance.
Oneofhismanyremarkable characteristics was his ability to remain, even in his 90s, totally in tune with the ongoing debate. While embodying so much that was good of his generation,forsomeoneelectedto
parliament 60 years ago, he retained a close fascination with and knowledge of politics.
SirPeterandLadyHordern’s friendshipsspannedthegenerations.SusanwasnotonlymarriedtooneSussexConservative MP but was the sister of another,thenotedathleteChrisChataway. I am immensely grateful to Peter and Susan for their support and advice as Peter’s successor.
One of his joys was cricket both as a player and spectator and he could vividly recall a stellar Sussex innings against Australia in 1938 and receiving batting tips from Bradman aged 9. He achieved two centuriesinaweek(playingforChrist
Church and for the Greenjackets) and once made a strong batting partnership alongside Dennis Compton, his cricketing hero, outlasting him at the crease.
Following his retirement from parliament in 1997 Peter joined the Board of the British Library but he and Susan subsequently faced what would be to most a daunting if not overwhelming challenge but which Peter described as one of the most fulfilling experiences of his life. Their elder son, Andrew, a former President of the Oxford University Conservative Association and widely expected to be among the political stars of his generation,sufferedadiabetichypoglycaemic attack. This left him requiring long term intensive nursingcaretowhichPeterand Susan devoted themselves in their Horsham home for 13 years until Andrew’s death aged 44.
Peter is survived by Susan and their two children James and Vicky (a hospital doctor specialising in Diabetes). On Monday of last week, just days beforehispassing,Peterhosted his grandchildren for an early birthday tea party. He will be much missed. Sir Peter Hordern DL PC Born April 18, 1929 | Died April 18, 2024
A family funeral will be followedbyaMemorialServicein due course.