Norman Tebbit: Margaret Thatcher loyalist and IRA bombing survivor forever associated with ‘on yer bike’ catchphrase
Lord Tebbit of Chingford was one of Margaret Thatcher’s staunchest “true blue” political allies and the survivor of an IRA bombing in 1984.
Tributes have been paid to the former Tory minister – following his death at the age of 94 – as a leading political voice throughout the turbulent 1980s, entering the cabinet as employment secretary and leaving six years later as Conservative Party chairman.
He would forever be associated with the “on yer bike” catchphrase, as well as controversially having claimed a large proportion of Britain’s Asian population failed to pass the “cricket test”.
Norman Tebbit has died at the age of 94. Pic: PA
Norman Beresford Tebbit was born in Ponders End, a working-class suburb of north London, on 29 March 1931 to Leonard and Edith Tebbit.
In 1942, he joined Edmonton County Grammar School before leaving at the age of 16 to work for the Financial Times, a job that would foment the anti-trade union politics he became known for when he joined parliament decades later, aged 39.
Before entering Westminster, Lord Tebbit trained as a pilot with the RAF – at one point narrowly escaping from the burning cockpit of a jet. He had a hunch, however, that it was a career in frontline politics that would define his life.
As a working-class boy from north London – and not a “knight from the shires” he thought composed so much of the Conservative Party – he rose up the ranks to serve in Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet.
In one of the many interviews he gave about his life over the years, Lord Tebbit spoke with pride about his ability to retain a “line of communication” with “those people” who came from humble backgrounds such as his.
Norman Tebbit (back left) with Margaret Thatcher at the launch of the 1983 Tory manifesto. Pic: PA
“I’m still proud of the fact that when I walk down the road there’s often a shout from the bus or the lorry or the building site: ”ere, Norm, ‘ow ya doin’, mate?’ he told the Independent in 1993, a year after he stood down as the MP for Chingford. “And I’m proud of that because it means that I’ve got a line of communication to those people.”
‘Chingford skinhead’
It was perhaps Lord Tebbit’s ability to communicate in the same language as “those people” that earned him the reputation of a plain-speaking populist on the Conservative right, or the “Chingford skinhead”.
His most prized position in the cabinet was, however, that of Mrs Thatcher’s right-hand man and loyal attack dog, which the satirists at Spitting Image conveyed by kitting out Lord Tebbit in black leather and bovver boots used to discipline any cabinet minister who did not toe the party line.
His hard-line stance became useful to Mrs Thatcher when she was determined to take on the unions in the 1980s. It was a mission that saw Jim Prior ousted as employment secretary – along with the other cabinet “wets” (Conservative MPs seen as opposed to Mrs Thatcher’s policies for being too hardline/right-wing) – and Lord Tebbit promoted in his place.
Norman Tebbit was one of Margaret Thatcher’s staunchest political allies. Pic: PA
Years earlier, he had brandished his anti-union credentials in a debate with then employment secretary Michael Foot that culminated in him being labelled a “semi-house-trained polecat”.
Lord Tebbit said the insult “demeaned” his opponent but “gave my political career a tremendous lift”. When he was made a peer in 1992, he proudly chose a polecat as one of the symbols on his coat of arms.
‘On yer bike’
In the 1980s, Lord Tebbit was responsible for legislation that weakened the powers of the trade unions and the closed shop, making him the political embodiment of the Thatcherite ideology that was in full swing.
His tough approach was put to the test when riots erupted in Brixton, south London, against the backdrop of high rates of unemployment and mistrust between the Black community and the police.
In response to Iain Picton, the Young Conservatives’ national chairman, suggesting that rioting was a natural reaction to unemployment, Lord Tebbit famously told the Conservative Party conference: “I grew up in the ’30s 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.”
Lord Tebbit would forever be associated with the “on yer bike” catchphrase by enthusiasts and critics alike.
Tragedy strikes
The evident ideological harmony between Mrs Thatcher and Lord Tebbit made him her natural successor in the eyes of many, but in 1984, tragedy struck in his personal life that all but capped any leadership ambitions he harboured of his own.
Lord Tebbit was accompanying the prime minister and the rest of the Conservative cabinet to the Grand Hotel in Brighton for the party’s annual conference when it was hit by an IRA bomb, killing five people and injuring 34.
Norman Tebbit was seriously injured in the IRA attack on Brighton’s Grand Hotel. Pic: PA
He had been asleep in his hotel room with his wife, Margaret, when the ceiling collapsed. They both fell four floors and spent hours buried in the rubble.
Lord Tebbit would spend three months in hospital and after would walk with a slight limp. His wife was never able to walk again and needed constant care.
He later spoke of how he felt unable to forgive the man responsible, Patrick Magee, or indeed the rest of the IRA and the late Martin McGuinness for their actions.
Norman Tebbit (back left) with Margaret Thatcher at the launch of the 1983 Tory manifesto. Pic: PA
Following Mr McGuinness’s death in 2017, Lord Tebbit said, in characteristically blunt language: “He claimed to be a Roman Catholic. I hope that his beliefs turn out to be true and he’ll be parked in a particularly hot and unpleasant corner of hell for the rest of eternity.”
Shortly after the Brighton bomb, Lord Tebbit was appointed Conservative Party chair, successfully shepherding in another landslide victory in 1987.
It proved to be his last hurrah in the Commons. Later that year, he stepped down from the cabinet to care for his wife – and his relationship with Mrs Thatcher having become uneasy due to his ever-rising profile.
In 1992, two years after Mrs Thatcher was ousted by the pro-Europeans in her party, Lord Tebbit stood down as the MP for Chingford and went to the House of Lords.
Squabbles over Europe
Lord Tebbit may have left frontline politics, but he would prove to be a perennial thorn in the side of Sir John Major on the question of Europe – showing him up at the Conservative Party conference in 1992 with a barnstorming speech opposing the Maastricht Treaty, which established the EU.
His anti-EU views would continue long into the reign of David Cameron, whom he considered a “newcomer” to the traditional torch-bearing Tory party.
Lord Tebbit continued to campaign for the UK to leave the EU as patron of the cross-party Better Off Out campaign, and urged people to vote UKIP in the European elections of 2009.
It was not just issues involving Europe where Lord Tebbit’s views diverged from the modern Conservative Party. In 2000, Steve Norris, then Conservative Party vice chairman, branded him a “racist and a homophobe”.
Lord Tebbit caused controversy when he claimed a large proportion of Britain’s Asian population failed to pass the “cricket test” by continuing to support overseas teams, and for suggesting the Gay Marriage Bill of 2013 could lead to a lesbian Queen giving birth to a future monarch by artificial insemination.
Lord Tebbit with his wife Margaret. Pic: PA
In 2022, he retired from the House of Lords, two years after his wife died from a “particularly foul” form of dementia.
He continued to remain as engaged in politics as ever, writing prolifically in the columns of newspapers where he would reflect on his extraordinary 50-year stretch in politics.
In one memorable interview with The Independent, he said a regret that both he and Mrs Thatcher had was that they both “neglected to clone ourselves”.
A more serious – and less tongue-in-cheek – regret was expressed when Mrs Thatcher died in 2013 and tributes were made in her honour in parliament.
Lord Tebbit rose to his feet and said: “My regrets? I think I do regret that because of the commitments I had made to my own wife that I did not feel able either to continue in government after 1987 or to return to government when she later asked me to do and I left her, I fear, at the mercy of her friends. That I do regret.”
Lord Tebbit is survived by his three children, John, Alison and William.
UK
UK weather: Dozens of flood alerts in place across England and Wales amid warning of heavy rainfall
Dozens of flood alerts have been issued across England and Wales amid a warning of heavy rainfall.
The Environment Agency has 35 flood alerts in place for rivers in England, while Natural Resources Wales has another 10 in force as of midday on Saturday. Alerts mean flooding is possible.
It comes as the Met Office has a yellow weather warning in place for rain in the East Midlands, North East England and Yorkshire and Humber on Saturday.
Up to 30mm could fall “fairly widely”, the agency predicted, with as much as 60mm possible over higher ground. A yellow warning for ice is also in place for large parts of northern England overnight into Sunday.
Check the weather forecast where you are
There is also a yellow warning for rain on Monday covering North West England, Hampshire, South West England and Wales.
Up to 40mm is likely to fall quite widely for Derbyshire, North West England, and Yorkshire and Humber, and there could be as much as 120mm in a few places over the Cumbrian fells, the Met Office said.
In South West England, there could be up to 50mm “across the higher parts of Exmoor, Dorset, the Mendips and Cotswolds”.
Also for Monday, there is a more serious amber warning for rain in South Wales all day, with 120mm possible in a few places.
Rain warnings are in place for Saturday and Monday (below). Pic: Met Office
Homes and businesses could be flooded, the agency said, and there may be travel disruption and difficult driving conditions.
England and Wales normally averages just over 100mm of rainfall for the entire month of November.
Jason Kelly, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “There is a clear signal for strong winds and periods of heavy rain, which could lead to surface water flooding and delays to road and rail travel.
“Rain will also push into North East England during Saturday, some of which could fall as snow over higher ground when the system meets colder air coming down from the north.
“Sunday will be drier and brighter, albeit colder, for many areas with blustery winds lingering near some North Sea coasts. Expect widespread frost overnight into Monday before the next weather system approaches.”
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Next week, the weather is expected to remain changeable, with occasional dry spells.
Homes across Scotland left without power
It comes after homes across Scotland were left without power following severe gales overnight.
The Met Office had issued a yellow weather warning for wind, covering Orkney, Shetland and western parts of the Highlands and Argyll and Bute, which expired at 11am on Friday.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said gusts reached 83mph on the Western Isles and 75mph on the Isle of Mull.
A spokesperson said around 1,000 homes on the Isle of Mull were without power by mid-morning on Friday, but most have since been restored.
UK
Software issue impacts thousands of Airbus planes – as UK passengers warned of potential disruption
Airline passengers have been warned of potential travel disruption after Airbus identified a “significant number” A320 planes impacted by a software issue.
In a statement, the plane maker said: “Analysis of a recent event involving an A320 Family aircraft has revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls.
“Airbus has consequently identified a significant number of A320 Family aircraft currently in-service which may be impacted.”
File pic: iStock
It is understood the incident that triggered an unexpected repair involved a JetBlue flight from Cancun, Mexico, to Newark, New Jersey, on 30 October, which suffered a sharp loss of altitude which injured several passengers.
An Airbus spokesperson told Sky News the necessary software change would affect up to 6,000 planes.
They added that for most of the affected aircraft, the required software update would take 2-3 hours. However, some aircrafts would need new hardware to be able to adopt the required software and that those aircraft would be affected for longer.
Travel expert, Simon Calder, said the situation was “very concerning” but that he had full faith in the safety procedures of Airbus and airlines. He went on to say that “aviation remains extraordinarily safe.”
However, he warned that customers may not be entitled to cash compensation if affected by delays, as the issue would be considered out of the control of airlines.
EasyJet, British Airways, Aer Lingus, Lufthansa, American Airlines, Delta and Wizz Air are all affected by the issue.
Airbus told Sky News that it had proactively asked the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to issue an air worthiness directive for the affected aircraft.
The issue is affecting A319, A320 and the A321 models. The company said the issue is only affecting A320s that are in service, not aircraft that are due to be delivered.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority said it is likely to mean some disruption and cancellation to flights.
Airbus requested that EASA issue an air worthiness directive. Pic: Reuters
Some airlines will be more affected than others, Colombian airline Avianca has announced that it will close ticket sales for 10 days due to the issue.
In a statement, easyJet said: “As we are expecting this to result in some disruption, we will inform customers directly about any changes to our flying programme tomorrow and will do all possible to minimise the impact.”
American Airlines said the Airbus software issue would impact 340 aircraft and it expects some operational delays due to a major software change requirement.
The airline added that it expects the vast majority of the updates to be completed by “today or tomorrow”, and that they are “intently focused” on limiting cancellations.
Wizz Air said some of its flights over the weekend may be affected, while Air India said the issue could lead to delays.
Indigo, an Indian airline which operates over 150 A320s, said it was proactively completing mandated updates on the affected aircraft.
British Airways told Sky News that only three of its aircraft where affected and that the required fixes will be carried out overnight and are not expected to disrupt its operations.
Aer Lingus is in a similar position, with a limited number of aircraft impacted. The Airline doesn’t expect there to be significant operational disruption, but is taking “immediate steps to complete the required software installations”.
In October, the Airbus A320 family broke a major milestone when it overtook Boeing’s 737 to become the most-delivered jetliner in history.
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Famous names affected by prostate cancer have spoken of their disappointment after mass screening for the illness was not recommended for use on the NHS.
The National Screening Committee (NSC), comprised of doctors and economists, told the government that screening is “likely to cause more harm than good”.
Its decision means the NHS is unlikely to offer mass screening for men over the age of 45.
Six-time Olympic gold-medallist Sir Chris Hoy, former Prime Minister David Cameron, Sir Stephen Fry, actor and author Tony Robinson and journalist Dermot Murnaghan, who have all been diagnosed with the disease, spoke out after today’s decision.
David Cameron, Dermot Murnaghan and Sir Chris Hoy were among those who spoke out. Pic: PA/Shutterstock/AP
In a draft recommendation, the committee said the reason it was “not recommending whole population screening using the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test was that it was likely to cause more harm than good”.
Instead, it proposes a targeted screening programme every two years for men with specific genetic mutations, known as BRCA-1 and BRCA-2, between the ages of 45 and 61.
But Sir Chris, who confirmed last year that his prostate cancer diagnosis was terminal, with doctors giving him two to four years to live, criticised the move.
The former Team GB cyclist, who confirmed in February 2024 that he was undergoing treatment, said: “I am extremely disappointed and saddened by the recommendation announced by the National Screening Committee today to rule against national screening for men at high risk of prostate cancer.
“More than 12,000 men are dying of prostate cancer every year; it is now the UK’s most common cancer in men, with black men at double the risk, along with men with a family history, like myself.
“While introducing regular checks for men carrying the BRCA genes is a very small step forward, it is not enough. I know, first hand, that by sharing my story following my own diagnosis two years ago, many, many lives have been saved.
“Early screening and diagnosis saves lives. I am determined to continue to use my platform to raise awareness, encourage open discussion, raise vital funds for further research and support, and to campaign for change.”
Sir Chris Hoy. Picture: PA
His views were echoed by Lord Cameron, who this month announced he was treated for prostate cancer last year.
Lord Cameron said in a post on X: “I am disappointed by today’s recommendation on prostate cancer screening from the National Committee.
“Targeted screening is a natural first step – but the recommendation today is far too targeted, not including black men or men with a family history, both high-risk groups.
“Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among British men. We are letting down too many men if we don’t push for a wider screening programme that includes all high-risk groups – and not just the men involved, but their families too, who risk losing a loved one unnecessarily. As I know all too well, prostate cancer can be symptomless early on.
“That’s why screening is so essential – catching the cancers early when they can be more effectively and successfully treated, like in my own case.”
Former British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was treated for prostate cancer last year. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Sir Tony, journalist Mr Murnaghan and retired footballer Les Ferdinand also voiced their disappointment after the decision.
Sir Tony, 79, who starred as Baldrick in Blackadder, said: “I’m bitterly disappointed. Getting an early diagnosis for prostate cancer could save your life, but we still have no screening programme for it in the UK.
“I was lucky I found my cancer early, but nearly 10,000 men a year are diagnosed too late for a cure, and that’s just not right.”
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Why prostate cancer screening not being expanded
Broadcaster Mr Murnaghan, 67, added: “With prostate cancer cases higher than they’ve ever been, and the disease dominating the national conversation, I really thought we were heading to an exciting moment here.
“I’m so disappointed that the committee has decided not to recommend screening – it felt about time progress was made for men.”
He added in a statement shared with Sky News: “An acceptable halfway house, would perhaps be to extend screening to black men – and those with a known history of cancer in their family. But clearly a full nationwide screening programme would be best.”
Sir Stephen, who is a Prostate Cancer Research ambassador who revealed in 2018 he had undergone surgery after being diagnosed with the disease, said: “I’m deeply disappointed by today’s news. Men in the UK deserve so much better. Prostate cancer remains the second biggest cancer killer of men in this country, with more than 12,000 dying every year.
“The only way we will make a dent in that appalling statistic is by catching prostate cancer early, before symptoms appear – and the best way to do that is through a screening programme. I hope the country sees sense.”
Retired footballer Les Ferdinand also voiced his concerns over the decision. Pic: Reuters
Mr Ferdinand, whose grandfather died from prostate cancer, added: “I’ve seen members of my family survive prostate cancer, because their cancer was found in time.
“Without a national screening programme, the responsibility to find prostate cancer early and in time for a cure rests entirely on men’s shoulders, and it shouldn’t be this way.
“Black men are at double the risk of prostate cancer and twice as likely to die, and something has to be done.”
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Prostate cancer decision ‘a massive mistake’
Colin McFarlane, an actor who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2023, told Sky News presenter Jonathan Samuels the decision was a “massive mistake”.
“I’ve been diagnosed with prostate cancer, but I’m not having any treatment. I have something called active surveillance, so every three months I have a PSA blood test, and then once a year I have an MRI,” he said.
McFarlane said black men over the age of 45 are at high risk, and “should be invited for screening”. He added: “I personally think men over 50 should be invited for screening, because they’re also at risk. I’m concerned now for all the black men out there who are high risk.”
NSC added it did not recommend extensive screening for black men due to a current lack of evidence and data.
The committee also does not recommend targeted screening for men with a family history of the disease, who are also at a higher risk of prostate cancer.
The National Screening Committee is comprised of doctors and economists. File pic: iStock
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he would consider the findings ahead of March’s final decision, adding that he wanted to see earlier diagnosis and quicker treatment, but that needed to be balanced against “the harms that wider screening could cause to men”.
Professor Sir Mike Richards, a former national cancer director and chairman of the NSC, told a briefing that modelling on PSA shows “whole population screening may lead to a small reduction in prostate cancer deaths, but the very high levels of overdiagnoses” means the harms outweigh the benefits.
Experts are also waiting to see data from a large trial launched by Prostate Cancer UK last week into whether combining PSA with other tests, such as rapid MRI scans, may lead to recommending population-wide screening.
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The trial is looking at the most promising screening techniques available, including PSA blood tests, genetic tests and 10-minute MRI scans, and whether they can be combined for a national screening programme.
The results will be ready within two years, it is hoped.
Mr Streeting added: “In the meantime, we will keep making progress on cutting cancer waiting times and investing in research into prostate cancer detection – in the last 12 months, 193,000 more patients received a diagnosis for suspected cancer on time.
“We are also providing funding to the £42m TRANSFORM trial, which has the potential to revolutionise prostate cancer screening, cutting out harmful side effects and making screening far more accurate.”
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