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He served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Nigel Lawson, and Financial Secretary to the Treasury before joining the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to replace Nicholas Ridley in mid- 1990 after the latter was force to resign over an anti- German gaffe. After the 1992 UK General Election he became Secretary of State for Social Security and the coincidence of his youthful, good looks, right wing reputation and area of departmental responsibility resulted in the satirical television show Spitting Image potraying him as an SS Officer. It was rumoured that he had an affair with Michael PortilloThe Right Honourable Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo (born May 26, 1953) is a British Conservative politician. He was born in Bushey, in Hertfordshire. His father was an exiled Spanish republican, Luis Gabriel and his mother, Cora Blyth, was Scottish., who later admitted to having gay liaisons, when both were ministers in John MajorThe Right Honourable John Major CH is a British politician and was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1990 to 1997, attaining that office when he succeeded Margaret Thatcher as Conservative Party leader. Early life Major was born March 29, 1943, th's Government, an allegation he later strenuously denied, famously declaring that homosexuality had to him all the appeal of 'eating cardboard'.
| Preceded by: Nicholas Ridley | Secretary of State for Trade and IndustryThe President of the Board of Trade the title of a cabinet position in the United Kingdom government. It is the secondary title of the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry . The idea of a Board of Trade was first translated into action by Oliver Crom 1990–1992 | Followed by: Michael HeseltineMichael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, Baron Heseltine PC (born March 21, 1933), is a British Conservative politician and businessman. He was born in Swansea, Wales. He is a patron of the Tory Reform Group. January 9, 1986 He was educated at Shrewsbury School and |
| Preceded by: Tony NewtonTony Newton, Baron Newton of Braintree PC (born August 29, 1937), is an English Conservative politician and former Cabinet member. He was member of Parliament for Braintree, until his deafeat in the 1997 general election, and now sits in the House of Lord | Secretary of State for Social SecurityThe Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is a position in the UK cabinet, responsible for the Department for Work and Pensions. It was created on June 8, 2001 from the merger of the Employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and th 1992–1997 | Followed by: Harriet HarmanThe Right Honourable Harriet Harman (born 1950) is a British barrister and Labour politician. She has been the Member of Parliament for Camberwell and Peckham since 1982. She was educated at the University of York. She became Labour's front-bench spokesma |