Former cabinet minister Lord Parkinson has died aged 84 after a long battle with cancer, his family has announced.
The Tory grandee served in a variety of senior posts in Margaret Thatcher’s governments.
A family spokesman said: “Cecil passed away on January 22 after a long battle with cancer.
“We shall miss him enormously. As a family, we should like to pay tribute to him as a beloved husband to Ann and brother to Norma, and a supportive and loving father to Mary, Emma and Joanna and grandfather to their children.
“We also salute his extraordinary commitment to British public life as a member of parliament, cabinet minister and peer – together with a distinguished career in business.”
Lord Parkinson was responsible for managing the 1983 Conservative Party election campaign, which delivered Thatcher the majority she used to push through controversial reforms.
He was rewarded with the post of secretary of state for trade and industry – but resigned later that year after it emerged his former secretary, Sara Keays, was pregnant with his child.
He later served as secretary of state for energy, and for transport, leaving office at the same time as Thatcher in 1990 and was made a peer two years later.
He briefly made a comeback as Conservative Party chairman after the Tories’ general election hammering in 1997.
Lord Parkinson retired from the Upper House last September.
The family spokesman said: “There will be a private family funeral. The family requests that their privacy be respected in this matter. Details about a memorial service will be announced later.”