Douglas Hurd

**Douglas Richard Hurd, Baron Hurd of Westwell** (born 8 March 1930) is a British Conservative politician. He served in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major from 1979 to 1995.

He was born in the market town of Marlborough in Wiltshire. Hurd first entered Parliament in February 1974 as MP for the Mid Oxfordshire constituency (Witney from 1983). His first government post was as Minister for Europe from 1979 to 1983 (being that office's inaugural holder) and he served in several Cabinet roles since 1984.

His jobs include Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1984–85), Home Secretary (1985–89) and Foreign Secretary (1989–95).  He stood unsuccessfully for the Conservative Party leadership in 1990, but retired from frontline politics during a Cabinet reshuffle in 1995.

In 1997, Hurd was elevated to the House of Lords and is one of the Conservative Party's most senior elder statesmen. He is a patron of the Tory Reform Group and remains an active figure in public life.

## Other websites

- Hurd's memories of his assignment Beijing in the 1950s
- Hurd intervenes in the 2001 General Election campaign on European policy
- BBC reports on the findings of Hurd's commission into the role of the Archbishop of Canterbury
- An article by Douglas Hurd on peace in the Middle East
- Speech by Hurd on Britain and Europe
- _Daily Telegraph_ review of _Robert Peel, a Biography_
- Economist Review of "Robert Peel, a Biography"
- Daily Mail Review of "Robert Peel, A Biography"
- Patron, Witney History Society

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **honorific-prefix**: The Right Honourable
- **name**: The Lord Hurd of Westwell
- **birthname**: Douglas Richard Hurd
- **image**: Lord Hurd (cropped).jpg
- **office**: Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
- **primeminister**: Margaret Thatcher
John Major
- **term start**: 26 October 1989
- **term end**: 5 July 1995
- **predecessor**: John Major
- **successor**: Malcolm Rifkind
- **office2**: Home Secretary
- **primeminister2**: Margaret Thatcher
- **term start2**: 2 September 1985
- **term end2**: 26 October 1989
- **predecessor2**: Leon Brittan, Baron Brittan of Spennithorne, Leon Brittan
- **successor2**: David Waddington, Baron Waddington, David Waddington
- **office3**: Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
- **primeminister3**: Margaret Thatcher
- **term start3**: 27 September 1984
- **term end3**: 2 September 1985
- **predecessor3**: James Prior, Baron Prior, James Prior
- **successor3**: Tom King, Baron King of Bridgwater, Tom King
- **office4**: Minister of State for Europe, Minister for Europe
- **primeminister4**: Margaret Thatcher
- **term start4**: 4 May 1979
- **term end4**: 9 June 1983
- **predecessor4**: Office created
- **successor4**: Malcolm Rifkind
- **office5**: Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament
 for Witney (UK Parliament constituency), Witney
- **term start5**: 9 June 1983
- **term end5**: 1 May 1997
- **predecessor5**: Boundary Commissions (United Kingdom), Constituency created
- **successor5**: Shaun Woodward
- **office6**: Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament
 for Mid Oxfordshire (UK Parliament constituency), Mid Oxfordshire
- **term start6**: 28 February 1974
- **term end6**: 9 June 1983
- **predecessor6**: Boundary Commissions (United Kingdom), Constituency created
- **successor6**: Boundary Commissions (United Kingdom), Constituency abolished
- **birth place**: Marlborough, Wiltshire, UK
- **party**: Conservative Party (UK), Conservative
- **alma mater**: Eton College
Trinity College, Cambridge
- **spouse**: (1) Tatania, daughter of Major Arthur Eyre MBE (divorced, div. 1982) ;
 (2) Judy _née_ Smart (died, d. 2008)
- **children**: 3 sons (by 1st wife);
 1 son and 1 daughter (by 2nd wife)
- **relations**: Anthony Hurd, Anthony, Lord Hurd (father);
Percy Hurd, Sir Percy Hurd (grandfather); Sir Archibald Hurd (uncle)