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The Right Honourable
The Lord Patten
PC
The Right Honourable The Lord Patten PC
Secretary of State for Education
	In office; 10 April 1992 – 20 July 1994
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	Kenneth Clarke (Education and Science)
Succeeded by	Gillian Shephard
Minister of State for Home Affairs
	In office; 13 June 1987 – 10 April 1992
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher; John Major
Preceded by	David Mellor
Succeeded by	Michael Jack
Minister of State for Housing
	In office; 2 September 1985 – 13 June 1987
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	Ian Gow
Succeeded by	The Hon. William Waldegrave
Member of Parliament ; for Oxford West and Abingdon; Oxford (1979–1983)
	In office; 3 May 1979 – 8 April 1997
Preceded by	Evan Luard
Succeeded by	Evan Harris
Personal details
Born	17 July 1945 (age 79)
Political party	Conservative
Alma mater	Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge

John Haggitt Charles Patten, Baron Patten, PC (born 17 July 1945) is a British politician. He was formerly Conservative Member of Parliament for Oxford and subsequently for Oxford West and Abingdon.

Early life

A Roman Catholic, he was educated by the Jesuits at Wimbledon College before graduating from Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. Patten then moved to the University of Oxford, working as a Geography Fellow, and taught political geography to former UK Prime Minister Theresa May while she was a student at St Hugh's College, Oxford.^[1]^[2]

Parliamentary career

He was first elected for Oxford in 1979, transferring to Oxford West and Abingdon in 1983 after boundary changes divided the seat. He stood down at the 1997 general election. The seat was subsequently won by the Liberal Democrat Evan Harris.

Patten was offered the role of Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by Margaret Thatcher, but refused.^[3]

Patten served as Secretary of State for Education from 1992 to 1994. He was interviewed at some length by Brian Sherratt in 1994 regarding his role as Secretary of State.^[4] While he was Education Secretary, Patten described Birmingham education chief Tim Brighouse as "a madman ... wandering the streets, frightening the children." Brighouse sued, and won substantial damages which were donated to educational charities.^[5]

House of Lords

Patten was created a life peer as Baron Patten of Wincanton in the County of Somerset on 17 June 1997.^[6] In 2013, Patten voted against the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013.

Coat of arms of John Patten, Baron Patten
	Crest Rising from a mount Vert a buzzard Sable grasping in the dexter claws a long cross Or. Escutcheon Vert a chief per fess Vert and vairy Argent and Sable. Supporters On either side a horse Sable langued Vert standing upon a compartment of grass Vert growing therefrom two Madonna lilies slipped and leaved Proper. Motto Curriculum Curre (Run The Race)^[7]

Family

He is married to the businesswoman Louise Patten, whom he taught at St Hugh's College, Oxford,^[8] and they have one daughter, Mary-Claire, married to Daniel Lloyd Johnson of Essex.^[9]

Other work

He was on the governing body of Abingdon School from 1983 to 1986.^[10] He has been a senior advisor to Charterhouse Capital Partners since 2001.^[11]

References

^ Mendick, Robert (16 July 2016). "Theresa May: the highest achiever of all in the starry, Oxford University geography class of '74". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
^ Brennan, Zoe (2 August 2016). "Theresa May, the thinking woman's woman". The Spectator. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
^ Michael White (22 August 2012). "David Cameron's cabinet reshuffle: gossip, guesswork and predictions". The Guardian.
^ Ribbins, P. and Sherratt, B., Radical Educational Policies and Conservative Secretaries of State, Cassell, 1997, pp. 168–199
^ Wilby, Peter, "The secrets of Saint Tim", The Guardian, 24 April 2007
^ "No. 54812". The London Gazette. 20 June 1997. p. 7187.
^ Debrett's Peerage. 2008.
^ Mendick, Robert (16 July 2016). "Theresa May: the highest achiever of all in the starry, Oxford University geography class of '74". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
^ Louise Patten Archived 26 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Evening Standard, 27 August 2009
^ "The Liberator" (PDF). The Abingdonian.
^ "Lord John Patten". Charterhouse Capital Partners.

External links

Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by John Patten

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Evan Luard	Member of Parliament for Oxford 1979–1983	Constituency abolished
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Oxford West and Abingdon 1983–1997	Succeeded by Evan Harris
Political offices
Preceded by Kenneth Clarke as Secretary of State for Education and Science	Secretary of State for Education 1992–1994	Succeeded by Gillian Shephard
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by The Lord Baker of Dorking	Gentlemen Baron Patten	Followed by The Lord Levene of Portsoken