Sir John William Frederic Nott (born 1 February 1932 in Bideford, Devon) is a former a British Conservative Party politician prominent in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He featured heavily in the public eye as Secretary of State for Defence during the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands and the subsequent Falklands War. The Secretary of State for Defence is the senior United Kingdom government minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence. ... is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (née Roberts; born 13 October 1925) served as British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 and leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 until 1990, being the first and only woman to hold either post. ... Popular conservative British politician Francis Pym, during his Cambridge years Francis Leslie Pym, Baron Pym, MC and Bar, PC (born 13 February 1922) is a British Conservative Party politician and former member of the Cabinet. ... Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, Baron Heseltine, CH, PC (born 21 March 1933) is a British businessman and Conservative Party politician. ... The President of the Board of Trade the title of a cabinet position in the United Kingdom government. ... The President of the Board of Trade the title of a cabinet position in the United Kingdom government. ... is the 124th day of the year (125th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... John Smith QC (September 13, 1938 – May 12, 1994) was a British politician who served as leader of the Labour Party from July 1992 until his sudden and unexpected death from a heart attack on 12 May 1994. ... William John Biffen, Baron Biffen, PC (3 November 1930 - 14 August 2007), was a Conservative member of the House of Lords, who previously spent 36 years in the House of Commons. ... is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... , Bideford is a small port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. ... For other uses, see Devon (disambiguation). ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... , Bideford is a small port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. ... For other uses, see Devon (disambiguation). ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... The Secretary of State for Defence is the senior United Kingdom government minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence. ... Combatants Argentina United Kingdom Commanders President Leopoldo Galtieri Vice-Admiral Juan Lombardo Brigadier-General Ernesto Crespo Brigade-General Mario Menéndez Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse Rear-Admiral John “Sandy” Woodward Major-General Jeremy Moore Casualties 649 killed 1,068 wounded 11,313 taken prisoner 75 fixed...

Early Life

John Nott was commissioned in the 2nd Gurkha Rifles in Malaysia (1952-1956), he left to study law and economics at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was President of the Cambridge Union Society. At Cambridge he met his future wife Miloshka, herself a refugee from Communist Slovenia (Yugoslavia). They have two sons and a daughter. The 2nd Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles) was a British Indian Army then British Army regiment. ... Full name The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity Motto Virtus vera nobilitas Virtue is true Nobility Named after The Holy Trinity Previous names King’s Hall and Michaelhouse (until merged in 1546) Established 1546 Sister College(s) Christ Church Master The Lord Rees of Ludlow Location Trinity Street... This article is about the city in England. ... The coat of arms for the Cambridge Union Society, which shares much in common with the coat of arms for the University of Cambridge. ...

Member of Parliament

Nott was Member of Parliament for St Ives in Cornwall from 1966 to 1983. Interestingly, John Nott was the last person to commence his parliamentary career under the near-obsolete National Liberal label. The National Liberals were formally absorbed by the Conservatives in 1968, and thereafter Nott sat as a Conservative MP. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... St Ives is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see Cornwall (disambiguation). ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... Historically the National Liberal Party was a name used by two groups of politicians, who had formerly been associated with the Liberal Party in the United Kingdom. ...

In government

John served in the early 1970s cabinet of Prime Minister Ted Heath. Nott rejoined the Cabinet when Margaret Thatcher won the 1979 general election. He served first as the President of the Board of Trade and was moved to Defence in the reshuffle of January 1981. You might be looking for: Edward Heath (1916–2005) — Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and leader of the Conservative Party from 1965 to 1975. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 and is regarded as a pivotal point in 20th century British politics. ... The President of the Board of Trade the title of a cabinet position in the United Kingdom government. ...

He was widely criticized by the Royal Navy chiefs for his decision to cut back on government naval expenditure during the severe economic recession of the early 1980s — the cuts originally included the proposed scrapping of the Antarctic patrol ship HMS Endurance, shortly before the outbreak of the Falklands War. There have been two Royal Navy ships with the name HMS Endurance. ...

Resignation and Retirement

Nott offered his resignation to Thatcher following the Argentinian invasion of the Falklands in March 1982. Unlike then Foreign Secretary Lord Carrington, however, the resignation was not accepted. Nott remained Secretary of State for Defence throughout the four-month conflict. He was eventually replaced by Michael Heseltine in January 1983 when Nott announced he would not seek re-election in 1983. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (commonly referred to as Foreign Secretary) is a member of the British Government responsible for relations with foreign countries, heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (often called simply the Foreign Office). ... Peter Alexander Rupert Carington, 6th Baron Carrington, KG, GCMG, CH, MC, PC, JP, DL (born June 6, 1919), was British Foreign Secretary (1979–1982) and Secretary-General of NATO (1984–1988). ... The Secretary of State for Defence is the senior United Kingdom government minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence. ... Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, Baron Heseltine, CH, PC (born 21 March 1933) is a British businessman and Conservative Party politician. ... The UK general election, 1983 was held on June 9, 1983 and gave the Conservatives and Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945. ...

Together with John Major, he is the only surviving member of Mrs Thatcher's cabinet who does not currently sit in either house of Parliament. In 1985 he became Chairman and Chief Executive of the banking firm Lazard Brothers. He now lives on his farm in Cornwall. This article is about the year. ... For other uses, see Lazard (disambiguation). ...

Personal Life

John Nott's son, Julian Nott, is a film composer, screenwriter and director, most famous for writing the scores for the Wallace & Gromit animated short films. Nott's other son, William, is a research analyst working for an international oil company in London. Nott's daughter, Sasha, is married to the Member of Parliament for East Devon, Hugo Swire MP; who was until July 2007, the Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Julian Nott (born 23rd August 1960 in London, England) is a British film composer, mostly of animated films. ... A film score is the background music in a film, generally specially written for the film and often used to heighten emotions provoked by the imagery on the screen or by the dialogue. ... Screenwriters, scenarists, or script writers, are authors who write the screenplays from which movies and television programs are made. ... Director Herbert Brenon with actress Alla Nazimova on the set of War Brides, 1916 A director is a person who directs the making of a film. ... Wallace and Gromit are the main characters in a series of three British animated films by Nick Park of Aardman Animations. ... East Devon is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Hugo Swire MP Hugo George William Swire (born 30 November 1959) is a politician in the United Kingdom. ...

Autobiography

John's autobiography Here Today, Gone Tomorrow is a reference to the infamous interview conducted by Sir Robin Day in October 1982. Day asked Nott whether the public should believe the retiring MP's statements on defense cuts, since (Day thought) Nott was a "here today, gone tomorrow politician" (Nott had recently announced that he would not stand at the next election). Nott then stood up, threw down his microphone, called the interview "ridiculous", and promptly walked off set. Sir Robin Day, OBE (24 October 1923 – 6 August 2000) was a British political broadcaster and commentator of note. ...

References

• Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, Nott's autobiography, Politico's Publishing, ISBN 1-84275-030-5