Tory MP;

Tory MP;

Born: August 8, 1925; Died: September 7, 2013

Lord Hayhoe, who has died aged 88, was a Conservative MP from the one-nation mould whose affable, consensus-style Toryism meant he was labelled a wet by Margaret Thatcher. Although he served in various positions in the early years of her Governments, he was eventually moved to the back benches, where he joined the growing discontent with Thatcherism.

He was born Barney Hayhoe in Croyden and, unlike so many of the Tory MPs of his generation - and the latest one - he did not go to public school. He went to a technical school and Borough Polytechnic and started work as a tool room apprentice. He then worked as a chartered engineer with the Ministry of Supply and served as an arms inspector.

His life in politics began when he joined The Young Conservatives, eventually becoming their vice-chairman. In 1958, he became chairman of the British Committee Of European Youth Campaign, where he developed the pro-European, internationalist views that would later make him popular with Edward Heath and unpopular with Margaret Thatcher.

His first attempt at becoming a Conservative MP was in Lewisham, followed by Heston and Isleworth, which he won in 1968. He was quickly singled out by Heath, the party leader, and sat on the committee that advised on the drafting of the Tory manifesto for the 1970 General Election, which the party won.

Four years later, with the Tories in opposition again and led by Mrs Thatcher, Hayhoe became the party's deputy spokesman on employment.

When the Conservatives were returned to power in 1979, he was appointed Under-Secretary Of Defence. Over the next seven years, he served in a number of relatively junior Government posts, including junior minister at the Treasury and the Department Of Health. In the latter role, he was responsible for the famous, shocking adverts that were designed to stop the spread of Aids.

His time in Government came to an end in the reshuffle of 1986 - he was knighted in the New Year's Honours - which meant he was free to join Edward Heath's infamous longest sulk in history and snipe about Thatcherism from the back benches. He opposed the introduction of the poll tax and voted for Michael Heseltine in the leader­ship battle of 1990 that eventually led to Mrs Thatcher's resignation.

He was created a life peer in 1992 after an 18-year career in the Commons. He was latterly involved in work for a number of health charities and was chairman of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust.

He is survived by two sons and a daughter; his wife predeceased him last year.