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Defence under Thatcher pp 32–62Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Defence under Pym, May 1979-January 1981

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Part of the book series: Southampton Studies in International Policy ((SSIP))

Abstract

The new Conservative government was greatly welcomed by the MOD in May 1979 because they promised to be strong on defence and there appeared to be firm support within the Conservative Party and the Cabinet on this issue.159 This perception was reinforced by Francis Pym’s appointment as Secretary of State for Defence. In the words of one former civil servant ‘he was welcomed because he was a good decent shire MP, which I think the military like. He was a man of great integrity and not out for a sort of quick political fix … and you got a good ministerial team with Geoffrey Pattie etcetera. So things were quite chirpy.’160

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Notes

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Defence Studies, King’s College London, UK

    Andrew M. Dorman (Lecturer in Defence Studies)

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  1. Andrew M. Dorman
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© 2002 Andrew M. Dorman

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Dorman, A.M. (2002). Defence under Pym, May 1979-January 1981. In: Defence under Thatcher. Southampton Studies in International Policy. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781403932853_3

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