The Lord Patten of Barnes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Official portrait, 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chancellor of the University of Oxford | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 20 September 2003 – 31 July 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vice-Chancellor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Roy Jenkins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | William Hague | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| European Commissioner for External Relations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 16 September 1999 – 22 November 2004 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nominated by | Tony Blair | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Leon Brittan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Benita Ferrero-Waldner | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 28th Governor of Hong Kong | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 9 July 1992[1] – 30 June 1997 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Monarch | Elizabeth II | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chief Secretary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | David Wilson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Office abolished Tung Chee-hwa (asChief Executive of Hong Kong) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman of the Conservative Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 28 November 1990 – 11 May 1992 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader | John Major | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Kenneth Baker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Norman Fowler | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Chairman of theBBC Trust | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 1 May 2011 – 6 May 2014 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Sir Michael Lyons | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Christopher Francis Patten (1944-05-12)12 May 1944 (age 81) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Conservative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 3, includingAlice | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | St Benedict's School, Ealing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Balliol College, Oxford (BA) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Awards |
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| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 彭定康 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Christopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes (Chinese:彭定康;[3] born 12 May 1944), is a British politician who was theChairman of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1992, and the 28th and lastGovernor of Hong Kong from 1992 to 1997. He was made alife peer in 2005 and served asChancellor of the University of Oxford from 2003 to 2024. He is one of two living former governors of Hong Kong, alongsideDavid Wilson.
Patten was born inThornton-Cleveleys in Lancashire and subsequently raised in west London. He studied history atBalliol College, Oxford, and, after graduating in 1965, he began working for theConservative Party.
Patten waselected Member of Parliament forBath in1979. He was appointedSecretary of State for the Environment byMargaret Thatcher in 1989 as part of herthird ministry, becoming responsible for implementation of the unpopularpoll tax. OnJohn Major's succession asPrime Minister in 1990, Patten became Chairman of the Conservative Party andChancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. As party chairman, he successfully orchestrated a surpriseConservative electoral victory in 1992, but lost his own seat.
Patten was then appointed the last governor ofHong Kong, to oversee the final years of British administration in the colony and prepare for itstransfer to China in 1997. During his tenure, his government significantly expanded the territory's social welfare programmes and introduceddemocratic reforms to the electoral system.[4]
Following his governorship, Patten led theIndependent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland, a major implementation step of theNorthern Ireland peace process pursuant to theGood Friday Agreement from 1998 to 1999. He wasEuropean Commissioner for External Relations from 1999 to 2004 and Chairman of theBBC Trust from 2011 to 2014.
Patten was born inThornton-Cleveleys in Lancashire, where his mother had fled to fromExeter, which had recently been significantly damaged by theBaedeker raids. Patten grew up in an Irish Catholic family in west London, the son of an unsuccessful music publisher whose ancestors had come to England fromCounty Roscommon, Ireland.[5] Patten's father, Frank, dropped out[6] of university to become a jazz-drummer, later, a popular-music publisher. Frank and his mother Joan sent him to a Catholic primary school,Our Lady of the Visitation, inGreenford, and later awarded a scholarship[6][7] to the independentSt Benedict's School inEaling, west London, where he won an exhibition[2][8] to read Modern History atBalliol College, Oxford.
After graduating with a second-class honours degree in 1965 and winning a William Coolidge Pathfinder Award[9][10][11] travelling scholarship to the US,[12][13][14][15] Patten worked for the campaign of then-Republican New York MayorJohn Lindsay, where he reported on the television performance of rivalWilliam F. Buckley Jr.[16] He worked for theConservative Party from 1966,[citation needed] first as desk officer and then director (from 1974 to 1979) of theConservative Research Department.[6]
Patten was the Conservative Party candidate forLambeth Central at theFebruary 1974 general election, but lost to theLabour Party candidate,Marcus Lipton. He was elected as theMember of Parliament for Bath in 1979, and served until he was unseated in 1992.
Patten was appointedParliamentary Under-Secretary for theNorthern Ireland Office in June 1983. He was promoted to be aMinister of State in theDepartment of Education and Science in September 1985, and was namedMinister for Overseas Development at theForeign and Commonwealth Office in September 1986.
In 1989, he was promoted to theCabinet asSecretary of State for the Environment and became responsible for the unpopularCommunity Charge (or so-called "Poll Tax"). Though he robustly defended the policy at the time, in his 2006 bookNot Quite the Diplomat (published in the United States asCousins and Strangers: America, Britain and Europe in the New Century) he claims to have thought it was a mistake onMargaret Thatcher's part. He also introduced, and steered through Parliament, the major legislation that became theEnvironmental Protection Act 1990.
In 1990,John Major made PattenChancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster andChairman of the Conservative Party, with responsibility for organising the Conservative Party's re-election campaign for the upcoming general election. As party chairman, he was widely considered to be the main architect of the somewhat unexpectedConservative victory at the 1992 general election. However, he lost his marginal seat ofBath to theLiberal Democrat candidateDon Foster at that election. Patten's defeat was attributed to factors such as thePoll Tax.[17]
If Patten had been re-elected in 1992, sections of the media thought he would have been rewarded by appointment as Foreign Secretary, although in his autobiographyJohn Major said that he would have made PattenChancellor of the Exchequer.
Patten turned down offers of a new post and instead, in July 1992, he became the 28th and the lastgovernor of Hong Kong until its transfer of sovereignty toChina on 30 June 1997. He was given an officialChinese name, Pang Ting-hong (Chinese:彭定康), a name with an etymology based on the words "stability" and "calm; joyous; healthy". Unlike most previous Hong Kong governors, he was not a career diplomat from the UK Foreign Office although he was not the first former MP to become a governor of Hong Kong.[18]
Patten's tenure faced several different challenges, as many in Hong Kong were still reeling from theTiananmen Square massacre a few years earlier. However the general public regarded him positively. He took steps to get in touch with the people of the colony, and was known for his penchant for taking public strolls around Hong Kong as well as in the media limelight. Hongkongers nicknamed him Fat Pang (Chinese:肥彭), making him the only governor to have a widely recognised Chinese nickname.[19]
In contrast to his predecessors, Patten decided not to wear the officialCourt uniform on formal occasions.[20] Patten's approval rating in Hong Kong in April 1992 was 53% and ended his tenure with an approval rating of 59.7%.[21]
Patten's most controversial actions in Hong Kong are related to the1994 electoral reform. LegCo members returned in 1995 were originally to serve beyond the Handover, thereby providing institutional continuity across the transition of Hong Kong to the PRC.Beijing had expected that the use offunctional constituencies with limited electorates would be used to elect this council, however Patten extended the definition of functional constituencies and thus virtually every Hong Konger was able to vote for the so-called indirectly elected members (seePolitics of Hong Kong) of the Legislative Council.
TheLegislative Council became afully elected legislature for the first time in 1995 and extensively expanded its functions and organisations throughout the last years of colonial rule.[22]
Patten's actions were strongly criticised by the pro-Beijing political parties of Hong Kong. Patten was also denounced by some Chinese media and politicians as the "whore of the East" and a "serpent", and was most famously called a "sinner who would be condemned for a thousand generations" (Chinese:千古罪人) byLu Ping, the head of China'sHong Kong and Macau Affairs Office.[23] The legislative council which was elected under Patten's governorship was dissolved upon the handover of Hong Kong to the PRC and replaced by aProvisional Legislative Council which did not have any democratic functions until elections were held under the previous rules in 1998.
At midnight Hong Kong Time 1 July 1997 (16:00 GMT, 30 June 1997), he sent the telegram: "I have relinquished the administration of this government. God Save The Queen. Patten."[24] This marked the end of British rule in Hong Kong. After thehandover ceremony he left the city, together withPrince Charles, on board the British royal yacht,HMYBritannia. Patten was noted to be in tears throughout the day, notably after his speech at Tamar.[25] He has since commented that his governorship of Hong Kong was a happy time for him personally as he shared this experience with his wife and children.[26]
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From 1998 to 1999, he chaired theIndependent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland, better known as thePatten Commission, which had been established in 1998 as part of theBelfast Agreement. On 9 September 1999, the Commission produced its report, entitledA New Beginning: Policing in Northern Ireland and popularly known as thePatten Report, which contained 175 symbolic and practical recommendations.[27] This report led to the disbanding of theRoyal Ulster Constabulary and establishment of thePolice Service of Northern Ireland. He is the co-chair ofInternational Crisis Group, overseeing many international operations. He is also a member of theGlobal Leadership Foundation, an organisation which works to promote good governance around the world. On 23 May 2005 he was appointed byCadbury as a non-executive director.[28]
In 1999, he was appointed as one of the United Kingdom's two members to theEuropean Commission asCommissioner for External Relations where he was responsible for the Union's development and co-operation programmes, as well as liaison withJavier Solana, theHigh Representative of the Common Foreign and Security Policy. He held this position within theProdi Commission from 23 January 2000 until 22 November 2004. Patten oversaw many crises in the area ofEuropean foreign policy, most notably the failure of the European Union to come up with a common unified policy before theIraq War in 2003. Although nominated for the post ofPresident in the next Commission in 2004, he was unable to gain support from France and Germany.
According to information fromWikiLeaks, Patten was in Moscow in April 2004 and had concluded EU–Russia ministerial consultations in Brussels. He considered that the EU had become overly dependent on Russian energy supplies, and should become more engaged with the countries of theCaucasus andCentral Asia in order to diversify supplies.[29]
Patten was the biggest proponent in the commission forTurkey'saccession to the European Union.[29]
According to information from the US Embassy in Brussels (published by WikiLeaks in November 2010): Patten said in April 2004 that Russian PresidentVladimir Putin has done a good job for Russia mainly due to high world energy prices, but he had serious doubts about the man's character. Cautioning that "I'm not saying that genes are determinant," Patten then reviewed the Putin family history – grandfather part of Lenin's special protection team; father a communist party apparatchik, and Putin himself decided at a young age to pursue a career in the KGB. "He seems a completely reasonable man when discussing the Middle East or energy policy, but when the conversation shifts to Chechnya or Islamic extremism, Putin's eyes turn to those of a killer."
Patten was Chancellor ofNewcastle University from 1999 to 2009.In 2003, he was electedChancellor of the University of Oxford.
In 2016, in the wake of a student movement to remove the statue ofCecil Rhodes from a college in Oxford, as had happened inSouth Africa, Patten said that Oxford students who were not "prepared to show the generosity of spirit whichNelson Mandela showed towards Rhodes and towards history ... should think about being educated elsewhere".[30]
Patten retired as chancellor of the University of Oxford on 31 July 2024, ahead of his 80th birthday and after 21 years in post.[31][32][33] The election of his successor (William Hague), to a ten-year term, was scheduled to take place in late October and early November.[34]
On 11 January 2005 Patten was created alife peer asBaron Patten of Barnes, ofBarnes in theLondon Borough of Richmond.[35]
On the advice of theConservative–Liberal Democrat coalition government led by Prime MinisterDavid Cameron, Patten was appointed by theQueen-in-Council as Chairman of theBBC Trust, and he took office on 1 May 2011, in the place ofSir Michael Lyons whose contract was not renewed. During this time, Patten sat as acrossbencher.[36]
As Chairman of the BBC Trust, Patten joined the Prince of Wales and other members of the royal family in the royal box for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert. It came, however, immediately in the wake of widespread criticism of the BBC's live outside-broadcast coverage of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee River Pageant on 3 June 2012, which was castigated in the press and was the subject of 1,830 formal complaints by viewers. Patten said afterwards the Royal Pageant had not been the BBC's "finest hour" and admitted that "The tone was wrong."[37]
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Patten submitted his letter of resignation as BBC Trust Chairman to the Secretary of State on 6 May 2014; citing health reasons following his heart bypass surgery on 28 April.[38] BBC Trust Vice ChairmanDiane Coyle took over as Acting Chairman until the appointment of a new chairman. He returned to sit with the Conservative party in the House of Lords in September of that year.
In May 2016, Patten said that the BBC has "lost some of its ambition" in its coverage of science, philosophy and history, and should "stretch" audiences more. Patten bemoaned the fact that much of the corporation's high-brow programming had been moved to BBC Four, the digital channel, and given low budgets that meant shows were "sometimes made with glue and string". In a speech on the future of the BBC, which he said was "one of this country's greatest institutions", Patten called on ministers to respect the "besieged" broadcaster's independence, and set in place measures to stop it becoming "the plaything of the government of the day".[39]
In September 2020, he wrote that "Chinese Communist Party general secretaryXi Jinping'sdictatorship is certainly thuggish. Consider its policies in Xinjiang. Many international lawyers argue that theincarceration of over one millionMuslimUyghurs, forced sterilisation and abortion, and slave labour meet the UN definition ofgenocide."[40] Patten said that Chinese companyHuawei "is an agent of an unpleasant Chinese state."[41]
In May 2020, Patten said that there was a case for a multilateral mission to travel toWuhan to investigate the origins of theCOVID-19 outbreak. He argued the Chinese government had breached its obligations as a member of theWorld Health Organization and the 2005International Health Regulations treaty. He also added that Britain and other countries were not against the Chinese nation or people, praising China's medical workers who first responded to the virus, but stated "It is our relationship with the dangerous and immoral Communist Party. In Wuhan the Communist party used the police to try and shut the doctors up. Totalitarian regimes always rely on secrecy and mendacity."[42]
In the initial years after his tenure as Governor of Hong Kong ended Patten, by his own admission, chose not to directly comment on Hong Kong's affairs but in recent years has increasingly shared his views on Hong Kong in public talks and press interviews since the handover.[43]
During an interview withThe Wall Street Journal in 2013, he expressed the belief theGovernment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region would inevitably give citizens a greater say in public policy. He argued "You can't just give citizens the right to decide on economic and social policies, but on the other hand, you can't allow them to decide who will clean up the garbage, how their children will be educated, and how the health care policy will be implemented" and "anyone who tries to block the development of democracy will only be spitting in the wind." He reiterated that theSino-British Joint Declaration stipulated that Hong Kong and the United Kingdom need to maintain economic and cultural ties, emphasizing that "the United Kingdom has this interest and responsibility, and we must never forget it."[44]
On March 20, 2014, Patten gave a talk at theHong Kong Maritime Museum co-organized byOxford University where he expressed his views onHong Kong Basic Law and the "one country, two systems" principle. He opined that the situation in Hong Kong was good but not perfect but believed that the British people could have done more for political reform before leaving Hong Kong. He emphasized that political and economic freedoms are closely linked, and that when one freedom is eroded, the other will be affected.[45]
In July 2014, Patten criticisedThe Practice of the 'One Country, Two Systems' Policy in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region white paper issued by thePeople's Republic of China for interfering with Hong Kong's judicial independence. In an interview with theFinancial Times, he stated "In a system of rule of law, judges are independent and should not be questioned for instructions or forced to abandon their views on procedural fairness and what is legal due to certain political considerations." Patten also added that the Sino-British Joint Declaration signed that year was an international agreement between China and the United Kingdom, which guaranteed that Hong Kong would remain unchanged for 50 years, including the freedoms and civil liberties enjoyed by Hong Kong people. He said that if Hong Kongers believe that the Sino-British Joint Declaration has been undermined, it is completely reasonable to express concerns to China and Britain and lodge a peaceful protest.[45][46]
In a 2014 article for theFinancial Times, Patten argued the British government should not stay silent on China interfering with Hong Kong's judiciary and politics, arguing that the UK had a moral and political responsibility to speak out on the issue of universal suffrage in Hong Kong and ensure that China fulfilled its promises in the Sino-British Joint Declaration, reiterating that the agreement was international. The Chinese government had criticized Britain in harsh terms for interfering in China's internal affairs and Hong Kong's political reform, but Patten stressed that the UK should not fear economic consequences for speaking out against China as Britain was also obligated to ensure the Joint Declaration was respected and that China itself would suffer economic repercussions if it cut ties with the West.[43]
While commenting on theUmbrella Revolution protests in 2014, Patten called on the SAR government to conduct real consultation on political reform issues and engage in dialogue with the protestors. He also criticized the Beijing government for reneging on its promise to allow Hong Kong autonomy. Despite condemning actions undertaken by the Chinese authorities and Hong Kong police, he expressed the view that a Chinese invasion of Hong Kong and aTiananmen Square-style crackdown would not happen because the Chinese government is concerned about its relations with other countries and its international image.[47]
In November 2014, Patten gave evidence to a hearing of theForeign Affairs Select Committee on the implementation of the "Sino-British Joint Declaration" in Hong Kong. Patten said that theHong Kong Police Force is one of the top police forces in the world, but they had become a basis for politics. Patten argued that Hong Kong's problem is a serious lack of leadership and the chief executive and the SAR government have the ability to pressure and convince demonstrators to negotiate, temporarily end protest, and return to school or work. Citing words byJoshua Wong, Patten believed that young Hong Kong people are afraid of having their future stolen.[48]
In June 2015, Chris Patten was interviewed by Hong Kong newspaperApple Daily. He expressed the belief that even if a political reform plan is rejected, Hong Kong's democracy will not reach a dead end and was confident that Hong Kong will one day have democracy.[49]
In 2016, Patten expressed opposition to hypotheticalHong Kong independence, arguing such a move "dilutes support for democracy" and that moves towards universal suffrage in Hong Kong should not be conflated with independence.[50]
Patten undertook a tour of Hong Kong in November 2016 where gave a public lecture at theForeign Correspondents' Club and later spoke at a student forum organised by theUniversity of Hong Kong. He emphasized that the cornerstone of Hong Kong's success lies in the rule of law, which is guaranteed by the Sino-British Joint Declaration. He also addressed theCauseway Bay Books disappearances, saying he was saddened such an incident had happened in Hong Kong and asked why the international community paid so little attention. He did not directly comment on the performance of Chief ExecutiveLeung Chun-ying, but argued Hong Kong's Chief Executive should face Beijing on behalf of Hong Kong people, not Hong Kong people on behalf of Beijing.[51]
In a 2017 interview with BBC'sNewsnight Patten expressed regret that many Hong Kong people do not feel that Britain has ever truly stood up for its commitments and responsibilities but also criticised the idea that Britain was "kowtowing to China" politically for the sake of trade. He argued that during the last ten to fifteen years of British rule in Hong Kong, more democracy should have been promoted and that if Hong Kong had more years of democratic experience, it would be more difficult for the Chinese government to reverse Hong Kong's democratic process and all Hong Kongers would have openly noticed anydemocratic backsliding.[52]
In 2020, he criticised the newHong Kong national security law as an "outrageous act" and accused theChinese Communist Party of seeking to "destroy" Hong Kong. He also said the British government should not see trade as a reason to avoid condemning the law and demand that China respect its end of the Joint Declaration, stating "we keep on kidding ourselves that unless we do everything that China wants we will somehow miss out on great trading opportunities. It's drivel."[51]
In a July 2020 interview withCNBC, he referred to Hong Kong Chief ExecutiveCarrie Lam as a "lamentable andquisling figure in Hong Kong history" for her handling of the political crisis in Hong Kong which led to the national security law, which Patten argued undermined Hong Kong's independence judiciary and political freedoms.[53]
In a 2022 interview with London-based Hong KongYouTube channelGreen Bean Media Patten expressed that he was angry and sad about the current situation in Hong Kong. He said "Hong Kong should have been an extraordinary place, but we saw it destroyed by a brutal ideology and a group of traitors" and described the situation as "very frustrating." He also praised Hong Kong citizens who immigrated to the UK for their contributions to British life.[54]
In March 2023, Patten was one of 47 British lawmakers to sign an open letter urging the Hong Kong authorities to releaseClaudia Mo on humanitarian grounds to visit her critically ill husband in hospital.[55]
Patten contributed to post-conflict reform inNorthern Ireland, most notably as the architect of thePatten Report which laid the foundation for modernising the region's policing service following theGood Friday Agreement. Appointed to lead the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland in 1998, Patten oversaw a comprehensive review that culminated in recommendations for the creation of thePolice Service of Northern Ireland to replace theRoyal Ulster Constabulary. Patten stated: "The report took about a year or a year and a half but it's the bit of work I'm proudest of. I loved the job in Northern Ireland. I loved being a European Commissioner — but the job of which I'm proudest is Northern Ireland. In a way that some people would think was a bit self-regarding, I sort of think of it as part of my genuflection to my past".[56]
Patten marriedLavender Thornton, abarrister, on 11 September 1971.[57] They have three daughters, including the actressAlice Patten.
On 29 September 2005, he published his memoirs,Not Quite the Diplomat: Home Truths About World Affairs. In October 2009, Patten was Chief Guest atThe Doon School, a boarding school inDehradun, India, which is a member of the United Kingdom's Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.[58]
Patten is aCatholic and oversawPope Benedict XVI's visit to the United Kingdom in September 2010. In 2010,The Tablet named him as one of Britain's most influential Catholics.[59]
In February 2010, Patten was appointed President ofMedical Aid for Palestinians, but he stepped down in June 2011.[60]
In 2014 Pope Francis appointed Patten to head a body to advise the Vatican on media strategy and on how to handle the press, which he remained on until 2016.[citation needed]
Patten was interviewed about the rise ofThatcherism for the 2006BBC TV documentary seriesTory! Tory! Tory!
Patten and his time in Hong Kong was the subject of the 5-part documentary seriesThe Last Governor, which was filmed throughout his time in Hong Kong, including his arrival, key moments of his government such as the 1995 elections and his final day in office, ending as he departs Government House for the last time.
The 1996 Hong Kong parody filmBodyguards of the Last Governor, presents 'Christ Pattern' as the Governor of Hong Kong. In addition to the name, Pattern appears to be based heavily on Patten, matching his appearance, political affiliation (Conservative) and family (a wife and two daughters with him in Hong Kong). His role however is minor as the film depicts him being replaced with one month to go before the handover. He is portrayed by Noel Lester Rands.[61]
Patten is portrayed the video gameHong Kong 97 as ordering Chin, an unspecified relative of Bruce Lee, to massacre the entire population of mainland China.
| Viceregal styles of Christopher Patten (1992–1997) | |
|---|---|
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| Reference style | His Excellency the Right Honourable |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
In the1998 New Year Honours, Patten was appointed amember of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH).[63] Patten was appointedKnight Companion of the Order of the Garter (KG) in April 2023 byKing Charles III.[64][65]
In November 2016 Patten was made aCommander of the Legion of Honour, and was presented with the insignia bySylvie Bermann, theFrench ambassador to the United Kingdom, atKensington Palace Gardens.[66]
In 2003 Patten was awarded an honoraryLL.D. degree from theUniversity of Bath. In September 2005 he was elected a Distinguished Honorary Fellow ofMassey College in theUniversity of Toronto (the only person so elected except for the Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, theUniversity of Edinburgh, andPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh) as well as receiving an honoraryD.S.Litt. degree from theUniversity of Trinity College, Toronto and an honoraryD.Litt. degree from theUniversity of Ulster.[67] In March 2009, Patten received the titleDoctor honoris causa bySouth East European University.
 |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)The original Pathfinders programme at Balliol was started in 1955 byBill Coolidge (Balliol 1924).
I only went to the Oxford Union once. What turned me on to politics was getting a travelling scholarship to the USA. In New York, I got involved in the mayoral campaign of John Lindsay, a liberal Republican who wound up a Democrat, and I got the bug
The West, he said, should stop being naive about Xi, who has served as General Secretary of the Communist Party since 2012.
Media from Commons
Quotations from Wikiquote
Texts from Wikisource
Data from Wikidata| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forBath 1979–1992 | Succeeded by |
| Legislative Council of Hong Kong | ||
| Preceded by | President of the Legislative Council 1992–1993 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Minister for Overseas Development 1986–1989 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Secretary of State for the Environment 1989–1990 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1990–1992 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of Hong Kong 1992–1997 | Succeeded byasChief Executive of Hong Kong |
| President of theExecutive Council 1992–1997 | ||
| Preceded by | British European Commissioner 1999–2004 Served alongside:Neil Kinnock | Succeeded by |
| European Commissioner for External Relations 1999–2004 | Succeeded by | |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chairman of the Conservative Party 1990–1992 | Succeeded by |
| Academic offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chancellor ofNewcastle University 1999–2009 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chancellor of the University of Oxford 2003–2024 | Succeeded by |
| Media offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chairman of theBBC Trust 2011–2014 | Succeeded by Diane Coyle Acting |
| Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by | Gentlemen Baron Patten of Barnes | Followed by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
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