Chris Patten Keynote Speaker

  • Honorary Fellow, Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh
  • European Commissioner for External Relations (1999-2004)
  • Governor of Hong Kong (1992-99)

Chris Patten's Biography

Lord Chris Patten of Barnes joined the Conservative Research Department in 1966. He was seconded to the Cabinet Office in 1970 and was personal assistant and political secretary to Lord Carrington and Lord Whitelaw when they were Chairmen of the Conservative Party from 1972-1974. In 1974 he was appointed the youngest ever Director of the Conservative Research Department, a post which he held until 1979.

He was elected as Member of Parliament for Bath in May 1979, a seat he held until April 1992. In 1983 he wrote “The Tory Case”, a study of Conservatism.

Following the General Election of June 1983, Lord Patten was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office and in September 1985 Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science. In September 1986 he became Minister for Overseas Development at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. He was appointed to the Privy Council in 1989 and was appointed a Companion of Honour in 1998. In July 1989 Patten became Secretary of State for the Environment. In November 1990 he was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Chairman of the Conservative Party.

Lord Patten was appointed Governor of Hong Kong in April 1992, a position he held until 1997, overseeing the return of Hong Kong to China. He was Chairman of the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland set up under the Good Friday Peace Agreement, which reported in 1999.

In September 1999 he was appointed European Commissioner for External Relations, a post he held until November 2004. On leaving office in Brussels he was made a life peer and took his seat in the House of Lords in January 2005.

He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh, and Honorary Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford. He was Chancellor of Newcastle University in 1999 until 2009, and elected Chancellor of the University of Oxford in 2003.  He was until recently Chairman of the International Crisis Group, which attempts to identify and prevent potential conflicts.  He was made a Life Peer in 2005 and in January 2006 he was named the UK Co-Chair of the UK-India Round Table. In 2011 he was appointed Chairman of the BBC Trust.

Read More

Videos of Chris Patten

Oxford Union: Lord Patten's Full Address (2012)
Oxford Union: Lord Patten's Full Address (2012)
BBC HARDtalk Interview (2013)
BBC HARDtalk Interview (2013)

Check Chris Patten's speaking fees and availability

    Sending your message…

    Please wait, this can take a moment

    Message sent…

    Close

    Please provide your details and we’ll get in touch as soon as possible.

    We can only respond to requests for professional speaking engagements. We are unable to respond to requests for autographs, shoutouts and personalized messages.

    View our related Speakers

    Andy Coulson Speaker
    Exclusive
    Andy Coulson
    Former Editor, News of the World & Former Director of Communications, Downing Street
    Carole Cadwalladr Speaker
    Exclusive
    Carole Cadwalladr
    Pulitzer-Nominated Investigative Journalist
    julian king
    Julian King Speaker
    Exclusive
    Julian King
    EU Commissioner for the Security Union (2016-2019)
    Henry Gao Speaker
    Exclusive
    Henry Gao
    International Trade Expert
    Maithreyi Seetharaman Speaker
    Exclusive
    Maithreyi Seetharaman
    International broadcaster across business, economy, civil society and the economy
    Nathalie Tocci Speaker
    Exclusive
    Nathalie Tocci
    EU Political Advisor & Politics Professor
    Edward Lucas Speaker
    Exclusive
    Edward Lucas
    Independent Expert in European and Transatlantic security
    Thomas J. Wright Speaker
    Exclusive
    Thomas J. Wright
    Incisive analyst of geopolitics and foreign policy
    Bill Hayton Speaker
    Exclusive
    Bill Hayton
    Geopolitics Expert of Southeast Asia
    Frank Dikötter Speaker
    Exclusive
    Frank Dikötter
    Acclaimed historian and writer on China