The Baron Cormack, DL, FSA, FRHistS 1939-2024

 The Lord Cormack, a Conservative life peer, politician, historian, journalist and author, died 25 February, 2024. He was 84.

Patrick Thomas Cormack, served as an MP for 40 years, from 1970 to 2010, as Tory MP for Cannock at the 1970 general election. Following boundary changes he was elected for South West Staffordshire in 1974, renamed South Staffordshire in 1983. He was elected chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee in 2005. He was also twice a candidate for the Speakership of the House of Commons. After standing down from the House of Commons in 2010, he served as an active life peer in the House of Lords.

Prior to 1970, Cormack was a member of the Bow Group and the Conservative Monday Club, resigning from both at the end of 1971.

Cormack took an active interest in historical issues, particularly those related to English Heritage. He was also a knowledgeable Parliamentary historian. He wrote many books on subjects ranging from the history of Parliament, British castles, English cathedrals, and a book on William Wilberforce.

Lord Cormack was a trustee of the Churches Preservation Trust from 1972 until his death. He was a council member of British Archaeology since 1979, and was also a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass for the same length of time. From 1983 to 1993, he was Trustee on the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. He was a consultant and adviser to FIRST, an international affairs organisation, since 1985. He was a vice-president of the Royal Stuart Society and the Heritage Crafts Association. A committed Christian, Cormack was a rector's warden at Parliament's parish church, St Margaret's, Westminster, from 1978 to 1990. He served as president of the British Association of Friends of Museums from 2023 until his death in 2024. He was a longstanding Vice President of the National Churches Trust, and was President of the Prayer Book Society for many years.

Cormack was created a life peer on 18 December 2010, as Baron Cormack, of Enville in the County of Staffordshire. He sat on the Conservative benches in the House of Lords. Cormack opposed the Coalition's plans to reform the House of Lords, speaking out against them numerous times in the chamber.

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