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Alumnus Baron Brady releases memoir of political career

23 September 2024
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Baron Brady Memoir

Our recently ennobled alumnus Baron (Graham) Brady, previously a long-serving Conservative MP, has published a memoir of his long political career

About Baron Brady of Altrincham 

Baron Brady, who graduated in Law from St Aidan’s College in 1989, served as a Conservative MP from 1997 to 2024. He is the longest-serving chair of the influential 1922 Committee of Conservative MPs. He was appointed to a seat in the House of Lords by outgoing UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak before the July 2024 General Election. 

Kingmaker: Secrets, Lies and the Truth about Five Prime Ministers 

The book, ‘Kingmaker’, tells of Baron Brady’s time as chair of the 1922 Committee during which time the UK saw five Conservative Prime Ministers: David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.  

An impressive career 

When Baron, then Graham, Brady was elected to Parliament in 1997, he was the youngest Conservative MP in the House of Commons.  

He served as a shadow minister under four Conservative leaders while the party was in opposition.  

During at time at Durham he was actively involved in politics, serving as chairman of the Durham University Conservative Association (DUCA) for the 1987–1988 academic year. He was one of six students elected to represent Durham at the annual National Union of Students (NUS) conference. 

Lifelong Durham connections 

Baron Brady remains a keen supporter of the University and was most recently on campus in April 2024, when staff, students and guests were treated to a one-hour conversation chaired by Professor Patrick Kuhn, at the invitation of Professor Christopher Finlay, the Head of the School of Government and International Affairs.  

Read more:  

  • About Durham alumni in UK Parliament 
  • About how Durham researchers informed the UK General Election Debate  

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