Sir John Nott: Defence secretary during the Falklands conflict dies aged 92

A former defence secretary who served in the role under Margaret Thatcher during the Falklands War has died at the age of 92.

Sir John Nott worked with the senior ranks of the Conservative Party and served in the British Army as a lieutenant with the 2nd Gurkha Rifles.

During his service with the military, he was deployed during the Malayan Emergency in 1952.

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Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said: "John Nott was an inspiring defence secretary and politician who stood up, alongside Margaret Thatcher, to aggression.

"His resolute determination to free British sovereign territory from tyranny is as important today as it was during the Falklands conflict.

"My condolences go to his family and loved ones at this sad time."

During his political career, Sir John was elected to Parliament as MP for St Ives in 1966 and served in the Thatcher Cabinet as trade secretary until 1981.

He served as the defence secretary from 5 January 1981 until 5 January 1983.

Twice, Sir John offered his resignation to Margaret Thatcher after the Argentinian invasion of the South Atlantic islands in 1982, but she refused to accept it.

His daughter, writer Sasha Swire, the wife of Tory peer Lord Swire, said: "RIP my beloved father, John Nott, protector, politician, farmer, me."

Sir John had two sons – composer Julian, who wrote the Peppa Pig theme music, and William who worked in the oil industry.