The Rt Hon Christopher Patten

The Rt Hon Christopher Patten

  • The last British Governor of Hong Kong
  • Former EU Commissioner of External Affairs
  • Emerging Markets, International Affairs & Asia

One of the country's most respected politicians, Chris Patten has held a number of significant appointments over the years, perhaps the most challenging of which was Governor of Hong Kong from 1992 until the return of the colony to China in 1997. He is now a life peer and sits as a Crossbench member in the House Of Lords.

Chris was a junior British Government Minister in 1986, moving up to become Secretary of State for the Environment just three years later. One of his duties was taking on the onerous task of implementing the Community Charge (or so-called Poll Tax), which became one of the most unpopular types of taxation in modern times.

Chris was Chairman of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1992, and during his tenure orchestrated the Conservatives' unexpected fourth consecutive electoral victory in 1992, before somewhat ironically losing his marginal seat of Bath to the Liberal Democrats in the General Election of that year.

As Governor of Hong Kong, Chris presided over a steady rise in the living standards of the Hong Kong people, while encouraging a significant expansion of the colony's social welfare system. Chris's time in Hong Kong was the subject of a five-part TV documentary series entitled The Last Governor.

After leaving Hong Kong in 1997, Chris became European Commissioner For External Relations (1999 to 2004). He was also Chairman of the Independent Commission On Policing For Northern Ireland, which was set up under the Good Friday Peace Agreement in 1999.

Chris was the Governor of the BBC Trust from 2011 to 2014, and since 2003 has been the Chancellor of the University of Oxford. In January 2005, he was created a life peer as Baron Patten of Barnes in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.

Chris has written a number of books, including Letters to Hong Kong; East And West: China, Power And The Future of Asia; The Last Governor Of Hong Kong; Not Quite the Diplomat: Home Truths About World Affairs; Cousins And Strangers: America, Britain And Europe In A New Century; and What Next? Surviving The Twenty-First Century.

Chris Patten is a highly accomplished politician with much to tell about his experiences in Parliament, his time as Governor Of Hong Kong and the relationship between the UK Government and other Governments around the world. To book him for your Event, contact a Prime Performers Booking Agent via the online booking enquiry form or alternatively call us on 020 3500 3331 to discuss your requirements.

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