First name/s: Eric
Last name: Varley
Known names / nicknames:
Date of birth: 11/08/1932
Year of birth: 1932

Life before Ruskin

Date and place of birth: 11 August 1932 Poolsbrook, Staveley, near Chesterfield

Family:son of Frank Varley, retired miner, and Eva Goring

Work: Apprentice engineer’s turner, 1947-1952; Engineer’s Turner, 1952-1955; Mining Industry (Coal) Craftsman, 1955-1964.

Politics/Trade union activity:

National Union of Mineworkers, Branch Secretary, 1955-1964; Member of the NUM Derbyshire Area Executive Committee, 1956-1964.

Trade Union membership (at time of entry to Ruskin) NUM

Life at Ruskin

Dates at Ruskin: 1955

Source of funding:’ scholarship’

Campaigns/political activity:

Subjects studied at Ruskin:

Dissertation:

Qualification:

Life after Ruskin

Education:

Work:

Chairman and Chief Executive, Coalite Group, 1984-1989; North and East Midlands Regional Director, Lloyds Bank PLC, 1987-1989; Midlands and North Wales Regional Director, Lloyds Bank PLC, 1989-1991.

Politics/trade union activity:

Labour MP for Chesterfield, 1964-1984; Assistant Government Whip, 1967-1968; PPS to the Prime Minister, 1968-1969; Minister of State, Ministry of Technology, 1969-1970; Secretary of State for Energy, 1974-1975; Secretary of State for Industry, 1975-1979; Opposition Spokesman on Employment, 1979-1983; Treasurer, Labour Party, 1981-1983; becomes life peer, Baron Varley of Chesterfield, 1990; Member, House of Lords European Communities Select Committee, 1991-1996.

Family: married Marjorie Turner, 1955; 1 son.

Place & date of death:Chesterfield 29 July 2008

Date of death: 29/07/2008
Year of death: 2008

Achievements / Publications

Material in archives or already published articles

See Oxford DNB; No archives in major repository.

Image

Notes on Image/s

Comment of contributor/s and sources

Author/s

Stefan Dickers