After Dinner Speakers: The Rt Hon Lord Douglas Hurd, The Drifters, Amanda Holden

As Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, Douglas Hurd’s counsel and vision have been widely acclaimed, both in Europe and the USA. He is particularly noted for his advice when the World’s political map was being dramatically re-drawn after the collapse of communism and the re-unification of Germany. A committed advocate of free trade and the European Union, Douglas Hurd served for 16 years in British Government and was a key member of the Conservative Party. His perception of both the problems and solutions facing the planet in the next millennium can partly be attributed to his long career as a diplomat in Peking, New York (UN) and Rome as well as his time in the Foreign Office. From 1984 to 1995 he served as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Home Secretary and as Foreign Secretary. He is a firm believer in the importance of the Atlantic Alliance both through NATO and the expanding trade and political links between the US, UK and Europe. In 1995 Douglas Hurd was appointed Deputy Chairman of NatWest Markets and a main Board director of NatWest Group. He is Chairman of the Prison Reform Trust Charity and in 1997 was appointed Chairman of British Invisibles. Educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge, Douglas Hurd has written a number of fictional and non-fictional novels.