Nicholas Soames
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The Right Honourable Sir Nicholas Soames MP |
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| Shadow Secretary of State for Defence | |
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In office 6 November 2003 – 10 May 2005 |
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| Leader | Michael Howard |
| Preceded by | Bernard Jenkin |
| Succeeded by | Michael Ancram |
| Minister of State for the Armed Forces | |
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In office 14 June 1994 – 2 May 1997 |
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| Prime Minister | John Major |
| Preceded by | Jeremy Hanley |
| Succeeded by | John Reid |
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Member of Parliament for Mid Sussex |
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Assumed office 1 May 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Tim Renton |
| Majority | 24,286 (42.2%) |
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Member of Parliament for Crawley |
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In office 9 June 1983 – 1 May 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Peter Hordern (Horsham and Crawley) |
| Succeeded by | Laura Moffatt |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Arthur Nicholas Winston Soames 12 February 1948 Croydon, Surrey, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Catherine Weatherall (1981–1988) Serena Smith (1993–present) |
| Alma mater | Mons Officer Cadet School |
| Website | Official website |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
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| Service/branch |
 British Army
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| Years of service | 1967-1975 |
| Rank | Second lieutenant |
| Service number | 484270 |
| Unit |
11th Hussars Royal Hussars |
Sir Arthur Nicholas Winston Soames, PC (born 12 February 1948), sometimes known as Nick Soames, is a British Conservative Party politician and member of parliament for the constituency of Mid Sussex. He is a grandson of Sir Winston Churchill.
Soames was first elected to Parliament in 1983. He was Minister of State for the Armed Forces from 1994 to 1997 in the government of John Major. His main political interests are defence, international relations, rural affairs and industry. He is also chairman of the private security contractor Aegis Defence Services.
Soames was born in Croydon and is a grandson of the British wartime prime minister Sir Winston Churchill, the son of Lord and Lady Soames, and a great-nephew of the founders of the Scout movement, Robert Baden-Powell and Olave Baden-Powell. His brother is the industrialist Rupert Soames.
Simon Hoggart, writing in The Guardian, relates an anecdote of Soames' childhood: "He gave me the true version of what I had always suspected was an apocryphal story. In or around 1953, when Soames was five, he didn't know how important his grandfather was until someone told him. So he walked up to the old man's bedroom, managed to get past the valets and the secretaries, and found him sitting up in bed. 'Is it true, grandpapa, that you are the greatest man in the world?' he asked. 'Yes I am,' said Churchill. 'Now bugger off.'"'
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