in the campaign. Immediately afterwards Wilson swapped Varley's and Benn's posts, so that Varley was effectively promoted to Secretary of State for Industry. In November 1976 Varley suffered an embarrassing public defeat when he determined to shut down the loss-making Chrysler car factory: the Cabinet forced him to increase its subsidy to keep it open. He continued the government's slow nationalisation programme by appointing Michael Edwardes to take over at British Leyland. When Labour went into opposition in 1979 Varley was elected to the Shadow Cabinet in fifth place. He led Denis Healey's campaign for the party leadership in 1980 and defeated the left-winger Norman Atkinson for the post of party Treasurer (an office he had coveted for some years) in 1981. He served as opposition spokesman on employment, and resisted an attempt by Michael Foot to replace him with Neil Kinnock (whom he disliked) in 1982. After Kinnock's election as party leader in 1983, Varley announced that he would retire from Parliament at the next general election. However, he was appointed as Chairman of Coalite plc, a private company manufacturing coal-based products including a coke-like smokeless fuel of the same name, and resigned his seat in January 1984. Ironically, this opened the way for Tony Benn to return to the House of Commons as Varley's successor in the seat. Varley served five years at Coalite, and later held other directorships, including a regional director for Lloyds Bank from 1987 to 1991. Ashgate Hospice Ltd, 1987–96; Cathelco Ltd, 1989–99 when he retired; Laxgate Ltd, 1991–92. Following a Labour Party nomination, he was created a life peer on 30 May 1990 taking the title Baron Varley, of Chesterfield in the County of Derbyshire. Personal life An observant Methodist all his life, on 11 June 1955 he married Marjorie Turner, a 21-year-old shop assistant, at Middle Duckmanton Methodist Church. She was the daughter of Alfred Turner, a coal miner. They had one son, Roger. Death Eric Varley died on 29 July 2008 of cancer at his home. References External links |- |- |- 1932 births 2008 deaths Alumni of Ruskin College British Secretaries of State Deaths from cancer in England Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Labour Party (UK) life peers Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for constituencies in Derbyshire Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Ministers in the Wilson governments, 1964–1970 National Union of