1 9 8 3 ▁to ▁June ▁ 1 9 8 5 ) ▁he ▁showed ▁a ▁willing ness ▁to ▁commit ▁public ▁funds ▁to ▁housing ▁projects ▁that ▁al ar med ▁some ▁on ▁the ▁right - wing ▁of ▁the ▁Conserv ative ▁party . ▁" After ▁taking ▁what ▁was ▁perhaps ▁too ▁principle d ▁a ▁stand ▁in ▁a ▁complex ▁dispute ▁over ▁H ous ing ▁Im prov ement ▁Gr ants , ▁he ▁was ▁moved ▁side ways ▁to ▁the ▁post ▁of ▁minister ▁of ▁state ▁at ▁the ▁Tre as ury ". ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁Conserv ative ▁policy ▁began ▁to ▁move ▁towards ▁a ▁more ▁flexible ▁position ▁on ▁Northern ▁Ireland . ▁In ▁November ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁G ow ▁was ▁persu aded ▁by ▁the ▁speech es ▁his ▁cousin ▁Nicholas ▁Bud gen ▁made ▁to ▁res ign ▁as ▁Minister ▁of ▁State ▁in ▁H M ▁Tre as ury ▁over ▁the ▁signing ▁of ▁the ▁Ang lo - I r ish ▁Ag re ement . ▁Despite ▁his ▁disag re ement ▁with ▁government ▁policy , ▁he ▁used ▁his ▁res ignation ▁speech ▁to ▁under line ▁his ▁personal ▁dev otion ▁to ▁Th atch er , ▁describing ▁her ▁as ▁" the ▁fin est ▁chief , ▁the ▁most ▁resol ute ▁leader , ▁the ▁kind est ▁friend ▁that ▁any ▁member ▁of ▁this ▁House ▁could ▁hope ▁to ▁serve ." ▁ ▁The ▁Ang lo - I r ish ▁Ag re ement ▁would ▁ultimately ▁lead ▁to ▁de vol ved ▁government ▁for ▁Northern ▁Ireland , ▁power ▁sharing ▁in ▁the ▁province ▁and ▁eng agement ▁with ▁the ▁Republic . ▁After ▁his ▁res ignation