Bath return for Chris Patten

Dickon Hooper
The Politics Show West

Chris Patten was the last Governor of Hong Kong

A return to an old stomping ground for an ousted politician is never easy.

But for Chris Patten, losing his seat in 1992 after 13 years as the MP for Bath was bittersweet.

He had just masterminded John Major's General Election victory, only to find himself without a place in its ranks as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

But it wasn't all bad news.

"In a way the people of Bath selected the last Governor of Hong Kong," he said. "And that's the best job I've ever had by a long way."

"The place was wonderful, I had huge authority... and [I was] there at a great and significant historical moment."

Well-known now for his time in South Asia and as an EU Commissioner, Chris Patten has also found time to write a host of political volumes.

Global problems

His latest, What Next?, calls for nation states to work together to tackle global problems, like rogue states and scarcity of resources.

At a talk in Bath this week, he laid out this optimistic vision to an audience of the Tory faithful.

Many of them were keen for this 20th Century politician to become more involved in 21st Century frontline politics.

"Chris Patten is a great loss to the Conservative Party and to politics, and I think he could do well if he came back into government," said one Bathonian.

Chris Patten's talk was warmly received by the Tory faithful

Mr - now Lord - Patten said he was too busy - although he does speak to David Cameron fairly regularly.

He did find time though to reminisce about his time as the city's MP, and how, for an international statesman, all politics is local.

"What I was increasingly in favour of when I was MP here was having locally-elected mayors and giving real power to local councils," he said.

"I like to think in the really difficult economic times we're going to have, we'll see some real devolution of power."

Maybe it is true that we live in a "glocal" age - where the global truly is local.

It certainly is for this one-time Bath MP.

The Politics Show West, Sunday 30 November, 1200 GMT