Former cabinet minister Lord Cecil Parkinson has died aged 84 after a long battle with cancer.

The Tory peer had served in a variety of senior posts in Margaret Thatcher's governments, representing the new Hertsmere constituency in 1983.

A family spokesman said: "Cecil passed away on January 22 after a long battle with cancer.

"We shall miss him enormously. As a family, we should like to pay tribute to him as a beloved husband to Ann and brother to Norma, and a supportive and loving father to Mary, Emma and Joanna and grandfather to their children.

"We also salute his extraordinary commitment to British public life as a member of parliament, cabinet minister and peer - together with a distinguished career in business."

Lord Parkinson was responsible for managing the 1983 Conservative Party election campaign, which gave Mrs Thatcher a majority she used to push through controversial reforms.

He was rewarded with the post of Secretary of State for Trade and Industry - but resigned later that year after it emerged his former secretary, Sara Keays, was pregnant with his child.

He later served as secretary of state for energy, and for transport, leaving office at the same time as Thatcher in 1990. He was made a peer two years later.

He briefly made a comeback as Conservative Party chairman after the Tories' general election hammering in 1997.

Lord Parkinson retired from the Upper House last September.

The family spokesman said: "There will be a private family funeral. Details about a memorial service will be announced later."

Sir Alan Duncan, who was Conservative vice-chairman under Lord Parkinson's chairmanship of the party from 1997-98, told the Press Association: "He started as Margaret Thatcher's great marketing man for overseas trade and turned into one of the great personalities of the Thatcher era.

"He was a central part of her main team.

"He was personable, amusing, easy-going and mischievously witty and a great member of the parliamentary skiing team."

Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said on Twitter: "Sad to hear of death of Cecil Parkinson.

"I worked with him when he was party chairman in 1997-8 - he was there in our hour of greatest need."

Current Hertsmere MP Oliver Dowden said: "He was a towering figure nationally, playing a central role in the great reforming Thatcher governments of the 1980s, but was also a brilliant local MP.

"He served Hertsmere from the constituency’s creation until 1992.

“Time and time again, local residents would recall him with tremendous warmth and fondness, something that I have experienced since I was selected as the Conservative candidate in 2014.

“My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Anne and the rest of his family.”