A Christmas evening with Michael Portillo

michael portillo will speak at a Christmas charity event to help pay for specialist dementia nurses.

The former Tory cabinet minister will appear at the Cedar Court Hotel in Wakefield in December at an event in aid of Admiral Nurses.

Mr Portillo will speak about his time as a Conservative MP and his part in helping to save the Settle-Carlisle Railway.

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He served under Margaret Thatcher and John Major and went on to become defence secretary and later shadow chancellor. In 1997, Mr Portillo unexpectedly lost his safe Enfield Southgate seat in a shock defeat which led to the coining of the phrase “Portillo moment.”

He was re-elected as MP for Kensington and Chelsea in 1999 and stood for leadership of the Conservative Party in 2001, narrowly finishing third behind William Hague and Kenneth Clark.

Mr Portillo retired from politics at the 2005 general election and began a career as a broadcaster.

He will speak and take part in a question and answer session at the Cedar Court Hotel, on Denby Dale Road, Wakefield, from 6.30pm on Monday, December 5.

Prosecco and mince pies will be served on arrival at the event, organised by the Rotary Club of Wakefield.

For tickets, log on to www.rci-michaelportillo.org