In 1988, as a backbencher Nelson introduced a successful private members bill to televise the House of Commons despite Margaret Thatcher being against the move.
Initially this was for an 18-month trial period before becoming permanent after support from key parliamentarians (including the Deputy speaker Betty Boothroyd).
As a Minister, Nelson was responsible for economic and monetary policy as well as supervision of the financial services industry under successive Chancellors of the Exchequer, Norman Lamont and Kenneth Clarke.
[2] After leaving Cambridge in 1969, Nelson joined the merchant bank, N M Rothschild & Sons, where he worked as an asset manager and research analyst.
After leaving Government and Parliament in 1997, he joined Schroder Salomon Smith Barney as a Managing Director and was appointed Vice Chairman of Citigroup 2000−08.