[2] During his time in the House of Commons he served in various ministerial roles including for social security and Northern Ireland.

Scott quickly became one of the stand-out liberal Tory MPs, speaking out against discrimination of foreign students and demanding more nursery education.

With the advent of the Heath government Scott stuck with his principles opposing the sale of arms to apartheid South Africa.

Shortly after he lost his parliamentary seat in 1974, Time magazine picked Nicholas Scott as one of its 150 "future world leaders".

[5] Scott's prospects were greatly curtailed when Margaret Thatcher won the Conservative Party Leadership race.

He did little to appease Thatcher, opposing sending sports teams to apartheid South Africa, he was also a proponent of Proportional Representation, and abstained on new immigration restrictions.

However, when Roy Jenkins tried to enlist him for the newly formed SDP in 1981, Scott remained loyal to the Conservative party and turned down the invitation.

A moderate Conservative, he fought to fend off Margaret Thatcher's more radical schemes and was the initial host of "Nick's Diner", the dining club where 'Wets' let off anti-Thatcher steam.

[2] In 1981 when Jim Prior, seen as a leader of the 'wet' Conservatives, was transferred to Northern Ireland by Thatcher, Scott joined him as a junior Minister.

He was initially selected as the Conservative candidate for the new Kensington and Chelsea constituency, but was subsequently deselected after allegations of alcoholism surfaced following an incident in which he was found passed out in a gutter during the party conference in Bournemouth.

He turned out for a number of clubs throughout his career, including MCC, Free Foresters, and the Lords and Commons Cricket team.