 He also held the chairmanships of the British Iron and Steel Consumers’ Council from 1977–82 and of Allied Investments Ltd from 1977–81.He was also a member of a number of quangoes and held directorships in several private companies and was chairman of TV-am in 1983–84.In 1978 he announced that he had become a supporter of Margaret Thatcher, who had been his shadow counterpart when he was Minister of Transport, and intended to vote Conservative at the forthcoming general election, held in 1979.