Philip Hammond said:

Geoffrey Howe, as the longest serving Cabinet Minister under Margaret Thatcher, held many of the great offices of state. In his six years as Foreign Secretary he oversaw our international and diplomatic relations during the challenging period at the end of the Cold War, just before the collapse of the Soviet Union. He also held strong views on Britain’s relationship with Europe and, had he lived, would no doubt have been an enthusiastic participant in the debate we will have in the run up to the referendum.

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