Career
Pavitt was a lifelong pacifist and a conscientious objector in the Second World War. He was secretary of the British Federation of Young Company-operators 1942-1946 and general secretary of the Anglo-Chinese Development Society 1946-1952. He served as a councillor on the Municipal Borough of Ilford 1949-1952 and was national organiser of the Medical Practitioners" Union 1956-1959.
He was parliamentary private secretary to the Foreign Secretary from 1965, and was an Assistant government whip from 1974 to 1976.