House of Lords Women

179 Pages·2012·2.27 MB·English

Women in Power
A-Z of Female Members of the
The House of Lords
Conservative Peers

Baroness Joyce Aneley of St Johns

Joyce Aneley was appointed to the House of Lords in 1996. She was made
Chief Whip in the House of Lords after the 2010 General Election, having held
the position of Opposition Chief Whip for the three preceding years. Between
1997 and 2007, Anelay was an opposition Spokesperson, holding
responsibility for Home Affairs (2002 – 2007), Culture, Media, Sport and
Tourism (1998-2002), and Social Security and Agriculture (1997-1998).
Before she was raised to the peerage, Anelay held a variety of posts within the
voluntary sector. Her roles included Chairing the Citizens Advice Bureau’s
Management Committee, serving as a Justice of the Peace for North West
Surrey (1985-97) and sitting on the Social Security Advisory Committee for
Great Britain (1983-96). Anelay also held numerous positions in the
Conservative Party, heading the Women’s National Committee between 1993
and 1996 and serving on the National Union Executive Committee of the
Conservative Party from 1987 until 1997. She has also worked as a history
teacher. Anelay was born in 1947 and studied at the University of Bristol.
Baroness Elizabeth Berridge of the Vale of Catmose

Elizabeth Berridge was appointed to the House of Lords in 2010. She is
executive director of the Conservative Christian Fellowship, an organisation
which seeks to ‘inspire Christians to make a radical difference to society’. Prior
to taking on this role in 2006, Berridge worked as a barrister.
Baroness Virginia Bottomley of Nettlestone

Virginia Bottomley was appointed to the House of Lords in 2005, after
spending eleven years in the Commons. In addition to her Parliamentary
work, is Pro-Chancellor of the University of Hull, a Governor of the London
School of Economics, and an associate at Odgers Berndtson, a recruitment
agency. She joined the firm in 1997, whilst still an MP. Bottomley occupied
several frontbench positions during her first few years in parliament, serving
as Secretary of State for Health from 1992 to 1995, as a junior Health Minister
between 1989 and 92, and an Environment Minister during 1988. She also
spent two years as Parliamentary Private Secretary, aiding Chris Patten at the
Education Department and Geoffrey Howe as Foreign Secretary. She joined
the Commons in 1984, after winning the South West Surrey by-election.
Before entering politics, Bottomley was psychiatric social worker and local
magistrate in Lambeth. She had previously spent time as a researcher for the
Child Poverty Action Group. Bottomley was born 1948 and studied at Essex
University and the London School of Economics.
Baroness Angela Browning of Whimpleton

Angela Browning was appointed to the House of Lords in 2010. Her chief
policy interests are education (special needs), mental health and learning
disabilities.
She is a Specialist Counsellor to the National Autistic Society, and Vice-
President to the Alzheimer’s Disease Society. Browning was an MP for
eighteen years before being raised to the peerage. During this time, she spent
several years on the party’s front benches, serving as Shadow Leader of the
(House 2000-01), Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1999-
2000) and Opposition Spokesperson on Education and Disability (1997-98).
Browning also ran John Redwood’s leadership campaign in 1997. Prior to this,
she spent three years as a Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1994-97) and a year as Parliamentary Private
Secretary to Michael Forsyth, then Minister of State at the Department of
Employment (1993-94).
Before winning the Tiverton seat in 1992, Browning was a self-employed
management consultant and Director of both the Small Business Bureau
(1985-1994) and Women into Business (1988-82). She had previously worked
as a sales and training manager with GEC Hotpoint, an electronics,
communications and engineering company. Prior to joining the firm in 1977,
Browning was an auxiliary nurse (1976) and home economics teacher (1968-
74). She was born in 1946 and studied at Reading College of Technology and
Bournemouth College of Technology.
Baroness Peta Buscombe of Goring

Peta Buscombe was made a Life Peer in 1998. A barrister, she is particularly
interested in issues of law and order, trade and industry and legal affairs. She
has been a Conservative front bench spokesperson in the House of Lords on
several briefs including Education and Skills (2005-07), Culture, Media and
Sport (2002-05), Legal Affairs (1999-2005), the Home Office (2001-02), the
Cabinet Office (2000-01), Social Security (1999-2001) and Trade and Industry
(1999-2000). Buscombe has held several high-profile roles alongside her
place in the Lords, and is currently Chairwoman of the Press Complaints
Commission. Before taking on this job in 2009, she was Chief Executive of the
Advertising Association, where she worked to restructure the organisation and
elevate its influence. During this time, Buscombe was also a local councilor in
South Oxfordshire (1995-99). Buscombe first moved into advertising in 1984
when she joined the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising as an Assistant
Secretary. Prior to this, she had worked as a legal advisor at Barclays Bank.
She began her career in 1979 as a Legal Advisor for the Dairy Trade
Federation, after being called to the Bar at the Inner Temple. Buscombe was
born in 1954.
Baroness Hazel Byford of Rothley

Hazel Byford was appointed to the House of Lords in 1996. A former farmer,
she is particularly interested in agricultural and countryside issues and is
Secretary of the All-party Rural Services Group (2007-). Between 1998 and
2007 Byford was Opposition Spokesperson for Food, Farming and Rural
Affairs and during the year prior to that was an Opposition Whip. She is also a
patron of several rural organizations, including the Women’s Food and
Farming Union, the National Farm Attractions Network, and the Institute of
the Agricultural Secretaries and Administrators.
Before joining the Lords, Byford was a poultry farmer and Conservative Party
activist. She was President of the National Union of Conservative and Unionist
Associations between 1996 and 97, Chairwoman of the National Committee of
Conservative Women from 1990 until 93, and Vice Chairwoman of the same
organisation during the previous year. She also has a history of involvement
with the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service, serving between 1961 and 76.
Byford was born in 1941 and educated at Northamptonshire Agricultural
College.
Baroness Elizabeth Carnegy of Lour

Elizabeth Carnegy was appointed to the House of Lords in 1982. She is a
former farmer and academic, and is particularly interested in universities,
Scottish affairs, the countryside and medical research ethics. Carnegy is a
Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) and holds honorary degrees from
the Open University (1998), St Andrews University (1997) and the University
of Dundee (1991). She chaired Tayside Committee on Medical Research Ethics
from 1990 until 93 and between 1981 and 88 was chair of the Scottish Council
for Community Education. During the initial two years of this chairmanship,
Carnegy was also director of the Manpower Services Commission, a body
created by the Heath government to co-ordinate training and employment
services. She first joined the MSC in 1979 as a commissioner, having already
spent several years chairing the Working Party on Professional Training in
Community Education in Scotland. Carnegy also worked as an elected
councilor, serving on Tayside Regional Council from 1974 to 82. Her early
career was spent as a research scientist: she worked in the Cavendish
Laboratory in Cambridge from 1943 to 1946. Carnegy was born in 1925.
Baroness Lynda Chalker of Wallasley

Lynda Chalker was appointed to the House of Lords in 1992, after spending
eighteen years as an MP. She is particularly interested in the voluntary sector
and overseas development, and is currently an advisor to the World Bank and
Member of the Global Leadership Foundation, an organisation which works to
promote good governance around the world. Chalker is also Chairman of the
Medicines for Malaria Venture, a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to
reducing the burden of malaria in disease endemic countries, and director of
Africa Matters Limited, an independent consultancy which provides advice
and assistance to companies developing their activities in Africa. Chalker
served in government during her first five years in the lords, retaining her
ministerial position in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office despite losing
her Commons seat.
By the time she entered the Lords, Chalker had spent thirteen years as a
government minister. Between 1987 and 1992 she was Minister for Overseas
Development, and before that she worked at the Department of Transport
(1982-86). She began her ministerial career at the Department of Health and
Social Security in 1979, five years after she first entered Parliament. Before
entering the Commons as MP for Wallasley, Chalker was a statistician and
market research manager. She worked for several companies, including Shell
and BP. Chalker was born in 1942 and educated at Heidelberg University,
Queen Mary College and the Polytechnic of Central London.
Baroness Julia Cumberlege of Newick

Julia Cumberlege was appointed to the House of Lords in 1990. Her
committee memberships reflect her background in health care provision: she
is Chair of the Health Group (2001-), Vice-chair of the Pharmacy Group
(2005-) and Maternity Group (2000-), and a member of the Osteoporosis
Group (2001-). In addition to her work in the Lords, Cumberlege chairs
Cumberlege Connections, her own consultancy company. She is also a council
member of Sussex University (2001-), a Member of the NHS Policy Board for
England (1989-), Vice-President of the Royal College of Nursing (1989-) and
Executive Director of MJM Health care Solutions. Cumberlege was last on her
party’s frontbench in 1997 as Joint Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in
the Department of Health. During this time she Chaired the Review of
Maternity Services for England, delivering the Changing Childbirth report in
1993. Cumberlege gained the role in 1992, whilst still Chair of the South West
Thames Regional Health Authority (1988-92).
Before being raised to the peerage in 1990 Cumberlege worked in public
health. She was a member of the Department of Health and Social Services’
Expert Advisory Group on AIDS (1987-89) and also spent several years
Chairing Brighton Health Authority (1981-88). She led a Review of
Community Nursing for England during this time, producing the
Neighbourhood Nursing report in 1985. In addition to this, Cumberlege has
served as a councillor. Between 1974 and 85 she was a member of East Sussex
County Council, Chairing the Social Services Committee from 1979 until 82,
and between 1966 and 79 she served on Lewes District Council, leading it
during her penultimate year there. Cumberlege was born in 1943.