Angela Watkinson
Encyclopedia
Angela Eileen Watkinson (born Angela Eileen Ellicott 18 November 1941, Leytonstone
) is a politician in the United Kingdom
. She is Conservative Party
Member of Parliament
(MP) for Hornchurch and Upminster
, and was first elected in 2001 to the earlier seat of Upminster
, beating Keith Darvill
who had taken the seat from the Conservatives in 1997. She was re-elected with an increased majorities in 2005 and 2010.
) on Redbridge Lane West in Wanstead
. In 1989, she gained a Public Administration Higher National Certificate
from Anglia Higher Education College
. She worked for the Bank of New South Wales (since 1982 the Westpac Banking Corporation
) from 1958-64. She became a secretary of a Special School in Essex in 1976, helping physically handicapped children with riding
lessons. In 1988, she became a clerk to a school governing body, then committee clerk to Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council
from 1988-9. From 1989-94, she was a committee manager for Basildon District Council
. She was a councillor for Havering London Borough Council
from 1994-8, and on Essex County Council from 1997-2001.
, but was forced to resign her membership in October 2001 when the newly-elected Conservative leader Iain Duncan-Smith suspended his party's links with the Monday club. He declared that the club's views on race and immigration were incompatible with his plans to reform the party, and Watkinson was one of three Conservative MPs forced to leave the group.
or contraception advice to under-16s to inform the child's parents. MPs voted by 159 to 87 to reject the bill.
and is a member and elder of the United Reformed Church
. She supports pro-life issues and votes on Christian lines on matters of conscience. She is a member of the Conservative Christian Fellowship
. She is married to Roy, a retired Metropolitan Police
officer, and they have a son and two daughters. She married in 1961 in Essex.
Watkinson is among a dozen or so MPs who hold the most definite record for gay rights, disapproving every piece of legislation related to LGBT people
that has passed through the House of Commons.
Leytonstone
Leytonstone is an area of east London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is a high density suburban area, located seven miles north east of Charing Cross in the ceremonial county of Greater London and the historic county of Essex...
) is a politician in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. She is Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Hornchurch and Upminster
Hornchurch and Upminster (UK Parliament constituency)
Hornchurch and Upminster is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
, and was first elected in 2001 to the earlier seat of Upminster
Upminster (UK Parliament constituency)
Upminster was a constituency of the House of Commons in east London, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system...
, beating Keith Darvill
Keith Darvill
Keith Ernest Darvill is a Labour politician in the United Kingdom. He is a councillor in the London Borough of Havering.Darvill was educated at the University of Westminster school of Law after which he worked as a solicitor....
who had taken the seat from the Conservatives in 1997. She was re-elected with an increased majorities in 2005 and 2010.
Early life
She went to Wanstead County High School (a grammar school, now Wanstead High SchoolWanstead High School
Wanstead High School , formerly Wanstead County High School, is a co-educational, non-denominational, comprehensive high school in Wanstead, London, United Kingdom.-Admissions:...
) on Redbridge Lane West in Wanstead
Wanstead
Wanstead is a suburban area in the London Borough of Redbridge, North-East London. The main road going through Wanstead is the A12. The name is from the Anglo-Saxon words wænn and stede, meaning "settlement on a small hill"....
. In 1989, she gained a Public Administration Higher National Certificate
Higher National Certificate
A Higher National Certificate is a higher education qualification in the United Kingdom.In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the HNC is a BTEC qualification awarded by Edexcel, and in Scotland, an HNC is a Higher National awarded by the Scottish Qualifications Authority...
from Anglia Higher Education College
Anglia Ruskin University
Anglia Ruskin University is one of the largest universities in Eastern England, United Kingdom, with a total student population of around 30,000.-History:...
. She worked for the Bank of New South Wales (since 1982 the Westpac Banking Corporation
Westpac
Westpac , is a multinational financial services, one of the Australian "big four" banks and the second-largest bank in New Zealand....
) from 1958-64. She became a secretary of a Special School in Essex in 1976, helping physically handicapped children with riding
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
lessons. In 1988, she became a clerk to a school governing body, then committee clerk to Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council
Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council
Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. Barking and Dagenham is divided into 17 wards, each electing three...
from 1988-9. From 1989-94, she was a committee manager for Basildon District Council
Basildon (district)
Basildon is a local government district in south Essex in the East of England, centred around the town of Basildon. The district was formed under the Local Government Act 1972 on 1 April 1974 from the former area of Basildon Urban District and the part of Thurrock Urban District that was within the...
. She was a councillor for Havering London Borough Council
Havering London Borough Council
Havering London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Havering in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. Havering is divided into 18 wards, each electing three councillors...
from 1994-8, and on Essex County Council from 1997-2001.
Parliamentary career
Watkinson was a member of the right wing Conservative Monday ClubConservative Monday Club
The Conservative Monday Club is a British pressure group "on the right-wing" of the Conservative Party.-Overview:...
, but was forced to resign her membership in October 2001 when the newly-elected Conservative leader Iain Duncan-Smith suspended his party's links with the Monday club. He declared that the club's views on race and immigration were incompatible with his plans to reform the party, and Watkinson was one of three Conservative MPs forced to leave the group.
Campaigning
On 14 June 2006, Watkinson introduced a Private Member's Bill which would have forced doctors offering abortionAbortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
or contraception advice to under-16s to inform the child's parents. MPs voted by 159 to 87 to reject the bill.
Personal life
She lives in UpminsterUpminster
Upminster is a suburban town in northeast London, England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. Located east-northeast of Charing Cross, it is one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan, and comprises a number of shopping streets and a large residential...
and is a member and elder of the United Reformed Church
United Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
. She supports pro-life issues and votes on Christian lines on matters of conscience. She is a member of the Conservative Christian Fellowship
Conservative Christian Fellowship
The Conservative Christian Fellowship is an organisation allied with the British Conservative Party, established in 1990 by Tim Montgomerie and Conservative MP David Burrowes whilst they were students at Exeter University....
. She is married to Roy, a retired Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
officer, and they have a son and two daughters. She married in 1961 in Essex.
Views
At a press conference on 13 March 2007, Angela Watkinson stated that "the whole premise of sex education was wrong".Watkinson is among a dozen or so MPs who hold the most definite record for gay rights, disapproving every piece of legislation related to LGBT people
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
that has passed through the House of Commons.
External links
- Angela Watkinson MP official site
- Angela Watkinson MP biography at the site of the Conservative Party
- ePolitix.com - Angela Watkinson
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Angela Watkinson MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Angela Watkinson MP
- The Public Whip - Angela Watkinson MP voting record
- BBC News - Angela Watkinson profile 30 March 2006