Barbara Janke
Encyclopedia
Barbara Janke is a teacher and current Liberal Democrat leader of Bristol City Council
in Bristol
, England
. She has been Councillor for Clifton
ward since 1995 and was leader of the Liberal Democrat group between 1997 (taking over from Stephen Williams
, who was later elected MP for Bristol West
) and 2007 (replaced by Steve Comer
), and then again from 2008.
Janke was born in Liverpool
and formerly taught economics and modern languages in London. She first became active in politics while in Scotland
, before becoming a Councillor and then deputy Leader in Kingston upon Thames
Council in the early '90s.
Janke stood unsuccessfully as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Surbiton Constituency
at the 1992 General Election, losing to the Conservative Party candidate and incumbent MP, Richard Tracey
.
Janke became the first non-Labour
leader of Bristol
City Council for many decades after the 2003 elections when she led an all-party administration after the Council went into no overall control. This arrangement collapsed in late 2004 when the Labour
group withdrew and took minority control as the largest party. At the 2005 elections the Liberal Democrat party became the largest party and took minority control of the Council under Janke as Leader until 2007, when a combined vote of Labour and Conservatives voted them out.
In February 2009, she returned to the position of leader of Bristol City Council, following the resignation of the Labour cabinet.
Politics of Bristol
The city of Bristol, England, is a unitary authority, represented by four MPs representing seats wholly within the city boundaries. As well as these, Filton and Bradley Stoke covers the northern urban fringe in South Gloucestershire and the north eastern urban fringe is in the Kingswood constituency...
in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. She has been Councillor for Clifton
Clifton, Bristol
Clifton is a suburb of the City of Bristol in England, and the name of both one of the city's thirty-five council wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells...
ward since 1995 and was leader of the Liberal Democrat group between 1997 (taking over from Stephen Williams
Stephen Williams (politician)
Stephen Roy Williams is a British Liberal Democrat politician who was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Bristol West in the 2005 general election, being re-elected with an increased majority in May 2010...
, who was later elected MP for Bristol West
Bristol West
Bristol West is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It covers the central and western parts of Bristol.-Boundaries:...
) and 2007 (replaced by Steve Comer
Steve Comer
Steve Comer is a former leader of the Liberal Democrats on Bristol City Council in Bristol, England. He has been Councillor for Eastville ward since 2005, having previously served as Councillor for the adjacent Easton ward .-Background:...
), and then again from 2008.
Janke was born in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and formerly taught economics and modern languages in London. She first became active in politics while in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, before becoming a Councillor and then deputy Leader in Kingston upon Thames
Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames is a borough in southwest London, England. The main town is Kingston upon Thames and it includes Surbiton, Chessington, New Malden and Tolworth. It is the oldest of the three Royal Boroughs in England, the others are Kensington and Chelsea, also in London,...
Council in the early '90s.
Janke stood unsuccessfully as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Surbiton Constituency
Surbiton (UK Parliament constituency)
Surbiton was a borough constituency in south-west London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom by the first past the post system of election....
at the 1992 General Election, losing to the Conservative Party candidate and incumbent MP, Richard Tracey
Richard Tracey
Richard Patrick Tracey JP is a leading British Conservative politician from London. He is a Member of the Greater London Assembly representing Merton & Wandsworth,and is Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group, Vice-Chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, and previously...
.
Janke became the first non-Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
leader of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
City Council for many decades after the 2003 elections when she led an all-party administration after the Council went into no overall control. This arrangement collapsed in late 2004 when the Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
group withdrew and took minority control as the largest party. At the 2005 elections the Liberal Democrat party became the largest party and took minority control of the Council under Janke as Leader until 2007, when a combined vote of Labour and Conservatives voted them out.
In February 2009, she returned to the position of leader of Bristol City Council, following the resignation of the Labour cabinet.