Don Foster
Encyclopedia
Donald Michael Ellison Foster (born 31 March 1947) is a British
Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament
, representing Bath
in southwest England
.
, and educated at the Lancaster Royal Grammar School
and Keele University
where he was awarded a BSc
degree in Physics
and Psychology
in 1969 and also received the CertEd
the same year. He studied later for his MEd
in Education
at the University of Bath
in 1981. He became a science teacher at the Sevenoaks School
in Kent
in 1969, before becoming a science project director with the Avon
Education Authority
in 1975. He became a lecturer in education at the University of Bristol
in 1980, becoming a management consultant with Pannell Kerr Forster
from 1989 until his election to the House of Commons.
ward, and was the SDP-Liberal Alliance
group leader from 1981-6, he also served as the county's education committee chairman, and he remained a councillor until 1989. He unsuccessfully contested Bristol East
at the 1987 general election
where he finished in third place, some 11,659 votes behind the sitting Conservative
MP Jonathan Sayeed
. He was elected at the 1992 general election
when he famously beat then-Chairman of the Conservative Party
Chris Patten
at Bath. He won the seat with a majority of 3,768 and remains the MP. He spoke of the World Heritage Site
status of Bath and sent his best wishes to Patten in Hong Kong
in his maiden speech
on 12 May 1992.
In parliament
Foster became a spokesman on education under the leadership of Paddy Ashdown
in 1992 in which capacity he remained until 1999.
Foster supports a number of local charities, including Ted's Big Day Out and Julian House. His main national charity is WaterAid
and he has seen first hand their work in Ethiopia
.
On 13 October 2009, Foster became involved in the parliamentary expenses scandal
as he announced through his website that he was being asked to pay back a substantial sum of money in connection with a mortgage he had been claiming for. It was later revealed in the local press that the sum totalled £4,082.02.
On 8 December 2010, in response to a call from the Football Supporter's Federation, he introduced a bill to parliament to introduce safe standing areas
into English and Welsh football, the first of its kind since the Taylor Report
.
On 9 December 2010, Foster was one of 28 Liberal Democrat MPs to vote in favour of Government proposals to increase the upper limit of university tuition fees. Reasons cited are that there is considerable evidence that many of the poorest people would pay less because of the system of paying back of the loan. The vote was particularly controversial for Liberal Democrats as many Lib Dem MPs had previously signed an NUS pledge
promising to vote against tuition fee increases.
and they have a son and a daughter and three grandchildren. His other interests include Third World issues; he is a member of Amnesty International
and the Child Poverty Action Group
. He also enjoys sport, music, ballet, travelling and reading. He is currently teaching himself to play the ukulele. He is a self-confessed fan of The West Wing.
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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...
Liberal Democrat 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,...
, representing Bath
Bath (UK Parliament constituency)
Bath is a constituency in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, previously of the House of Commons of England. It is an ancient constituency which has been constantly represented in Parliament since boroughs were first summoned to send members in the 13th century...
in southwest 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...
.
Early life
Foster was born in Preston, LancashireLancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, and educated at the Lancaster Royal Grammar School
Lancaster Royal Grammar School
Lancaster Royal Grammar School is a voluntary aided, selective grammar school for boys in Lancaster, England. The school has been awarded specialist Technology College and Language College status. Old boys belong to The Old Lancastrians...
and Keele University
Keele University
Keele University is a campus university near Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as an experimental college dedicated to a broad curriculum and interdisciplinary study, Keele is most notable for pioneering the dual honours degree in Britain...
where he was awarded a BSc
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
in 1969 and also received the CertEd
Certificate in Education
The Certificate in Education is a professional qualification for teachers in the United Kingdom. There have been two incarnations of the Cert Ed over the years.-New Cert Ed:...
the same year. He studied later for his MEd
Master of Education
The Master of Education is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in a large number of countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum and instruction, counseling, and administration. It is often conferred for educators advancing in...
in Education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
at the University of Bath
University of Bath
The University of Bath is a campus university located in Bath, United Kingdom. It received its Royal Charter in 1966....
in 1981. He became a science teacher at the Sevenoaks School
Sevenoaks School
Sevenoaks School is an English coeducational independent school located in the town of Sevenoaks, Kent. It is the oldest lay school in the United Kingdom, dating back to 1432. Almost 1,000 day pupils and boarders attend, ranging in age from 11 to 18 years. There are approximately equal numbers of...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
in 1969, before becoming a science project director with the Avon
Avon (county)
Avon was, from 1974 to 1996, a non-metropolitan and ceremonial county in the west of England.The county was named after the River Avon, which runs through the area. It was formed from parts of the historic counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset, together with the City of Bristol...
Education Authority
Local Education Authority
A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
in 1975. He became a lecturer in education at the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
in 1980, becoming a management consultant with Pannell Kerr Forster
PKF
PKF is a global network of accountancy firms. Member firms operate under the PKF brand in over 125 countries worldwide. In 2010, PKF International was ranked the 10th largest global accounting network, with aggregate fee income of $2.4 billion for member firms in the year end June 2010)...
from 1989 until his election to the House of Commons.
Parliamentary career
As a local party activist he was a founder member of the Avon Liberal Democrats and was elected as a councillor to the Avon County Council in 1981 for CabotCabot, Bristol
Cabot is a council ward that covers the centre of Bristol. It gets its name from the Cabot Tower - a memorial tower on Brandon Hill that was built to commemorate John Cabot's voyage and "discovery" of North America.-Areas:...
ward, and was the SDP-Liberal Alliance
SDP-Liberal Alliance
The SDP–Liberal Alliance was an electoral pact formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Party in the United Kingdom which was in existence from 1981 to 1988, when the bulk of the two parties merged to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, later referred to as simply the Liberal...
group leader from 1981-6, he also served as the county's education committee chairman, and he remained a councillor until 1989. He unsuccessfully contested Bristol East
Bristol East (UK Parliament constituency)
Bristol East is a borough 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.-Boundaries:...
at the 1987 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
where he finished in third place, some 11,659 votes behind the sitting Conservative
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...
MP Jonathan Sayeed
Jonathan Sayeed
Jonathan Sayeed is a British politician who was a Conservative Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom from 1983 to 1992 and from 1997 to 2005....
. He was elected at the 1992 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
when he famously beat then-Chairman of the Conservative Party
Chairman of the Conservative Party
In the United Kingdom, the Chairman of the Conservative Party is responsible for running the party machine, overseeing Conservative Central Office. When the Conservatives are in power, the Chairman is usually a member of the Cabinet being given a sinecure position such as Minister without Portfolio...
Chris Patten
Chris Patten
Christopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, CH, PC , is the last Governor of British Hong Kong, a former British Conservative politician, and the current chairman of the BBC Trust....
at Bath. He won the seat with a majority of 3,768 and remains the MP. He spoke of the World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
status of Bath and sent his best wishes to Patten in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in his maiden speech
Maiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
on 12 May 1992.
In parliament
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
Foster became a spokesman on education under the leadership of Paddy Ashdown
Paddy Ashdown
Jeremy John Durham Ashdown, Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, GCMG, KBE, PC , usually known as Paddy Ashdown, is a British politician and diplomat....
in 1992 in which capacity he remained until 1999.
Foster supports a number of local charities, including Ted's Big Day Out and Julian House. His main national charity is WaterAid
WaterAid
WaterAid is an international non-profit organisation set up as a response to the UN International Drinking Water & Sanitation decade . WaterAid is dedicated to helping people escape the poverty and disease caused by living without safe water and sanitation. It is based in London, England and was...
and he has seen first hand their work in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
.
On 13 October 2009, Foster became involved in the parliamentary expenses scandal
United Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal
The United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal was a major political scandal triggered by the leak and subsequent publication by the Telegraph Group in 2009 of expense claims made by members of the United Kingdom Parliament over several years...
as he announced through his website that he was being asked to pay back a substantial sum of money in connection with a mortgage he had been claiming for. It was later revealed in the local press that the sum totalled £4,082.02.
On 8 December 2010, in response to a call from the Football Supporter's Federation, he introduced a bill to parliament to introduce safe standing areas
Terrace (stadium)
A terrace or terracing in sporting terms refers to the traditional standing area of a sports stadium, particularly in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
into English and Welsh football, the first of its kind since the Taylor Report
Taylor Report
The Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Inquiry report, better known as the Taylor Report is a document, whose development was overseen by Lord Taylor of Gosforth, concerning the aftermath and causes of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. An interim report was published in August 1989, and the final...
.
On 9 December 2010, Foster was one of 28 Liberal Democrat MPs to vote in favour of Government proposals to increase the upper limit of university tuition fees. Reasons cited are that there is considerable evidence that many of the poorest people would pay less because of the system of paying back of the loan. The vote was particularly controversial for Liberal Democrats as many Lib Dem MPs had previously signed an NUS pledge
Vote for Students pledge
The National Union of Students "Vote for Students" pledge is a pledge to vote against tuition fee increases that was signed by over 1000 candidates standing in the UK general election in 2010, notably including all 57 subsequently elected Liberal Democrat MPs.-The pledge:The pledge states:The NUS...
promising to vote against tuition fee increases.
Personal life
Foster married Victoria Jane Dorcas Pettegree in 1968 in OswestryOswestry
Oswestry is a town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483, and A495 roads....
and they have a son and a daughter and three grandchildren. His other interests include Third World issues; he is a member of Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
and the Child Poverty Action Group
Child Poverty Action Group
Child Poverty Action Group is a UK charity that works to alleviate poverty and social exclusion.The stated aims of the CPAG are:CPAG programs include:* Research and publish the latest facts and figures of family and child poverty in the UK...
. He also enjoys sport, music, ballet, travelling and reading. He is currently teaching himself to play the ukulele. He is a self-confessed fan of The West Wing.
Publications
- Resource Based Learning in Science by Don Foster, 1979, Association for Science Education ISBN 0-902786-52-0
- Science with Gas by Don Foster, 1981
- Aspects of Science by Don Foster, 1984, Longman ISBN 0-201-14377-1
- Reading about Science by Don Foster, 1984
- Nuffield Science by Don Foster, 1986
- Teaching Science 11-13 Edited by Don Foster, Cecil Powell and Roger Lock, 1987, Routledge ISBN 0-7099-4931-6
- Education: Investing in Education by Don Foster, 1994, Liberal Democrat Publications ISBN 1-85187-243-4
- Making the Right Start: Nursery Education and Care by Don Foster, 1994, Liberal Democrat Publications ISBN 1-85187-264-7
- From the Three Rs to the Three Cs: A Personal View of Education by Don Foster, 2003 ISBN 0-9546078-0-5
External links
- Don Foster MP official site
- Profile at the Liberal Democrats
- Bath Liberal Democrats
- Profile: Don Foster BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
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