Fiona Millar
Encyclopedia
Fiona Millar is a British journalist
and campaigner on education
and parenting issues. She was a former adviser to Cherie Blair
. She writes a blog, The Truth About Our Schools, on education issues.
, then a selective grammar school, on Sandall Road in Kentish Town
. She would later become a critic of grammar schools. She studied Economics and Economic History at UCL
.
, where she was a colleague of Peter Hitchens
.
She was an adviser to Cherie Blair
from 1995-2003. In 2005, along with Melissa Benn
, she co-wrote a pamphlet A Comprehensive Future: Quality and Equality for all our children and is active in the campaign against the Trust Schools white paper
, appearing alongside such Labour Party
figures as Neil Kinnock
and Estelle Morris
at campaign meetings.
She is vice-chair of Comprehensive Future
, an organisation that promotes the perceived advantages of comprehensive schools in the UK. Her children attend state schools in the Camden
LEA
, and she is a governor of the William Ellis
boys' comprehensive school and Gospel Oak primary school. Millar's articles have appeared regularly in the education supplement of The Guardian
newspaper since 2003. She is Chair of Trustees of the Family and Parenting Institute.
In 2009, Millar wrote The Secret World of the Working Mother, a book about finding the balance between working and being a mother.
, Tony Blair
's former Director of Communications. They have two sons (born November 1987 and July 1989) and a daughter (born May 1993). They live in Gospel Oak
. She is a "Distinguished Supporter" of the British Humanist Association
.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and campaigner on education
Education in the United Kingdom
Education in the United Kingdom is a devolved matter with each of the countries of the United Kingdom having separate systems under separate governments: the UK Government is responsible for England, and the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive are...
and parenting issues. She was a former adviser to Cherie Blair
Cherie Blair
Cherie Blair , known professionally as Cherie Booth QC, is a British barrister working in the legal system of England and Wales. She is married to the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair; the couple have three sons and one daughter...
. She writes a blog, The Truth About Our Schools, on education issues.
Early life
She attended Camden School for GirlsCamden School for Girls
The Camden School for Girls is a comprehensive secondary school for girls, with a co-educational sixth form, in the London Borough of Camden in North London. It has about one thousand students of ages eleven to eighteen, and specialist-school status as a Music College...
, then a selective grammar school, on Sandall Road in Kentish Town
Kentish Town
Kentish Town is an area of north west London, England in the London Borough of Camden.-History:The most widely accepted explanation of the name of Kentish Town is that it derived from 'Ken-ditch' meaning the 'bed of a waterway'...
. She would later become a critic of grammar schools. She studied Economics and Economic History at UCL
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
.
Career
She began in journalism as a trainee on the Daily Mirror, later moving to the Daily ExpressDaily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
, where she was a colleague of Peter Hitchens
Peter Hitchens
Peter Jonathan Hitchens is an award-winning British columnist and author, noted for his traditionalist conservative stance. He has published five books, including The Abolition of Britain, A Brief History of Crime, The Broken Compass and most recently The Rage Against God. Hitchens writes for...
.
She was an adviser to Cherie Blair
Cherie Blair
Cherie Blair , known professionally as Cherie Booth QC, is a British barrister working in the legal system of England and Wales. She is married to the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair; the couple have three sons and one daughter...
from 1995-2003. In 2005, along with Melissa Benn
Melissa Benn
Melissa Ann Benn is a British journalist and writer. She is the only daughter of Tony and Caroline Benn.Benn was born in Hammersmith, London. She has two older brothers, Stephen and Hilary, and a younger brother, Joshua. She attended Holland Park School and graduated with a first in History from...
, she co-wrote a pamphlet A Comprehensive Future: Quality and Equality for all our children and is active in the campaign against the Trust Schools white paper
White paper
A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that helps solve a problem. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions, and are often requested and used in politics, policy, business, and technical fields. In commercial use, the term has also come to refer to...
, appearing alongside such Labour Party
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...
figures as Neil Kinnock
Neil Kinnock
Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock is a Welsh politician belonging to the Labour Party. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995 and as Labour Leader and Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition from 1983 until 1992 - his leadership of the party during nearly nine years making him...
and Estelle Morris
Estelle Morris
Estelle Morris, Baroness Morris of Yardley, PC was a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Yardley from 1992 to 2005, and served briefly in the Cabinet as Education Secretary.-Early life:...
at campaign meetings.
She is vice-chair of Comprehensive Future
Comprehensive Future
Comprehensive Future are a pressure group in the United Kingdom which supports the state education system against campaigns for "fair" school admissions policies. The group opposes selection in education....
, an organisation that promotes the perceived advantages of comprehensive schools in the UK. Her children attend state schools in the Camden
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
LEA
Local Education Authority
A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
, and she is a governor of the William Ellis
William Ellis School
William Ellis School is a United Kingdom secondary comprehensive school for boys in Highgate, London.-Admissions:It is a specialist Language College. The School's motto is 'Rather Use Than Fame'. The school is over-subscribed, usually an indicator of a popular school. It is situated just west of...
boys' comprehensive school and Gospel Oak primary school. Millar's articles have appeared regularly in the education supplement of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper since 2003. She is Chair of Trustees of the Family and Parenting Institute.
In 2009, Millar wrote The Secret World of the Working Mother, a book about finding the balance between working and being a mother.
Personal life
Her partner is Alastair CampbellAlastair Campbell
Alastair John Campbell is a British journalist, broadcaster, political aide and author, best known for his work as Director of Communications and Strategy for Prime Minister Tony Blair between 1997 and 2003, having first started working for Blair in 1994...
, Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
's former Director of Communications. They have two sons (born November 1987 and July 1989) and a daughter (born May 1993). They live in Gospel Oak
Gospel Oak
Gospel Oak is an inner urban area of north London in the London Borough of Camden below Hampstead Heath. It is bordered by the more affluent areas of Belsize Park to the west, Kentish Town to the south, Eastern Hampstead to the North and Dartmouth Park and Tufnell Park to the east...
. She is a "Distinguished Supporter" of the British Humanist Association
British Humanist Association
The British Humanist Association is an organisation of the United Kingdom which promotes Humanism and represents "people who seek to live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs." The BHA is committed to secularism, human rights, democracy, egalitarianism and mutual respect...
.