Jenny Tonge
Encyclopedia
Jennifer Louise Tonge, Baroness Tonge (born Jennifer Louise Smith, 19 February 1941) is a politician
in the United Kingdom
. She was Liberal Democrat
Member of Parliament
(MP) for Richmond Park
in London
from 1997 to 2005.
in the West Midlands
, her parents were both school teachers
. She attended Dudley Girls High School
from 1957 to 1959. She trained to be a doctor at University College Hospital
, gaining an MB and BS
in 1964. She is also MFFP (Membership of the Faculty of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care of the RCOG
). From 1968 to 1978, she worked in General Practice
and Family Planning
. From 1980 to 1985, she worked as Senior Medical Officer in Women's Services in Ealing
. She managed Community Health Services in Ealing from 1992 to 1996.
Before her election to Parliament
, Tonge was a councillor in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
from 1981 to 1990 and served as a committee chair for four years.
Tonge was selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Richmond constituency at the 1992 General Election
. It was considered to be the party's most winnable seat but Tonge failed to be elected.
In 2002 she made a notable contribution to the Creationism – Evolution debate in the UK by asking Prime Minister Tony Blair
if he was "happy to allow the teaching of creationism alongside Darwin's theory of evolution in state schools". The Prime Minister replied that he supported a "diverse school system", triggering a row over the issue.
In 2002 she also made a call for the legalization of Cocaine.
Tonge lost her daughter in an electrical accident in 2004 and retired from the House of Commons at the 2005 general election
to help look after her two young grandchildren. Her replacement as Lib Dem candidate was Susan Kramer
, who held the seat.
as Baroness Tonge, of Kew
in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
, which entitles her to a seat in the House of Lords
.
From 8 January 2009 to 12 February 2010 she was the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health. She is very strongly pro-stem cell research and has stated so in the House of Lords. She is also pro-choice
.
In March of 2009 Tonge joined a six-person delegation of British politicians which met with Hamas
political leader Khaled Meshaal in Syria
. Tonge told an interviewer that their goal was to force the British government to talk to Hamas and pressure the United States to do likewise. She stated "You don't make peace by talking to your friends. You make peace by talking to your enemies," and said she knew that her meeting with Meshaal might be considered illegal and lead to her arrest. "That is one of the risks that you take," she said.
after saying of Palestinian
suicide bombers: "If I had to live in that situation - and I say that advisedly - I might just consider becoming one myself." Tonge refused to apologise: "I was just trying to say how, having seen the violence and the humiliation and the provocation that the Palestinian people live under every day and have done since their land was occupied by Israel
, I could understand..."
Tonge said in 2006: "The pro-Israeli lobby has got its grips on the western world, its financial grips. I think they've probably got a grip on our party." In response, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell
chastised Tonge, saying her remarks were "unacceptable" and had "clear anti-Semitic connotations." An all-party group of lords led by the former Archbishop of Canterbury
, George Carey
, said her comments "evoked a classic anti-Jewish conspiracy theory
." In response Tonge said that professors Stephen Walt
and John Mearsheimer
's article "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy" that appeared in the March 23, 2006 issue of The London Review of Books supported her assertion that the "'Israel lobby' had a disproportionate voice in Anglo-American foreign policy." She also emphasized that her comments "were about the Israeli lobby in politics. They were a big distance from being about Jewishness or anti-Semitism."
During November 2008, Tonge, along with Lord Ahmed, Clare Short
, and some MEP
s, broke through the Blockade of Gaza by boat and visited Gaza. The European parliamentarians' trip as it was called ran from 6-11 November 2008, and consisted of 12 MPs coming from Ireland
, Italy
, Switzerland
and the UK. They were there at the invitation of the "European Campaign to lift the Siege of Gaza". Tonge compared the situation in Gaza to Apartheid.
On 12 January 2009, Tonge asked in the House of Lords about investigations into alleged Israeli war crimes in the Israel-Gaza conflict, saying:
On the 15 January 2009 edition of Question Time
, she debated the Gaza conflict with Stephen Pollard
, the editor of The Jewish Chronicle
.
On 12 February 2010, she was sacked by Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg
after lending credence to allegations of organ harvesting by Israeli Defence Force medical teams after the 2010 Haiti earthquake
by suggesting an independent inquiry should be established. Nick Clegg said the comments were "wrong, distasteful and provocative" and dismissed her from her post. He said she had apologised "unreservedly" for any offence she had caused. The allegations were originally printed by the news website The Palestine Telegraph
, of which Tonge is a patron. In an interview with The Jewish Chronicle Tonge stated that "To prevent allegations such as these - which have already been posted on You Tube - going any further, the IDF and the Israeli Medical Association
should establish an independent inquiry immediately to clear the names of the team in Haiti." Writer Damian Thompson
also criticised Tonge, asking Nick Clegg
to take the additional step of withdrawing her party whip
.
. He is a consultant neuroradiologist
at St Thomas's Hospital in Lambeth
and they have three grown children. The couple live in Kew
and three grandchildren and also own properties in Herault
and Pembrokeshire
,
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
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 was Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
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 Richmond Park
Richmond Park (UK Parliament constituency)
Richmond Park 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.-History and character:...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
from 1997 to 2005.
Early life
Born in WalsallWalsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
in the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, her parents were both school teachers
Teachers
Teachers may refer to:* Teachers, people who provide schooling for pupils and students* Teachers , one of the five Ascension Gift Ministries* Teachers , a British sitcom* Teachers Teachers may refer to:* Teachers, people who provide schooling for pupils and students* Teachers (ministry), one of the...
. She attended Dudley Girls High School
Dudley Girls High School
Dudley Girls' High School was a selective higher education school which provided education for girls aged 11 to 18 years.-History:It was located in Dudley, England, and opened on 8 December 1910 near the town centre in Priory Road, 12 years after Dudley Grammar School moved to neighbouring premises...
from 1957 to 1959. She trained to be a doctor at University College Hospital
University College Hospital
University College Hospital is a teaching hospital located in London, United Kingdom. It is part of the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and is closely associated with University College London ....
, gaining an MB and BS
Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, or in Latin Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae , are the two first professional degrees awarded upon graduation from medical school in medicine and surgery by universities in various countries...
in 1964. She is also MFFP (Membership of the Faculty of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care of the RCOG
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is a professional association based in the UK. Its members, including people with and without medical degrees, work in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, that is, pregnancy, childbirth, and female sexual and reproductive health...
). From 1968 to 1978, she worked in General Practice
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
and Family Planning
Family planning
Family planning is the planning of when to have children, and the use of birth control and other techniques to implement such plans. Other techniques commonly used include sexuality education, prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections, pre-conception counseling and...
. From 1980 to 1985, she worked as Senior Medical Officer in Women's Services in Ealing
London Borough of Ealing
The London Borough of Ealing is a borough in west London.-Location:The London Borough of Ealing borders the London Borough of Hillingdon to the west, the London Borough of Harrow and the London Borough of Brent to the north, the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham to the east and the London...
. She managed Community Health Services in Ealing from 1992 to 1996.
Before her election to Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, Tonge was a councillor in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is a London borough in South West London, UK, which forms part of Outer London. It is unique because it is the only London borough situated both north and south of the River Thames.-Settlement:...
from 1981 to 1990 and served as a committee chair for four years.
Tonge was selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Richmond constituency 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...
. It was considered to be the party's most winnable seat but Tonge failed to be elected.
In the House of Commons
She was a Member of Parliament for Richmond Park from 1997 to 2005. While in the Commons she was Liberal Democrat spokesperson on International Development from 1999 to 2003, and then the spokesperson for children from 2003 to 2004.In 2002 she made a notable contribution to the Creationism – Evolution debate in the UK by asking Prime Minister 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...
if he was "happy to allow the teaching of creationism alongside Darwin's theory of evolution in state schools". The Prime Minister replied that he supported a "diverse school system", triggering a row over the issue.
In 2002 she also made a call for the legalization of Cocaine.
Tonge lost her daughter in an electrical accident in 2004 and retired from the House of Commons at the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
to help look after her two young grandchildren. Her replacement as Lib Dem candidate was Susan Kramer
Susan Kramer
Susan Veronica Kramer, Baroness Kramer is a British Liberal Democrat politician. She was Member of Parliament for Richmond Park from 2005 to 2010, having been an unsuccessful candidate in the London mayoral election in 2000....
, who held the seat.
House of Lords
On 23 June 2005 she was made a life peerLife peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baroness Tonge, of Kew
Kew
Kew is a place in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in South West London. Kew is best known for being the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens, now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace...
in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is a London borough in South West London, UK, which forms part of Outer London. It is unique because it is the only London borough situated both north and south of the River Thames.-Settlement:...
, which entitles her to a seat in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
.
From 8 January 2009 to 12 February 2010 she was the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health. She is very strongly pro-stem cell research and has stated so in the House of Lords. She is also pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
.
In March of 2009 Tonge joined a six-person delegation of British politicians which met with Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
political leader Khaled Meshaal in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. Tonge told an interviewer that their goal was to force the British government to talk to Hamas and pressure the United States to do likewise. She stated "You don't make peace by talking to your friends. You make peace by talking to your enemies," and said she knew that her meeting with Meshaal might be considered illegal and lead to her arrest. "That is one of the risks that you take," she said.
Controversial remarks about Israel
In January 2004, while still a Member of Parliament, Tonge was asked to step down as children's spokeswoman by Liberal Democrat leader Charles KennedyCharles Kennedy
Charles Peter Kennedy is a British Liberal Democrat politician, who led the Liberal Democrats from 9 August 1999 until 7 January 2006 and is currently a Member of Parliament for the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency....
after saying of Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
suicide bombers: "If I had to live in that situation - and I say that advisedly - I might just consider becoming one myself." Tonge refused to apologise: "I was just trying to say how, having seen the violence and the humiliation and the provocation that the Palestinian people live under every day and have done since their land was occupied by Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, I could understand..."
Tonge said in 2006: "The pro-Israeli lobby has got its grips on the western world, its financial grips. I think they've probably got a grip on our party." In response, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell
Menzies Campbell
Sir Walter Menzies "Ming" Campbell, CBE, QC, MP is a British Liberal Democrat politician and advocate, and a retired sprinter. He is the Member of Parliament for North East Fife, and was the Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2 March 2006 until 15 October 2007.Campbell held the British record...
chastised Tonge, saying her remarks were "unacceptable" and had "clear anti-Semitic connotations." An all-party group of lords led by the former Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
, George Carey
George Carey
George Leonard Carey, Baron Carey of Clifton PC, FKC is a former Archbishop of Canterbury, holding the office from 1991 to 2002. He was the first modern holder of the office not to have attended Oxford or Cambridge University...
, said her comments "evoked a classic anti-Jewish conspiracy theory
Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
." In response Tonge said that professors Stephen Walt
Stephen Walt
Stephen Martin Walt is a professor of international affairs at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. Among his most prominent works are and . He coauthored The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy with John Mearsheimer.-Education and career:In 1983, he received a Ph.D. in...
and John Mearsheimer
John Mearsheimer
John J. Mearsheimer is an American professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago. He is an international relations theorist. Known for his book on offensive realism, The Tragedy of Great Power Politics, more recently Mearsheimer has attracted attention for co-authoring and publishing...
's article "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy" that appeared in the March 23, 2006 issue of The London Review of Books supported her assertion that the "'Israel lobby' had a disproportionate voice in Anglo-American foreign policy." She also emphasized that her comments "were about the Israeli lobby in politics. They were a big distance from being about Jewishness or anti-Semitism."
During November 2008, Tonge, along with Lord Ahmed, Clare Short
Clare Short
Clare Short is a British politician, and a member of the Labour Party. She was the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Ladywood from 1983 to 2010; for most of this period she was a Labour Party MP, but she resigned the party whip in 2006 and served the remainder of her term as an Independent. She...
, and some MEP
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
s, broke through the Blockade of Gaza by boat and visited Gaza. The European parliamentarians' trip as it was called ran from 6-11 November 2008, and consisted of 12 MPs coming from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and the UK. They were there at the invitation of the "European Campaign to lift the Siege of Gaza". Tonge compared the situation in Gaza to Apartheid.
On 12 January 2009, Tonge asked in the House of Lords about investigations into alleged Israeli war crimes in the Israel-Gaza conflict, saying:
"Is the Minister aware that Mrs Pillay, the new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has spoken of war crimes being committed in Gaza? Will the Government, therefore, show leadership and call for the immediate—and I mean immediate—establishment by the United Nations Security CouncilUnited Nations Security CouncilThe United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
of an independent fact-finding commission to Palestine to investigate all breaches of international law?"'
On the 15 January 2009 edition of Question Time
Question Time (TV series)
Question Time is a topical debate BBC television programme in the United Kingdom, based on Any Questions?. The show typically features politicians from at least the three major political parties as well as other public figures who answer questions put to them by the audience...
, she debated the Gaza conflict with Stephen Pollard
Stephen Pollard
Stephen Pollard is a British author and journalist, currently editor of The Jewish Chronicle. He is a former Chairman of the European Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and a former president of the Centre for the New Europe, a free-market think tank based in Brussels...
, the editor of The Jewish Chronicle
The Jewish Chronicle
The Jewish Chronicle is a London-based Jewish newspaper. Founded in 1841, it is the oldest continuously published Jewish newspaper in the world.-Publication data and readership figures:...
.
On 12 February 2010, she was sacked by Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg
Nick Clegg
Nicholas William Peter "Nick" Clegg is a British Liberal Democrat politician who is currently the Deputy Prime Minister, Lord President of the Council and Minister for Constitutional and Political Reform in the coalition government of which David Cameron is the Prime Minister...
after lending credence to allegations of organ harvesting by Israeli Defence Force medical teams after the 2010 Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
by suggesting an independent inquiry should be established. Nick Clegg said the comments were "wrong, distasteful and provocative" and dismissed her from her post. He said she had apologised "unreservedly" for any offence she had caused. The allegations were originally printed by the news website The Palestine Telegraph
The Palestine Telegraph
The Palestine Telegraph is the first online newspaper based in the Gaza Strip. Its staff is composed of Palestinians and international volunteers, both professional journalists and, "citizen journalists who do not take assignments from editors or paychecks from corporate controlled media."Sameh...
, of which Tonge is a patron. In an interview with The Jewish Chronicle Tonge stated that "To prevent allegations such as these - which have already been posted on You Tube - going any further, the IDF and the Israeli Medical Association
Israel Medical Association
Israel Medical Association , is a professional association of doctors in Israel. It traces its origins to The Hebrew Medicinal Society for Jaffa and the Jaffa District, founded in 1912, which later became The Hebrew Medical Association in the Land of Israel ...
should establish an independent inquiry immediately to clear the names of the team in Haiti." Writer Damian Thompson
Damian Thompson
Damian Thompson is a British journalist, author and blogger.Thompson was educated at Presentation College, Reading, and read history at Mansfield College, Oxford University. He received his Ph.D in the sociology of religion from the London School of Economics for a thesis on the management of...
also criticised Tonge, asking Nick Clegg
Nick Clegg
Nicholas William Peter "Nick" Clegg is a British Liberal Democrat politician who is currently the Deputy Prime Minister, Lord President of the Council and Minister for Constitutional and Political Reform in the coalition government of which David Cameron is the Prime Minister...
to take the additional step of withdrawing her party whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
.
Personal life
She met her future husband, Dr Keith Tonge, while dissecting a corpse in 1959 and married him on 23 May 1964 in WednesburyWednesbury
Wednesbury is a market town in England's Black Country, part of the Sandwell metropolitan borough in West Midlands, near the source of the River Tame. Similarly to the word Wednesday, it is pronounced .-Pre-Medieval and Medieval times:...
. He is a consultant neuroradiologist
Neuroradiology
Neuroradiology is a subspecialty of radiology focusing on the diagnosis and characterization of abnormalities of the central and peripheral nervous system, spine, and head and neck. Primary imaging modalities include computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging...
at St Thomas's Hospital in Lambeth
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
and they have three grown children. The couple live in Kew
Kew
Kew is a place in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in South West London. Kew is best known for being the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens, now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace...
and three grandchildren and also own properties in Herault
Hérault
Hérault is a department in the south of France named after the Hérault river.-History:Hérault is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
and Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
,