Joan Walmsley, Baroness Walmsley
Encyclopedia
Joan Margaret Walmsley, Baroness Walmsley (born 12 April 1943) is a British
Liberal Democrat
politician
. She is currently the party spokesperson on Children, Schools and Families in the House of Lords
.
She was educated at Notre Dame High School in Liverpool, before attending Liverpool University from where she graduated with a BSc
in Biology
in 1966, and later completed a PGCE
at Manchester Polytechnic
in 1979. She worked as a Cytologist at the Christie Hospital
in Manchester
from 1965–1967 and taught at Buxton College from 1979–1986. She went into public relations
and worked for Hill & Knowlton until 1996, then began her own PR consultancy which she closed in 2003.
In the 1992 general election
she stood as the Liberal Democrat
candidate in Morley & Leeds South, and Congleton
in 1997 general election
, but was defeated on both occasions.
She was raised to the peerage as Baroness Walmsley, of West Derby
in the County of Merseyside
in 2000, whereupon she took the Liberal Democrat Whip. She was the party's spokesperson in the House of Lords
on: Education & Skills (2001–2003); Home Affairs (2003–2004); and again for Education & Skills from 2004 onwards. A member of the Science & Technology Select Committee 2000–2005, and then Chair of the Science & Technology Sub-Committee in 2002 which produced the report on taxonomy entitled “What on Earth? The threat to the science underpinning conservation”.
Lady Walmsley was formerly President of Women Liberal Democrats and the Campaign for Gender Balance, and has been a member of most of the Party's major committees. She lists her political interests as child protection, young offenders and prison education
, the environment and renewable energy. She is Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Children.
She is active in charity work relating to children and the environment. Her principal charities are:
Botanic Gardens Conservation International (Chairman);
UNICEF UK
(Board Member);
NSPCC
(Parliamentary Ambassador);
SKVC Children's Trust, a charity for street children in India (Patron).
Walmsley (née Watson) married John Richardson in 1966 (divorced 1980). She has a son, Adrian and a daughter, Sarah. In 1986 she married Christopher Walmsley (who died in 1995). She is stepmother to his son and two daughters. In 2005, she married Lord Thomas of Gresford
, a fellow Liberal Democrat peer, QC and Shadow Attorney General. She and her husband are one of the few couples to both hold titles in their own right.
Her recreations include music, the theatre, gardening, rowing, and "good company". She is a member of the Parliamentary Choir and was its Chairman from 2004 to 2006.
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
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...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. She is currently the party spokesperson on Children, Schools and Families 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....
.
She was educated at Notre Dame High School in Liverpool, before attending Liverpool University from where she graduated with 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...
in Biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
in 1966, and later completed a PGCE
PGCE
PGCE can stand for:* Postgraduate Certificate in Education, an English, Welsh and Northern Irish teacher-training qualification that includes master's credits...
at Manchester Polytechnic
Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University is a university in North West England. Its headquarters and central campus is in the city of Manchester, but there are outlying facilities in the county of Cheshire. It is the third largest university in the United Kingdom in terms of student numbers, behind the...
in 1979. She worked as a Cytologist at the Christie Hospital
Christie Hospital
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust is located in Withington, Manchester, and is one of the largest cancer treatment centres in Europe. The Christie became a NHS Foundation Trust in April 2007 and is also an international leader in cancer research and development, and home to the Paterson Institute...
in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
from 1965–1967 and taught at Buxton College from 1979–1986. She went into public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
and worked for Hill & Knowlton until 1996, then began her own PR consultancy which she closed in 2003.
In 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...
she stood as the 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...
candidate in Morley & Leeds South, and Congleton
Congleton (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 1990s:- Notes and references :...
in 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
, but was defeated on both occasions.
She was raised to the peerage as Baroness Walmsley, of West Derby
West Derby
West Derby is a suburb in the north of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is also a Liverpool City Council ward. At the 2001 Census, the population of the ward was 14,801 .-History:...
in the County of Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
in 2000, whereupon she took the Liberal Democrat Whip. She was the party's spokesperson 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....
on: Education & Skills (2001–2003); Home Affairs (2003–2004); and again for Education & Skills from 2004 onwards. A member of the Science & Technology Select Committee 2000–2005, and then Chair of the Science & Technology Sub-Committee in 2002 which produced the report on taxonomy entitled “What on Earth? The threat to the science underpinning conservation”.
Lady Walmsley was formerly President of Women Liberal Democrats and the Campaign for Gender Balance, and has been a member of most of the Party's major committees. She lists her political interests as child protection, young offenders and prison education
Prison education
Prison education, by Daryl Kuissi also known as Inmate Education and Correctional Education, is a very broad term that encompasses any number of educational activities occurring inside a prison. These educational activities include both vocational training and academic education...
, the environment and renewable energy. She is Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Children.
She is active in charity work relating to children and the environment. Her principal charities are:
Botanic Gardens Conservation International (Chairman);
UNICEF UK
UNICEF UK
UNICEF UK, also known as the United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF, is one of 36 UNICEF National Committees based in industrialised countries. The National Committees raise funds for the organisation's worldwide emergency and development work. In 2007, UNICEF UK raised £41.3 million for UNICEF’s work...
(Board Member);
NSPCC
NSPCC
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children is a United Kingdom charity campaigning and working in child protection.-History:...
(Parliamentary Ambassador);
SKVC Children's Trust, a charity for street children in India (Patron).
Walmsley (née Watson) married John Richardson in 1966 (divorced 1980). She has a son, Adrian and a daughter, Sarah. In 1986 she married Christopher Walmsley (who died in 1995). She is stepmother to his son and two daughters. In 2005, she married Lord Thomas of Gresford
Martin Thomas, Baron Thomas of Gresford
Donald Martin Thomas, Baron Thomas of Gresford, OBE, QC is a British Liberal Democrat politician.Educated at Grove Park Grammar School, Wrexham, and at Peterhouse, Cambridge University, he graduated with an LLB in Law and an MA in Classics. He practiced as a solicitor in Wrexham from...
, a fellow Liberal Democrat peer, QC and Shadow Attorney General. She and her husband are one of the few couples to both hold titles in their own right.
Her recreations include music, the theatre, gardening, rowing, and "good company". She is a member of the Parliamentary Choir and was its Chairman from 2004 to 2006.