Karen Gillard
Encyclopedia
Karen Gillard was the Liberal Democrat
Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the reformed constituency of South East Cornwall in the United Kingdom
for the 2010 general election. Boundary changes introduced for the 2010 election excised a number of key Liberal Democrat wards from the constituency, notably St Blazey, which had supported the previous Liberal Democrat incumbent Colin Breed
. The Conservative candidate Sheryll Murray
won by 3220 votes.
, grew up in Torpoint
, attending Torpoint Comprehensive School
and Devonport High School for Girls
. She has an LL.B from Plymouth University, she undertook postgraduate studies at Guildford College of Law, and her Bar Vocation Course at Inns of Court School of Law, and she was called to the Bar
in 2004.
. Openly gay, she was chair of the Tory
Campaign for Homosexual Equality (TORCHE) in 2001.
In 2001 she left the City of Plymouth Conservative Council Group and joined the Liberal Democrats
. She was elected as a Liberal Democrat Councillor in 2003. In 2005, Gillard stood as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the constituency of Plymouth Sutton. She obtained 22.7% of the vote. In 2008, she was selected to stand as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the constituency of South East Cornwall. She obtained 38.6% of the vote.
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...
Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the reformed constituency of South East Cornwall 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...
for the 2010 general election. Boundary changes introduced for the 2010 election excised a number of key Liberal Democrat wards from the constituency, notably St Blazey, which had supported the previous Liberal Democrat incumbent Colin Breed
Colin Breed
Colin Edward Breed is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of Parliament for South East Cornwall from 1997 until he stood down at the 2010 general election.-Early life:...
. The Conservative candidate Sheryll Murray
Sheryll Murray
Sheryll Murray is a Conservative Party politician. She has been the Member of Parliament for South East Cornwall since the 2010 general election.-Early life:...
won by 3220 votes.
Early life and education
She was born in ExeterExeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, grew up in Torpoint
Torpoint
Torpoint is a civil parish and town on the Rame Peninsula in southeast Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated opposite the city of Plymouth across the Hamoaze which is the tidal estuary of the River Tamar....
, attending Torpoint Comprehensive School
Torpoint Community College
Torpoint Community College is a specialist Humanities College in Cornwall, United KingdomThe school's most notable alumni are Sheryll Murray the new Conservative Member of Parliament for South East Cornwall and the defeated Liberal Democrat candidate Karen Gillard....
and Devonport High School for Girls
Devonport High School for Girls
Devonport High School for Girls is a traditional state selective girls' secondary school in Plymouth, England.-History:In September 1908 Devonport High School for Girls was the first school in Plymouth to be recognised as a girls secondary school...
. She has an LL.B from Plymouth University, she undertook postgraduate studies at Guildford College of Law, and her Bar Vocation Course at Inns of Court School of Law, and she was called to the Bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in 2004.
Political career
Karen Gillard was elected as a Conservative City Councillor in Plymouth in 2000 for the Drake wardDrake (ward)
Drake is an election ward within Plymouth, Devon, England. One of the main roads from the city to Tavistock and Dartmoor runs through the ward. In the past it played an important role in the supply of water to Plymouth, and it was the location of both a fatal bomb explosion and a large unexploded...
. Openly gay, she was chair of the Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
Campaign for Homosexual Equality (TORCHE) in 2001.
In 2001 she left the City of Plymouth Conservative Council Group and joined the Liberal Democrats
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...
. She was elected as a Liberal Democrat Councillor in 2003. In 2005, Gillard stood as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the constituency of Plymouth Sutton. She obtained 22.7% of the vote. In 2008, she was selected to stand as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the constituency of South East Cornwall. She obtained 38.6% of the vote.