Roger Bootle-Wilbraham, 7th Baron Skelmersdale
Encyclopedia
Roger Bootle-Wilbraham, 7th Baron Skelmersdale (born 2 April 1945) is a British
politician and Conservative
member of the House of Lords
.
Lord Skelmersdale succeeded to the peerage in 1973 on the death of Lionel Bootle-Wilbraham, 6th Baron Skelsmerdale. He was made a House of Lords whip
in Margaret Thatcher
's government in 1981, holding that position until 1986. He then moved to the Department of Environment
as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and then to the Department of Health and Social Security
in 1987 before that department was split in 1988.
Lord Skelmersdale continued at the Department of Social Security
until 1989 when he was assigned to the Northern Ireland Office
, serving until the end of Thatcher's premiership in November 1990. He was not reappointed by John Major
.
With the passage of the House of Lords Act 1999
, Lord Skelmersdale along with almost all other hereditary peers lost his automatic right to sit in the House of Lords. He was however elected as one of the ninety-two elected hereditary peers to remain in the House of Lords pending completion of House of Lords reform.
Lord Skelmersdale was, as of 2006, a Conservative Shadow Minister for the Department for Work and Pensions
as a member of David Cameron
's front bench team, however, he did not become a minister in the coalition Cameron ministry
starting in 2010.
Lord Skelmesdale is a bridge player and a member of the all party parliamentary bridge group.
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...
politician and 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...
member of 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....
.
Lord Skelmersdale succeeded to the peerage in 1973 on the death of Lionel Bootle-Wilbraham, 6th Baron Skelsmerdale. He was made a House of Lords 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...
in Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
's government in 1981, holding that position until 1986. He then moved to the Department of Environment
Secretary of State for the Environment
The Secretary of State for the Environment was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Department of the Environment . This was created by Edward Heath as a combination of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Building and Works on 15...
as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and then to the Department of Health and Social Security
Department of Health and Social Security
The Department of Health and Social Security was a ministry of the British government in existence for twenty years from 1968 until 1988, and was headed by the Secretary of State for Social Services.-History:...
in 1987 before that department was split in 1988.
Lord Skelmersdale continued at the Department of Social Security
Department of Social Security
The Department of Social Security is the name of a defunct governmental agency in the United Kingdom.The DSS replaced the older Department of Health and Social Security, from 1988 until 2001, when it was itself largely replaced as a department of the Government of the United Kingdom by the...
until 1989 when he was assigned to the Northern Ireland Office
Northern Ireland Office
The Northern Ireland Office is a United Kingdom government department responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and is based in Northern Ireland at Stormont House.-Role:...
, serving until the end of Thatcher's premiership in November 1990. He was not reappointed by John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
.
With the passage of the House of Lords Act 1999
House of Lords Act 1999
The House of Lords Act 1999 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. The Act reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. For centuries, the House of Lords had included several hundred members who inherited their seats;...
, Lord Skelmersdale along with almost all other hereditary peers lost his automatic right to sit in the House of Lords. He was however elected as one of the ninety-two elected hereditary peers to remain in the House of Lords pending completion of House of Lords reform.
Lord Skelmersdale was, as of 2006, a Conservative Shadow Minister for the Department for Work and Pensions
Department for Work and Pensions
The Department for Work and Pensions is the largest government department in the United Kingdom, created on June 8, 2001 from the merger of the employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security and headed by the Secretary of State for Work and...
as a member of David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
's front bench team, however, he did not become a minister in the coalition Cameron ministry
Cameron Ministry
David Cameron is Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, after being invited by Queen Elizabeth II to form a new government after the resignation as Prime Minister of Gordon Brown on 11 May 2010. Leading a coalition government formed by the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats, the coalition...
starting in 2010.
Lord Skelmesdale is a bridge player and a member of the all party parliamentary bridge group.