Ruth O'Keeffe
Encyclopedia
Christina Ruth O'Keeffe (born 9 October 1962 in Birmingham) is a British local government councillor
in East Sussex
, England
. She is the Independent County Councillor
for the Lewes Division
of East Sussex County Council, and is also a member
of Lewes District
and Town
Councils for Lewes Priory Ward.
She was educated at Tiffin Girls' School
, Kingston Upon Thames, and Robinson College, Cambridge
, where she read Geography and subsequently trained as a teacher. She also holds a BA in Psychology and Education, and a BSc, from the Open University
.
She has taught in a variety of settings, including special schools, and also in administration to do with Special Needs in Education.
O'Keeffe became a Lewes Town Councillor in 1999 as a Liberal Democrat. After a brief exploratory time with the Green Party in 2001 she gave up party politics altogether that year. She stood in the 2003 local elections in Lewes for both Town and District Council as an Independent candidate and was elected to Lewes District Council as the third of three councillors in Lewes Priory ward. In 2005 she became County Councillor for Lewes now holding seats on all 3 councils as an Independent. In 2007 she was returned as both a Town and District Councillor topping both polls with a vote of over 2000 in each, and in 2009 retained her County Council seat with a similar margin.
She is a strong supporter of environmental causes, and has done work in pursuing Fairtrade status for East Sussex.
She is also a radio presenter, co-hosting the breakfast show "Up with Dino and Ruth" on Rocket FM in Lewes
and is a member of the East Sussex Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC).
Town council
A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or civil parishes. A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch....
in East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. She is the Independent County Councillor
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
for the Lewes Division
Lewes (district)
Lewes is a local government district in East Sussex in southern England covering an area of , with of coastline. It is named after its administrative centre, Lewes. Other towns in the district include Newhaven, Peacehaven, and Seaford. Plumpton racecourse is within the district...
of East Sussex County Council, and is also a member
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
of Lewes District
Lewes (district)
Lewes is a local government district in East Sussex in southern England covering an area of , with of coastline. It is named after its administrative centre, Lewes. Other towns in the district include Newhaven, Peacehaven, and Seaford. Plumpton racecourse is within the district...
and Town
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
Councils for Lewes Priory Ward.
She was educated at Tiffin Girls' School
Tiffin Girls' School
The Tiffin Girls' School is an all girls grammar school located in Kingston upon Thames, south-west London, England. The school lies in over nine acres on the east side of Richmond Road.-History:...
, Kingston Upon Thames, and Robinson College, Cambridge
Robinson College, Cambridge
Robinson College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.Robinson is the newest of the Cambridge colleges, and is unique in being the only one to have been intended, from its inception, for both undergraduate and graduate students of either sex.- History :The college was founded...
, where she read Geography and subsequently trained as a teacher. She also holds a BA in Psychology and Education, and a BSc, from the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
.
She has taught in a variety of settings, including special schools, and also in administration to do with Special Needs in Education.
O'Keeffe became a Lewes Town Councillor in 1999 as a Liberal Democrat. After a brief exploratory time with the Green Party in 2001 she gave up party politics altogether that year. She stood in the 2003 local elections in Lewes for both Town and District Council as an Independent candidate and was elected to Lewes District Council as the third of three councillors in Lewes Priory ward. In 2005 she became County Councillor for Lewes now holding seats on all 3 councils as an Independent. In 2007 she was returned as both a Town and District Councillor topping both polls with a vote of over 2000 in each, and in 2009 retained her County Council seat with a similar margin.
She is a strong supporter of environmental causes, and has done work in pursuing Fairtrade status for East Sussex.
She is also a radio presenter, co-hosting the breakfast show "Up with Dino and Ruth" on Rocket FM in Lewes
and is a member of the East Sussex Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC).