Sarah Teather
Encyclopedia
Sarah Louise Teather is a British
Liberal Democrat
politician, Member of Parliament
for Brent Central
, Minister of State
at the Department for Education
, and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group
on Guantanamo Bay.
She was first elected on 18 September 2003 in the Brent East by-election
and re-elected with an increased majority on 5 May 2005 in the 2005 general election
. After the seat was abolished due to boundary changes she was selected as the Liberal Democrat Candidate for the new constituency of Brent Central. Her main opponent was sitting Labour MP Dawn Butler
, whose seat of Brent South was also abolished. After that election Teather became Minister of State
in the Department for Education
in the coalition between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats
.
and St John's College, Cambridge
, where she gained a 2:1 degree in Natural Sciences specialising in pharmacology
.
Teather initially embarked on a PhD at University College London
, but left the course at the end of her first year. She went on to work as a policy advisor for a number of prominent groups including the Royal Society
and the charity Macmillan Cancer Relief.
.
In 2003 she was selected as the party's candidate in the Brent East by-election
, which was called after death of the Labour
MP Paul Daisley.
The by-election
took place during the early stages of the Iraq War, in which Britain's involvement had proved a controversial decision with voters and dented support for the Labour government. The Liberal Democrats came from third place behind Labour and the Conservatives, with a 39.12% share of the total and 1,118 majority. At 29, Teather was the youngest Member of Parliament in Britain at the time.
She successfully defended her seat in the 2005 general election, increasing her majority to over 2,700. On 6 May 2010, Sarah Teather defeated Labour's Dawn Butler
, a former Brent MP, by over 1,000 votes in the new Parliamentary constituency of Brent Central.
The by-election was Labour's first by-election defeat in 15 years. Teather was the youngest member of the House, informally known as the Baby of the House
.
She subsequently resigned her seat on Islington Council, as well as her candidature for the GLA seat in North East London.
In May 2009, she was listed by The Daily Telegraph as one of the "Saints" in the expenses scandal. However, in September 2010 The Sunday Times
reported that she had been accused by several Members of Parliament of lobbying her boss, the Education Secretary Michael Gove
, for two schools in her constituency to be spared from the government's plans to cancel refurbishment projects on over 700 schools nationwide. The plans for refurbishment of the two schools, which had been previously cancelled, were reinstated.
, after the 2005 general election she was promoted to the front bench to serve as the Liberal Democrat Spokeswoman on Community and Local Government
.
On 6 January 2006, 25 Liberal Democrat MPs signed a letter drafted by Teather and fellow frontbencher
Ed Davey, indicating their unwillingness to continue working under party leader Charles Kennedy
. The Guardian
claimed the letter to be "the most damning" of the publicly expressed sentiments regarding Kennedy's position, and later that day Kennedy announced his resignation. Teather supported Menzies Campbell
in the subsequent leadership election
.
She was promoted again to Shadow Secretary of State for Education following Menzies Campbell
's election as leader on 2 March 2006. In 2007 Teather became Shadow Secretary of State for Business, followed by becoming Shadow minister for Housing from 2008 until her appointment as Minister of State for Children and Families in the formation of the coalition government.
In April 2011, Teather was questioned on BBC Question Time
over replacing the Education Maintenance Allowance
. Arguing against the claim that fewer poor pupils would be served by its replacement, Teather claimed that it would actually be targeted better at those who actually needed government support.
.
She established the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Guantanamo Bay in March 2007, and has used the group to campaign against the detention without charge of Jamil el-Banna, a constituent. She has visited Washington twice to lobby on his behalf, and also works closely on the case with the anti-death penalty charity, Reprieve and Amnesty International
.
constituency. She faced, and defeated, Labour
MP Dawn Butler
, who had been member for Brent South, despite Butler having a notional majority of 7,000 in the redrawn constituency.
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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, 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,...
for Brent Central
Brent Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Brent Central 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...
, Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
at the Department for Education
Department for Education
The Department for Education is a department of the UK government responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education....
, and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group
All-Party Parliamentary Group
An all-party parliamentary group is a grouping in the UK parliament that is composed of politicians from all political parties.-All-party parliamentary groups:...
on Guantanamo Bay.
She was first elected on 18 September 2003 in the Brent East by-election
Brent East by-election, 2003
The Brent East by-election, 2003 was caused by the death on 18 June 2003 of the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Brent East, Paul Daisley, of the Labour Party....
and re-elected with an increased majority on 5 May 2005 in 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....
. After the seat was abolished due to boundary changes she was selected as the Liberal Democrat Candidate for the new constituency of Brent Central. Her main opponent was sitting Labour MP Dawn Butler
Dawn Butler
Dawn Petula Butler is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Brent South from 2005 to 2010, and was Minister for Young Citizens and Youth Engagement in the Cabinet Office...
, whose seat of Brent South was also abolished. After that election Teather became Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
in the Department for Education
Department for Education
The Department for Education is a department of the UK government responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education....
in the coalition between the Conservatives and 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...
.
Early life
Teather was educated at the independent Leicester Grammar SchoolLeicester Grammar School
Leicester Grammar School , is an independent secondary school situated in Great Glen, Leicestershire, England. It was founded in 1981, after the loss of the city's state-funded grammar schools....
and St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
, where she gained a 2:1 degree in Natural Sciences specialising in pharmacology
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function...
.
Teather initially embarked on a PhD at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, but left the course at the end of her first year. She went on to work as a policy advisor for a number of prominent groups including the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
and the charity Macmillan Cancer Relief.
Member of Parliament
Teather first contested an election on 7 June 2001 in the seat of Finchley and Golders Green. On 3 May 2002 she became a councillor on Islington London Borough CouncilIslington London Borough Council
Islington London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Islington in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. Islington is divided into 16 wards, each electing three councillors...
.
In 2003 she was selected as the party's candidate in the Brent East by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
, which was called after death of the Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
MP Paul Daisley.
The by-election
Brent East by-election, 2003
The Brent East by-election, 2003 was caused by the death on 18 June 2003 of the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Brent East, Paul Daisley, of the Labour Party....
took place during the early stages of the Iraq War, in which Britain's involvement had proved a controversial decision with voters and dented support for the Labour government. The Liberal Democrats came from third place behind Labour and the Conservatives, with a 39.12% share of the total and 1,118 majority. At 29, Teather was the youngest Member of Parliament in Britain at the time.
She successfully defended her seat in the 2005 general election, increasing her majority to over 2,700. On 6 May 2010, Sarah Teather defeated Labour's Dawn Butler
Dawn Butler
Dawn Petula Butler is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Brent South from 2005 to 2010, and was Minister for Young Citizens and Youth Engagement in the Cabinet Office...
, a former Brent MP, by over 1,000 votes in the new Parliamentary constituency of Brent Central.
The by-election was Labour's first by-election defeat in 15 years. Teather was the youngest member of the House, informally known as the Baby of the House
Baby of the House
Baby of the House is the unofficial title given to the youngest member of a parliamentary house. The term is most often applied to members of the British parliament.-Australia:In Australia the term is rarely used...
.
She subsequently resigned her seat on Islington Council, as well as her candidature for the GLA seat in North East London.
In May 2009, she was listed by The Daily Telegraph as one of the "Saints" in the expenses scandal. However, in September 2010 The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
reported that she had been accused by several Members of Parliament of lobbying her boss, the Education Secretary Michael Gove
Michael Gove
Michael Andrew Gove, MP is a British politician, who currently serves as the Secretary of State for Education and as the Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the Surrey Heath constituency. He is also a published author and former journalist.Born in Edinburgh, Gove was raised in Aberdeen...
, for two schools in her constituency to be spared from the government's plans to cancel refurbishment projects on over 700 schools nationwide. The plans for refurbishment of the two schools, which had been previously cancelled, were reinstated.
Liberal Democrats Frontbench Team
In parliament Teather became one of the highest profile Liberal Democrat MPs. Initially acting as her party's spokesperson on LondonLondon
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...
, after the 2005 general election she was promoted to the front bench to serve as the Liberal Democrat Spokeswoman on Community and Local Government
Department for Communities and Local Government
The Department for Communities and Local Government is the UK Government department for communities and local government in England. It was established in May 2006 and is the successor to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, established in 2001...
.
On 6 January 2006, 25 Liberal Democrat MPs signed a letter drafted by Teather and fellow frontbencher
Frontbencher
In many parliaments and other similar assemblies, seating is typically arranged in banks or rows, with each political party or caucus grouped together. The spokespeople for each group will often sit at the front of their group, and are then known as being on the frontbench and are described as...
Ed Davey, indicating their unwillingness to continue working under party leader Charles Kennedy
Charles 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....
. The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
claimed the letter to be "the most damning" of the publicly expressed sentiments regarding Kennedy's position, and later that day Kennedy announced his resignation. Teather supported 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...
in the subsequent leadership election
Liberal Democrats leadership election, 2006
In the 2006 Liberal Democrats leadership election, Sir Menzies Campbell was elected to succeed Charles Kennedy as Leader of the Liberal Democrats, the third-largest political party in the United Kingdom....
.
She was promoted again to Shadow Secretary of State for Education following 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...
's election as leader on 2 March 2006. In 2007 Teather became Shadow Secretary of State for Business, followed by becoming Shadow minister for Housing from 2008 until her appointment as Minister of State for Children and Families in the formation of the coalition government.
Higher education
In her maiden speech when first elected as an MP in 2003, Teather made clear her opposition to tuition fees:In April 2011, Teather was questioned on BBC 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...
over replacing the Education Maintenance Allowance
Education Maintenance Allowance
Education Maintenance Allowance is a financial scheme applicable to students and those undertaking unpaid work-based learning in the Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland aged between sixteen and nineteen whose parents have a certain level of taxable income...
. Arguing against the claim that fewer poor pupils would be served by its replacement, Teather claimed that it would actually be targeted better at those who actually needed government support.
Other activities
In Autumn 2006, she spent a week observing in schools, writing a daily blog of the experience for Guardian UnlimitedGuardian Unlimited
guardian.co.uk, formerly known as Guardian Unlimited, is a British website owned by the Guardian Media Group. Georgina Henry is the editor...
.
She established the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Guantanamo Bay in March 2007, and has used the group to campaign against the detention without charge of Jamil el-Banna, a constituent. She has visited Washington twice to lobby on his behalf, and also works closely on the case with the anti-death penalty charity, Reprieve and Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
.
Boundary changes
Brent East and neighbouring Brent South were abolished at the 2010 general election. On 31 August 2006 Teather announced her intention to stand for the new Brent CentralBrent Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Brent Central 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...
constituency. She faced, and defeated, Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
MP Dawn Butler
Dawn Butler
Dawn Petula Butler is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Brent South from 2005 to 2010, and was Minister for Young Citizens and Youth Engagement in the Cabinet Office...
, who had been member for Brent South, despite Butler having a notional majority of 7,000 in the redrawn constituency.
External links
- Sarah Teather MP official site
- Profile at the Liberal Democrats
- Brent Liberal Democrats
- Video: Sarah Teather speaks about parliamentary demographics hosted by YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
on the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's official channel - Contributor page at The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
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